SUPEREXPO 2019 WRAP

“Busy” was arguably the descriptor most frequently used by stand holders at the 2019 SuperExpo, with many reporting record foot traffic in comparison to previous years. Arguably this was driven by high levels of stand quality across all exhibitors, who had invested significant resources into their expo presence.

Blinds by Boronia Group

Michelle Macready, Sales Manager for Blinds by Boronia Group confirmed the company used its presence at Super Expo 2019 to showcase Skins N More and ESR Blinds for the first time. As a result, she said, “we knew we would be busy; exactly how busy was a pleasant surprise.”

“For us it was a great way to thank existing customers as well as meet many potential new customers from interstate and even overseas. Now with online ordering it almost doesn’t matter where you are in the world, access to our products is just a click away.”

“ESR Blinds showcased our bespoke cedar venetian blinds that can be custom painted to any colour. With more discerning end users, new customers were surprised to learn that we have our own spray booth and can custom match your cedar venetian to any paint chart. Another great feature is the offer of three slat widths of 46, 60 and 85mm. The 85mm blade was praised as an ideal alternative to shutters with the flexibility of a venetian. The main concern with traditional shutters was the amount of light that shutter frames and styles block on smaller windows; the 85mm venetian slat that we displayed and spoke about during the show was a great solution.”

“Customers were also very interested in our new and improved Skins N More skins service. Many customers that manufacture their own roller and vertical blinds told us about the cash flow issues that large stock holdings and wastage had on their businesses. Thanks to our iPad, we were able to show customers exactly how easily the Skins N More website is to navigate. With skins being dispatched within 72 hours, many existing customers came over to thank us for making their production such a quick and easy process as their skins are fault free and cut to size ready for assembly. The expanded fabric selection was also well received and the ease of using the ‘Find your fabric’ tab made navigating the site a breeze. During the show customers registered for a great welcome coupon to use on the site, which prompted new customers to give the Skins N More service a go.”

Drape and Blind Software

Mira Krulic from Drape and Blind Software confirms the company launched its new voice recognition Easy Measure App, EMA at the Super Expo.

“We were thrilled by the response”, says Krulic. “Our existing customers saw how EMA could improve and streamline the measuring process and reduce errors associated with reinterpreting information.”

“New customers were impressed by the features of Drape and Blind Software and the add-on EMA module that integrates with DBs on the cloud. They could see how a total full service solution can help them win more customers and get their jobs done on time and also futureproof their business.”

“At Drape and Blind Software, we provide exceptional customer service while continuing to embrace the benefits of new technology. We are delivering more value than ever before to our customers.”

Somfy

For Somfy, a major celebration was in order at Super Expo. The company welcomed loyal customers and partners on to its biggest stand yet, at the BMAA SuperExpo 2019, celebrating 50 years of bringing Somfy solutions to customers all over the world.

Expo attendees were treated with a fresh coffee, plus a Somfybranded macaron or mini- cupcake, as they experienced Somfy’s range of intelligent motorisation and automation solutions in a home environment, while connecting with the specialist Somfy team.

The highlight of the three days was the customer event on Thursday afternoon, which saw well over one hundred customers joining Somfy for drinks, as they celebrated the 50-year anniversary.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director Stephen Eggleton recognised Somfy’s contribution over the past half-century, “50 years of success, 50 years of good business, 50 years of fun.”

The Somfy stand was built around a home intelligence theme, with several spaces to explore including an outdoor section, WireFree section and a CBS (Commercial Building Solutions) section.

“The focus of our 2019 SuperExpo stand was around smart products and smart solutions, such as app control, voice control, WireFree battery motors and smart obstacle detection with Maestria,” said Eggleton.

“The show was a real success for us,” added Somfy’s Marketing Executive Mary Maidiotis. “It gave attendees the opportunity to get hands-on with our products, and even see them in action for the first time. They were also given a sneak preview of products which are launching soon, such as our WireFree battery-operated curtain motor Irismo 45 WireFree.”

Somfy also ran several short seminars over the course of the Expo, giving attendees a deeper understanding of the latest Somfy products, and providing guidance on selling motorisation and marketing in a digital world.

“Our customers across the industry recognise the contribution that Somfy solutions make to the success of their businesses,” said Alistair Grice, Somfy’s Head of Marketing.

“Somfy continues to invest in growing the market, with activities such as Super Expo to our continued focus on communication with end users supporting and benefiting all our partners.”

Nice

Nice in Australia pronounced the show a success. The company presented the Era Inn System, positioned as the smart and versatile new solution for window blind control that quietly optimises the effectiveness of natural light. The system can manage natural light smartly, and is easily adjustable to meet room environmental conditions and personal tastes for the ultimate wellbeing in any living/ working space. The Era Inn system is silent, precise, safe, and compatible with a wide range of elegant Nice control systems, including a touch-less activation device and a user-friendly app for remote management.

