Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings Ltd. TGS

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Quality Control Survey

TGS AT DIHAD 2009 - A PERSONAL ACCOUNT






Once again, TGS attended the DIHAD (Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Re-Development) Conference & Exhibition in Dubai at the beginning of April 2009. Thanks to our attractive new stand TGS managed to greet many new clients and chat to existing ones. The event proved to be a great success. We spoke to Michael McElwee (Sales Admin & Marketing Manager) and Jan Buhler (German Desk Area Manager) about their experiences at the show:
Michael McElwee How would you describe the DIHAD exhibition in Dubai? DIHAD is one of the biggest exhibitions and "meeting points" for the key players (suppliers and customers) working in the area of humanitarian aid and development. It's a great meeting point especially for agencies working in the Afghanistan region. How would you compare this years exhibition with previous years? It was a terrific show this year with a good number of visitors and we came across quite a number of new potential clients. Could you describe a typical day at this event with regards to meeting customers etc.? Typically our team will be split with some members always available on the stand to attend to visitors and provide information, and other team members meeting with customers through the networking sessions and also visiting customer stands. Do you feel meeting potential clients on a face to face basis is an advantage for both parties ? why ? There is no substitute for face to face contact. We are able to introduce TGS to the customer and understand in detail all their requirements whilst the customer is able to evaluate what TGS has to offer and get immediate answers to all their questions and queries. How does TGS prepare for this event ? Preparation begins several months before the show. This year we had a brand new display which we used for the first time, so we had the added challenge of having this especially made for us. Then we have to ship all the equipment and materials from Gibraltar to Dubai in good time which means sending the consignment about 6 weeks prior to the show. Was TGS highlighting model in particular at this years event ? This year, we did not have a focus on a particular model. We were highlighting instead the all the different aspects of the overall TGS service such as excellent vehicle stock levels, spare parts backup, Toyota global warranty, best available accessories, world class logistics etc. TGS used a new and innovative illuminated stand this year - can you describe this for us and how you think it helped the image of TGS at this event ? It's important to try and make an impact at a show like DIHAD and so our 3 metre high 5 metre wide illuminated stand is a great help in this regard. It is made up of 15 panels which carry an huge image of a Land Cruiser 200 and Land Cruiser 76 and illustrates the strength and reliability of these key models in the TGS line-up. Will TGS be attending next years event ? We have attended for the last 5 years, so we expect we will return in 2010.

Jan Buhler How would you describe the DIHAD exhibition in Dubai ? This year's exhibition was a sucess and we had a great variety of clients visiting our stand. We made some very useful new contacts and gained some additional information about the activities of our competitors. How would you compare this year's exhibition with previous years ? This years exhibition was well attended and I found it busier than last years exhibition. Could you describe a typical day at this event with regards to meeting customers etc. ? The DIHAD was well organised and clients could book meetings with suppliers upfront. Like this we had a lot of quality time on a on to one basis with clients. A certain amount of time was therefore taken with these appointments, the rest of the time we manned the stand and went as well around the exhibition to visit clients, suppliers and competitors. Do you feel meeting potential clients on a face to face basis is an advantage for both parties ? why ? Meetings at exhibitions are very important because both parties meet on a "neutral" ground. TGS used a new and innovative illuminated stand this year - can you describe this for us and how you think it helped the image of TGS at this event ? The new stand layout was very good and up to a very high standard. Due to the impressive picture some clients were interested to come to stand to learn more about TGS.