At T minus 2 months to Connect10, DESMI starts getting pumped up
I caught up with DESMI's Henrik Mørkholt Sørensen to ask about their hopes for Connect10 in two months, their reasons for sponsorship and thoughts on e-commerce in shipping. Here's a mini Q&A from that session.
1. Why is DESMI sponsoring Connect10?
"When we participated previously, we found it the perfect opportunity to meet up with clients whom we had met daily through transactions in ShipServ's e-commerce trading portal. Here we'll meet all of our clients in one spot. Sponsorship was seen as a better way to get attention than just participation.
2. How much does DESMI use e-commerce?
"As far as a percentage of our total turnover, it's still only a fraction, but we see that it's increasing year-on-year. We started with ShipServ after meeting with them eight years ago, when ShipServ was one of many portals. Then, we were sceptics. There was a lot of exuberance in the field. Now it's all business."
3. What are the advantages of e-commerce, as you and DESMI see them?
"We can do more business with less resources. Customers can quickly and easily find data about us. Requests for Quote are very easy for salespeople to handle. All of our information is readily accessible. It's a competitive advantage."
4. What are your hopes for Connect10?
"Five new visiting cards. I'll just be happy to make some new contacts. I know that there are companies there who are not customers. This may be a chance for us to present ourselves. That makes it a good investment for us."