Nice also introduced its brand new range of bidirectional control systems. “With the new bidirectional transmitters and receivers, you can now receive feedback on reception of the command and on the status of the automations. When the user sends a command to the automation, the transmitter indicates its correct reception, the automation position, the presence of possible faults or the need to change the device battery.”

Teleco

For Teleco, the main reason for exhibiting at the Expo was to build on the success of the TubeLite product launch at R&T in Stuttgart last year.

“Some of the integrated LED solutions coming out of Europe are really stunning and the quality raises the product to new heights. By launching the LED products at the expo, Australian retailers have an exciting new product to take to the market for the 2019/20 summer season.”

“We want to thank our local awning partners for their incredible support in exhibiting their lighting solutions in such a magnificent way. All of our partners advised that they had received genuine interest from customers, and even we on the Teleco stand had interested customers queuing and waiting to find out more”.

“In order for the LED program to succeed, there were a few key points we had to get right.

First, the LED controls need to be hidden. No one wants to see unsightly boxes, receivers or transformers. TubeLite accomplishes this by integrating the LED lighting controls inside the tube of the awning.

Next, the solution needs to be simple; installers and manufacturers don’t want to spend ages installing more products. TubeLite is as easy as installing a tubular motor – in fact it’s exactly the same! The wiring is all low voltage (24v) and plug & play, it couldn’t be easier.”

“Finally, the LEDs need to be bright enough to make a difference, but dimmable for the right atmosphere. TubeLite is the transformer, radio receiver and dimmer all in one.”

Teleco ran a giveaway each day whereby customers could win a Aperol Spritz pack. The Spritz is a light Prosecco based drink, associated with the Veneto region in Italy where Teleco Headquarters are based. “Teleco would like to congratulate the winners of the Spritz packs, Craig Cameron (Global Awning Accessories), Chris Maggacis (Instaco) and Geraldine Carey (Carey Covers).”

Teleco, an Italian company founded in 1996, is one of the few companies that offer control devices combined with a discretely designed LED lighting range that is ideal for any type of environment.

The company markets its products in more than 40 countries, on five continents and directly avails itself of four branches in France, Germany, Belgium and Australia. Based on the Gold Coast, Teleco Oceania was established in 2015 and stocks remote control, smart device and lighting solutions for umbrellas, retractable roofs, folding arm awnings, shade sails, patios and pergolas.

Ricky Richards

Meanwhile Ricky Richards reported a record number of visitors to its SuperExpo stand.

“This year at SuperExpo the Ricky team showcased additions to existing ranges, plus exciting new product lines, with interest in both far surpassing our expectations. We launched new colours, stripes and textured finishes for our Outlook mesh, Docril fabric and Barrington canvas ranges, with many of these additions Inspired by Colorbond.”

Visitors were educated about the Outlook Ecolibrium bio-based plasticisers, which along with Green Guard, make Outlook “The Cleaner Shading Solution.”

“The Docril G outdoor upholstery and Albis external curtain ranges attracted amount of interest, with most customers and specifiers commenting on the extensive range of contemporary colours and designs, along with the softer ‘feel’ of the materials and the superior performance offered by solution dyed acrylic over alternate fabrics.”

The other product that drew a consistently large audience was the innovative self-adhesive printable window textile known as Squid. The installation demonstrations that occurred virtually non-stop during the show stopped many visitors in their tracks. Most couldn’t believe that there was now a product for covering oddshaped windows and a superior high-quality textile solution to window film. When they witnessed the seamless joining technique first-hand they knew that they had discovered a product that could be offered as a solution in a huge range of residential and commercial projects.”

“We also fielded many enquiries regarding our extensive range of tensile architecture and shade products, the Ricky marine fabric range and our printable, longterm flooring solution, BILD, along with our premium printable backlit fabric Samba, which was utilised for all the light-boxes.”

Rollease Acmeda

Rollease Acmeda’s Lara Apicella described SuperExpo as “extremely successful” for the company, whose stand proved a strong drawcard for expo attendees.

“A lot of people have commented on the stand and how great it looks. We created this state-of-the art space to showcase our new advances in technology and we wanted a professional corporate look and feel to reflect our growth and presence in the market; we’re growing bigger and better. A central element of the stand was about continuing the ‘focussed on tech’ message that we’ve been driving.”

In terms of technological advances, Apicella cited Siri control for Automate as a personal stand out. “I’m an avid Apple user but of course this technology is applicable to Alexa and Google Home and importantly its native to those technologies.” Another highlight on the Rollease Acmeda stand was the Feng awning with integrated LED lighting, along with the new Klip Pod system.

