International Future Forum 2023: GEALAN takes its partners along on industry trends

In its 2023 edition, GEALAN's successful event series once again took a close look at important industry trends: Competently illustrated by six experts in four exciting presentations, the guests were able to take a look at the European window market of the future. And they were able to do so in nine languages at the same time - because the lectures and moderations of the International Future Forum 2023 were simultaneously translated for the audience on site as well as for the online guests, if required. 

GEALAN Managing Director Ivica Maurović was very satisfied with the second edition of the Future Forum in the hybrid format: "Once again, we made it as flexible and simple as possible: Those who were not present on site could easily join our exciting lectures in the livestream. I think there was something for all our guests: our experts have set the focus on strategic topics and derived applicable tips for daily business from them, we talked about premium products and the future topic of service. In this way, we delivered real added value for our guests at the International Future Forum 2023. All the feedback I have received so far from our partners on the Future Forum has been exceptionally positive."

Strategy topics meet product insights

The day of the event was opened by the GEALAN Managing Director in person - Ivica Maurović had a few words of anticipation ready for the guests from all over Europe at the start of the International Future Forum 2023.

In the following lectures, overarching industry topics alternated with a look at concrete product and service solutions. Martin Langen, Managing Director of the market research institute B+L Marktdaten from Bonn, kicked off the conference with his keynote speech "Markets in Transition". In his outlook for the coming years, he presented the industry audience with economic expectations, possible price developments and upcoming trends - first in residential construction in general, then also for renovation measures such as window replacement in concrete terms.

Current product developments presented

The second lecture focused on premium products from GEALAN. In order to provide the audience with realistic impressions, the event tents were equipped with detailed exhibits of numerous GEALAN product and system solutions.

André Wünsche, Head of Product Management/ Innovation/ Customer Service Centre at GEALAN, began his presentation by outlining the development of the premium surface technology GEALAN-acrylcolor®, which is constantly being improved even after more than 40 years. For the first time at the International Future Forum 2023, he was able to present the combination of the PMMA surface with a dark grey profile base and a selection of matching decorative foils, which will soon be available.

In another lecture, exciting possibilities around the window of the future were illustrated: GEALAN's smart automation solutions, united under the new smart home brand TEXINO, were just as much a topic here as innovative ventilation and excellent planning solutions from GEALAN. Karl Dietrich Wellsow, Managing Director of GEALAN's sister company DBS (Digital Building Solutions), presented new, uncomplicated ways to determine suitable windows in appropriate design and feasible size for given building projects with his programmes for window visualisation.

Last but not least, a second keynote speech was on the agenda: Prof. Dr. Stefan Wengler, University Professor and Consultant for Marketing and Sales in B2B markets, impressively explained in his lecture "Servitization", that customer expectations within the industry are changing to the effect that products should always be accompanied by a service that recognises and accurately fulfils the true customer needs: "Think in terms of added value instead of costs" was one of his statement and at the same time well-meant advice to the decision-makers from the industry.

Guided tours, practical guidelines and international topics

Country-specific presentations complemented the GEALAN event: the colleagues from the Netherlands presented the GEALAN Hafen-City-Fenster® and its outstanding sound insulation options, and in a second presentation they specifically addressed sustainable materials, the important topic of recycling and the possibilities of environmentally conscious construction. In the Spanish presentation, the many advantages of PVC elements were highlighted and it was explained how window manufacturers use these selling points to convince their customers of the added value of a PVC window. The French guests had the opportunity to see a country-specific variant of an all-glass system, which will make the advantages of the design-oriented window system also accessible in a installation depth of 74 mm.
Guided factory tours at the two German sites Oberkotzau and Tanna completed the International Future Forum 2023. Guests were able to get an impression of the production facilities and various construction projects such as the high-bay warehouse in Tanna, and in Oberkotzau the in-house digitalised tool construction department.
GEALAN's International Future Forum 2023 thus once again skilfully combined professional with personal exchange: exciting know-how and important trends from the construction industry met with valuable discussions across national borders in a relaxed atmosphere.