// How do you like the result?
Mr Grübener: I like the result very much and we're extremely satisfied with the new tool. But even more important is the positive feedback from customers. We went live with the virtual showroom at the end of January and have used it so far in Teams or Zoom meetings, at a trade fair in Warsaw and also when visiting customers. The set of samples that we carry with us and can present directly has been multiplied by the showroom.

By showing an overview of all BANDEX products that have been used in the curtain, we almost automatically sell more than before; namely those products that were often not mentioned before, or that the customers didn't see in the web shop, because they, as well as us, were focused on the curtain tape. However, it's particularly worth mentioning that after only 8 weeks of active use, we already had ideas on how to further develop this tool and make it even more efficient.

// What advice would you give to other companies regarding digitalisation?
Mr Grübener: No one can avoid the topic of digitalisation anymore. The pandemic has massively limited the possibilities of personal contact. Much of what was previously discussed in face-to-face meetings or at trade fairs now takes place virtually. In the field of home textiles, BANDEX operates in a very conservative environment where a lot of emphasis is still placed on haptics. Or to put it another way, those who work with textiles are grabbers who want to grasp everything by touching it with their hands.

But here, too, customers have had to adapt to the circumstances and have therefore opened up to the virtual world. Our customers have understood that they can view new articles in our virtual showroom and in the web shop. They also simply come to us with questions or use the contact form just to arrange a consultation appointment with us. None of us will be able to turn back the clock. People have realised that things can be done differently than what they were used to. All these processes are just at the beginning, and many things will continue to develop over the next few years.

// What was the greatest moment of success for you in the 360° project?
Mr Grübener: The experience of visiting our virtual showroom is extremely close to the experience of visiting the BANDEX stand at a trade fair. We even have advantages in visualisation that we couldn't offer at an offline event. Thanks to the pin-sharp, high-resolution images, every visitor can see and experience exactly how the BANDEX curtain tapes perfectly set the scene for the curtain.

// What would you like to conclude or emphasise?
Mr Grübener: We had a lot of fun carrying out the project with the team from INSCRIPT. From the idea to the implementation, we exchanged ideas intensively and worked together perfectly. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to implement the whole thing together in such a short time. The fact that we're already working together on the first expansion stage 2 months after the presentation of the virtual showroom shows that the product works and is accepted on the market, but also that the chemistry between INSCRIPT and BANDEX is right. But we should not forget that Ernst Seidel provided us with a perfect location for the shoot with his Firmament.

In addition to the virtual showroom, you can also look up tips and processing instructions on the website www.bandex.com, where you can also get inspiration from various ideas and sewing instructions. In the web shop you will find the entire product range of the innovatively managed company.

// Thank you very much for your time.