Global Awning

Lisa Addicoat from Global Awning Accessories described the expo as really successful, with a key product highlight being the launch of the Global 2020 Semi Cassette awning featuring an extruded aluminium pelmet and extended front profile to provide greater fabric protection. “We’ve had a great response to the enhancements we’ve incorporated into this product,” she told WFA.

ICL

Peter Monkhouse of ICLSA confirmed he had been “incredibly busy” throughout the expo due to the high number of stand visitors. Much of their attention was on the AM43 motor, designed to provide the convenience of remote control of internal blinds through the use of a small motorised unit or via a phone app.

The unit is designed to be easy to install with no electrician required. It is simply screwed into the wall, while the chain is inserted through the top of the unit and operated by pressing the up and down arrows to open and close the blind. An app can also be used to control the blind through the Bluetooth function on a phone.

Market Makers

Nicole Bruce of Market Makers confirmed it was the first time the company had showcased Sheer Elegance blinds with a motorisation option, along with Allure shutters in Wildwood; a textured finish shutter that attracted “an outstanding reception.”

“The leads we’ve met at this year’s expo have all been really good quality. They’re solid leads that are genuinely interested in engaging with us and understanding the product. Overall it’s been a fantastic expo.”

Shann Group

Shann Group’s Melissa Vine told WFA: “We’ve been really pleased; there’s been so much foot traffic to our stand, with some great leads and a great opportunity to see customers and show them our products. Certainly in terms of visitor numbers, day two was one of the best days we ever had. Colleagues who were at Super Expo 2016 say this was an improvement on that, and certainly better than 2013. One of the products we’ve been promoting is Urbantrack, which has been really well received. It’s been on the market for a while but it’s great to showcase it properly at the expo.

Urbantrack’s key point of difference is an external track guided blind system with a number of features including all season climate control, heat reduction and cool retention, a smart slimline tracking system, rust free aluminium and stainless steel construction, proven under hard Australian conditions, it can be set in any position, and powder coated to any colour.”

Blinds by Peter Meyer

Simon Meyer of Blinds by Peter Meyer said that the Expo came at the perfect time for the company’s recently announced partnership with Silent Gliss.

“There are certainly some great synergies between our business and Silent Gliss. In terms of the Silent Gliss products, we are manufacturing curtain tracking systems, both motorised and manual. The motorised 5600 system has really been a market leader for the last decade. With the ability to bend motorised curtain tracks and also recess them up unto the ceiling so the customer can get a curtain directly flush with the ceiling, we are really seeing the benefits of these features.”

He added that the stand had received positive feedback from existing Blinds by Peter Meyer customers as well as Silent Gliss customers who had indicated their support for the newly structured entity.

The company also utilised its presence at SuperExpo to showcase new products from Weinor, such as the Vertitex 2 exterior roller blind, which comes in cable guided, channel guided as well as zip versions. It also boasts the smallest cassettes on the market with sizes as small as 75mm available for cable and channel guided models. Despite the small size of the cassette, it can still span wide widths.

“In terms of awnings, it’s about quality. I mean the product has to work in an outdoor environment. It has to be built and designed to last outdoors and certainly the Australian environment is one of the harshest environments around. We’ve got wind, we’ve got heat, we’ve got rain, dust; we’ve got all of the things that really mechanical things don’t love.”

“That’s why we really have partnered with Weinor, because their quality is second to none, their testing and development are second to none. Their quality and their finish are all done in-house; they’ve got their own in-house powder coating lines, they powder coat the whole product including the plastic components on the ends to really give you a complete seal.”

“They also do all their own fabrics. They don’t weave their own fabrics but they finish all their fabrics to do custom printing onto the skins of awnings including exterior rollers. So they’re really a one-stop-shop. They have a quality process where one department supplies the next as an actual supplier. So if you get something you don’t like from the supplier, you send it back. The previous department is accountable to the next and if something is not quite perfect they send it back and get it re-done. So that’s how they maintain their quality levels throughout the whole factory.”

CW Products

Danny Elassaad from CW Products told WFA the company’s new anti-lift technology was an Australian and possibly a world first that was unveiled at the 2019 Super Expo for the first time.

“Consumers usually have this perception that roller shutters are a way of securing the home, but they could be lifted quite easily until now.”

“Our new LockSafe is a unique patent pending invention that automatically locks roller shutters in the fully closed position.

The LockSafe shutter uses a three-step locking/anti-lift technology whilst a specialised Simu motor locks the shutter down.

The shutter is available in switch and remote-control options in widths from 550mm to 3200mm.

Also released at the show was another patent pending design, Auto Lock Down, which allows roller shutters to have a unique ventilation locking feature in users’ favourite position.

“This also uses anti-lift technology and is available in remote control option only” Elassaad confirmed.

