Three days and nights in Cologne, 1,150 exhibitors and up to 11,000 trade visitors: the RDA-Workshop 2011 – Europe’s largest sales, purchasing and business networking platform for the international coach tourism sector.

RDA President Richard Eberhardt, RDA-Workshop Tourism Advisory Council Chairperson Manfred Schürmann, RDA-Workshop Managing Director Karin Kohls and RDA-Workshop Communications Manager Michael Fleischhauer were happy as they addressed the traditional end-of-exhibition press conference. The overall result: satisfied exhibitors, lots of business transactions concluded and a good exhibition atmosphere.

Richard Eberhardt: “An increasing number of international trade visitors and industry delegations from abroad are a sound indicator of the quality of the RDA-Workshop as Europe’s largest coach and group tourism exhibition.”

Manfred Schürmann could only agree with this appraisal: “Many exhibitors praised the targeted approach and pre-exhibition preparations of buyers.”

And Karin Kohls adds: “Because of structural changes in the coach tourism sector, one trade visitor represents a far greater degree of purchasing power and business potential than was the case in previous years.”

The Trend Forum ran for the second year in a row. It was well attended and the presentations were deemed informative. It provided an opportunity to discuss issues and themes which would not normally form a major part of RDA-Workshop stand discussions.

RDA-Workshop 2011 organizers are also taking the exhibition one step further this year. In times of internet, trade fairs and exhibitions are not only purchasing platforms but increasingly occasions for being there in person – both for current clients and for potential clients. In the words of Rebecca Frank, Sales Manager at British coach tourism wholesaler ALBATROSS Europa, based in Kent, England: “Our primary goal at this year’s RDA-Workshop was to meet our clients, to exchange ideas and to plan future tours – simply to be available there in person for our clients. We also met lots of new clients and discussed new business possibilities with them.”

Michael Fleischhauer presented RDA-WorkNet – a virtual post-RDA-Workshop online tool. Please click on: http://www.rda.de/WorkNet.534.0.html for details. RDA-WorkNet’s aim is to enable exhibitors to close business after the RDA-Workshop. It is a cost-free sales and offers’ platform for the exclusive use of RDA-Workshop 2011 exhibitors. Exhibitors must register online; visitors to the portal can then follow-up on RDA-Workshop contacts and offers. The online search facility follows a number of pre-set categories and guarantees targeted searches. “30 per cent of RDA-Workshop visitors order directly at the exhibition, RDA-WorkNet enables the remainder to effectively follow-up with RDA-Workshop exhibitors” says Michael Fleischhauer.

The RDA-Workshop is also an occasion for cementing industry relations. RDA President Richard Eberhardt and RDA CEO Dieter Gauf signed a co-operation agreement with the Italian Confartigianato coach tourism federation, represented by its President Willy della Valle. Riccardo Busso, Chairperson of the RDA Tourism Advisory Council was the initiator of this project.

The RDA-Workshop 2012 will take place from 17th to 19th July 2012 in Cologne.

Further information: www.rda-workshop.de