Always on the move: visiting a CHICO trade fair stand

Rolling hills, fertile fields and green spruce tops swaying in the wind. The CHICO hammocks and hammock chairs feel particularly comfortable in this scenario. Because these are the characteristics of their home, the Mühlviertel. But in the veins – or should we say: in the threads? – Our products have always had international blood, after all, the hammock originally comes from Central and South America and only later conquered other continents. So it's no wonder that CHICO hammocks and hanging chairs are regularly drawn to more distant regions - namely when they are in demand at trade fairs. We will therefore give you an insight into our trade fair activities and reveal what makes this area so special.

Fixed point from the start

An internet connection, a device and a few clicks. Nowadays, that's all you need to order a hammock or hammock chair from CHICO. And selling our goods online has actually become a mainstay. However, two other areas are much older, but still just as important for us: direct sales at the company headquarters in Oepping and our trade fair activities. Because both have been with us since the beginning, i.e. since the 1980s, when we still played music cassettes with our favorite songs and computers were a rarity. At that time we were already traveling with our products – for example in Tulln or at the “Blooming Austria” trade fair in Wels.

Around 15 trade fairs per year

Our exhibition stand is still in constant use today. Especially in spring and summer, we can be found in a different place almost every week - sometimes even at two trade fairs per weekend. So we not only travel across Austria, but also to Germany. In total, there are around 15 trade fairs every year where interested parties can get to know our CHICO hammocks and hammock chairs up close. The “Tyrolean Spring Fair” starts this year from March 14th to 17th in Innsbruck. Other annual fixtures are the “Pool & Garden Tulln” trade fair from March 21st to 24th and the “International Horticultural Fair Tulln” from August 29th to September 2nd. And in between we go to Dornbirn, Mannheim or Straubing, for example, to provide our neighbors with news from the hammock world.

Good organization, strong team

What does it take for such a busy trade fair existence? A good organization and a strong team. For the former, we can draw on our wealth of experience: we are now very familiar with most of the local conditions and the trade fair organizers. We also have a modern CHICO exhibition stand that can even be set up and dismantled by one person alone. And then there are our hard-working employees. A total of four people look after the trade fair area, which is led by operations manager Georg Katzlinger. Together we not only work on the perfect logistics, but also decide which trade fairs to go to. Our specialty is primarily gardening, leisure and consumer fairs. On the first few days it is usually the older generation who are out and about, later school funds and families join in. They all test and try and get advice. Depending on the trade fair, the number of visitors and the location, we sell 5 to 15 pieces per day. However, most people use our CHICO trade fair stand primarily to obtain information - and only later decide on a hammock or a hammock chair.

We love the exciting trade fair life

What we can also tell you: trade fair days are exciting. Always. And so we have had to smile about many an encounter in the past. Other experiences fill us with gratitude. For example, every few years we meet a long-standing customer from Germany who, for medical reasons, has been sleeping in a hammock chair 365 days a year for ten years now - and is extremely satisfied with it. And one of the most frequently asked questions at trade fairs? For people who have had little contact with our products, the answer is definitely: “Is that going to hold me?” To which we answer: “Yes, of course!” (“Of course!”) and are happy to refer to ours in this context Guinness World Record from 1999 with the largest hammock in the world.