Lifestyle Shutters

Michele Carstensen and David Morris of Lifestyle Shutters reported strong visitor numbers to their expo stand, adding that two key product innovations were being highlighted at the show: MoreView Shutters are designed with 89 mm wide vanes and a number of clever innovations including self-closing hinges operated without magnets to avoid rust and a profile that closes flush with the window frame. An added benefit to ordering these products could be found in speedy dispatch totally two weeks as opposed to 12 from sale to installation at a price point comparable to imported shutters. Meanwhile the Inflector Screen is designed to control temperatures in both summer and winter. In summer a silver reflective side faces towards the glass with the black side facing into the room, which allows cool air inside to be insulated from the hot glass, while solar heat and UV are reflected away from entering the room. In winter, the black side of the inflector faces towards the glass with the silver reflective side facing twards the room. Internal heat is reflected back into the room by the silver reflective surface of the Inflector, and the warm air inside is insulated from escaping through the cold glass.

Michele Carstensen commented that the response from attendees at the Super Expo had exceeded expectations. “The high attendance and genuine interest shown by the visitors, confirms our confidence and enthusiasm for the continuing growth of our industry. The show was the ideal platform for us to launch our two new products exclusive to Lifestyle Blinds. Our 5 Day Dispatch MoreView shutter program was an absolute highlight of the show, receiving immense interest from visitors representing small and large businesses from across the country. This exclusive new product offer is game changing, offering an Australian made shutter dispatched in five days and costing no more than imported shutters.”

“The Inflector Screen, also attracted huge interest and excitement. Exclusive to Lifestyle Blinds, the Inflector Screen hit a nerve with everyone, due to its proven ability to reduce heat entering and exiting our homes and buildings. In a time when we are all trying to reduce energy usage and our energy costs, the Inflector Screen is a popular new product for the Australian market.”

TWO Australia

Sheree Fletcher of TWO Australia confirmed aluminium internal shutter Avenir had garnered the lion’s share of interest from stand visitors. “As interior aluminium shutters, Avenir is positioned as more affordable than timber but better for the environment than other timber alternatives. In some ways it was a gamble to see if the market could get its head around an interior aluminium shutter but it’s certainly one that’s paid off. This our most popular shutter. The market for PVC is growing and timber is plateauing and this is increasingly seen as a viable alternative to PVC. Aluminium shutter panels also have distinct advantages; they can be made wider than PVC, VOC emissions are minimised and the thermal properties of aluminium perform very well for insulation.”

TWO’s US based CMO Dena Fitzgerald was also on the stand and confirmed that the market for the product in the US was growing. “It’s nice to see an Australian company doing well in the US. Australians are so innovative and that’s really evident here. I’ve seen so much innovation at this show.”

“It was a hugely successful three days for TWO Australia, having received lots of positive feedback about our exhibit, product and turnkey service,” says Fletcher. “In particular, the Highprofile Avenir interior aluminium shutter made quite the impression on visitors as it is an alternative to PVC, offering more flexibility at a lower end price point. We also found the SuperExpo as a whole highly valuable, super insightful and enjoyable in connecting face to face with many of our existing customers and developing new business relationships.”

INNOVATION FROM OMNI
On the innovation front, Amanda Mifsud, CEO and Founder of Omni Shutter Systems, was utilising SuperExpo 2019 to showcase the unique points of difference of the newly released Omni offering. Chief among these is the fact that the blades of the shutter can be lifted completely out of view to provide uninterrupted views to the outside. The shutters feature modern minimalist stiles with softened edges and can be operated both through motorisation and manually. The system can also be integrated within home automation systems including voice activated technology. Side edge design has also been refined to offer optimal light control. Because it eliminates the need for hinged opening shutter panels, the system is ideal for kitchens, bathrooms and stairwells, or anywhere where elegant, unobtrusive window coverings that enhance the view are required.

Pacific Wholesale Distributors’ Gavin Taylor said the expo had been a standout success for the company, which was showcasing its innovative Veri Shades product. “We have been amazed at the uptake since the show; it was really great for us and Veri Shades!”

The company’s stand featured a Veri Shades display, creating a draw card for exhibitors who had the opportunity to experience the unique product first-hand.

Offering the feel of curtains with the versatility of blinds, Veri Shades are comprised of soft panel fabrics that offer the appearance of curtains while enabling easy “walk-through” due to the panelised structure of the fabric folds.

“The soft fabric hangs beautifully. There are no weights or chains so you can walk through them anywhere, whether they’re opened or closed – they just sway out of the way and settle back perfectly. This makes them perfect for creating a soft feature across a large opening.”

Spanning up to six metres, Veri Shades offer the elegance and versatility of a sheer and the privacy of a curtain. They can be adjusted to control light levels depending on the position of the sun, or the privacy required.

The fabric folds are soil resistant and can be easily taken down and individually washed, or replaced. Veri Shades fabric is also UV stabilised so it is resistant to fading. Fire retardant Veri Shades are available, and Veri Shades are also free of PVC or filler.