Catch the latest episode of Highlands Thinking. In this episode, you can hear from Gordon Christiansen, Partner, Janice Jenner, Head of Sales, UK + Ireland, and Brian Garioch, Head of Sales, EU, as they reflect on the recent OPI Partnership event in Amsterdam.
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Head of Sales, EU
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Video Transcript:
Gordon: I’m here today to reflect on the recent OPI Partnership event in Amsterdam with Janice Jenner, Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland at Highlands, and Brian Garioch, Head of Sales for the European Union at Highlands.
So, welcome to you both.
Janice: Hi.
Brian: Hi, good afternoon.
Gordon: OK. I’d be really intrigued to hear from you both today, as I know it was an intensive couple of days. Jan, maybe starting with you. What do you think was the real highlight of the event for you?
Janice: This was my first OPI Partnership event, so it was completely new to me, understanding how it worked. I think it was really well organised by the team at OPI, and it was a great event.
For me, it was good to connect with new customers across various regions and businesses, to understand their needs, engage with them regarding the clients Highlands represents, and explore new opportunities.
Gordon: Brilliant, thanks very much.
What about you, Brian?
Brian: For me, the key opportunity was to meet, share, and collaborate with industry colleagues. One of the biggest highlights was the number of new, young colleagues attending for the first time. While business is challenging, the fact that so many new and younger professionals were present suggests there is still plenty to achieve.
Gordon: That’s good feedback. A little glimpse of the future ahead is always a positive thing.
I suppose, selfishly, my highlight was that it was the first time Highlands attended while working with four different brands, helping them navigate the European market to secure listings and increase sales. That made me really proud of the effort you both put in to support Highlands and the brands we work with. Fantastic work.
Of course, the high-level conversations were great, but my biggest takeaway was the level of engagement from the customers and accounts represented there. They seemed genuinely interested in what we were presenting. Feedback from other manufacturers was similar, especially when discussing new categories and opportunities. I think there was real engagement.
Brian, did you have similar takeaways?
Brian: The biggest takeaway for me was that everyone understands how challenging the industry is at the moment, with the significant shift from traditional office sales to new categories. But what stood out was the willingness to discuss unique products and high-margin categories. That was evident in every meeting I had.
Gordon: Cool, thanks very much. What about you, Jan?
Janice: I’d agree. It was valuable to understand how our customers are exploring categories outside their standard range and how Highlands can support them alongside our brands.
The business is constantly evolving, and being able to support that evolution with the new clients we represent is really exciting.
Gordon: Brilliant.
Jan, I think we’d all agree that this year’s event was a success, not just for Highlands and the brands we represent, but also for OPI and all the attendees. But are there one or two things that you think could make it even more successful next year?
Janice: I think we should take more clients next year. Even in the networking breaks and over dinner, we found opportunities to discuss other clients we represent. So, yes,more clients next year.
Gordon: OK, thanks, Jan. What about you, Brian?
Brian: I completely agree with Jan, but I also think we need a bigger team. If we take more clients, we’ll need more people. It was quite a challenge to get from the 23rd floor to the first floor in just a couple of minutes! Having a larger team would give us a bit more breathing space.
Gordon: Yes, I completely support that idea.
For me, making the event even more successful next year would involve a little more preparation in certain areas. That’s not to say we were underprepared. On the contrary, I think we were very well prepared. But with hindsight, there are always things we might have done differently. We’ll take those lessons on board for next time.
Overall, it was a really successful event, and I’m pleased for our clients. Hopefully, even more will be able to attend next year.
Thanks for your time today, I really appreciate your insights.
To everyone listening, thank you for tuning in to this episode of Highlands Thinking.
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Take care.
Janice: Bye-bye.
