As is well known, necessity is the mother of invention, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the result has to be an unsatisfactory stopgap solution. Conference calls and video seminars have become part of everyday life and work well. However, four industry partners wanted to try out a more original and engaging format for their exclusive customer events—which thrive on in-person interaction—despite the adverse circumstances. For the past eight years, Dallmer, the North Rhine-Westphalian plumbing and drainage expert, the Swiss bathroom ceramics manufacturer Laufen, the Belgian lighting expert Kreon —which has a showroom in Cologne—and the long-established Italian porcelain tile company Fiandre Architectural Surfaces have been organizing informational events for architects five times a year in different cities. To do so, the partners always select interesting architectural settings to create a stimulating and relaxed atmosphere—in light of current circumstances and capitalizing on a resulting trend, this time the event took place at a drive-in theater.
To meet this demand even during social distancing restrictions, the partners organized an exclusive and unprecedented drive-in movie event for their architecture clients on May 26. At the pop-up drive-in theater near the hangar at Mülheim an der Ruhr Airport, the four companies welcomed around 200 architects in their cars shortly before sunset. Invitations and tickets were sent in advance via email, allowing for contactless admission through the driver’s window, with the audio transmitted to car radios via the drive-in’s own frequency. Supplied with popcorn and drinks, participants were able to enjoy the evening program comfortably and safely without having to get out of their cars. After a welcome address by representatives of the partner companies, the event kicked off.
Four short films presented product information from the organizers: the ingenious Dallflex shower channels from Dallmer, the photocatalytic ceramic line “Active” from Fiandre, the custom-made “Bespoke” sanitaryware from Laufen, and lighting concepts from Kreon Tools of Light. The feature film of the evening was the box-office hit “Das perfekte Geheimnis” by Bora Daktegin.
In light of the ongoing pandemic, the partners had come up with a special initiative: The event, which was free for attendees, was accompanied by a voluntary donation to support hospital and healthcare workers, who are currently under particular strain. This raised 1,000 euros, which will go toward FFP-2 respirator masks for the Huyssens-Stift in Essen. Perhaps this type of event could also be an interesting idea for other companies in the natural stone, artificial stone, and ceramics industries, as well as their supplier sectors. According to Fiandre, the event was a complete success—and by no means a stopgap measure.
