Four BESCO employees from Berlin went on a joint trip to China in March. In Xiamen, a city on the south-eastern coast of China, they were welcomed by four Chinese colleagues who work as inspectors for BESCO. The highlight of the trip was their visit at Xiamen Stone Fair. At the natural stone fair, the BESCO team was able to maintain existing business relationships, develop new international contacts and explore business opportunities. Away from the fair, the team visited various production partners and gained an insight into the country's culture.
Networking and global trends in the natural stone industry
The main reason for the trip was to visit the Xiamen Stone Fair 2024, the world’s largest trade fair for natural stone and stone processing. The BESCO fair team consisted of company founder and managing partner Frank Dickmann, commercial director Carl Duhn, Dorina Rehlender from project sales, Bonnie Trzoska from project management and the four Chinese inspectors Milton Niu, Galahad Deng, Sara Yin and Sandy Shen.
For BESCO employees, the trade fair was the ideal opportunity to maintain existing business contacts with producers, dealers and factories from different parts of the world and at the same time to talk to potential new partners. These interactions are essential to keep track of the latest trends and developments in the natural stone industry and to make valuable contacts. Frank Dickmann, Managing Director at BESCO, comments: “The Xiamen Stone Fair was the ideal platform for us to network, exchange knowledge and build international business relationships. Every time, the fair is an inspiring experience for me, which deepens my understanding of the global natural stone market.”
Cooperation between German and Chinese BESCO employees
The trip also served as an exchange between the German and Chinese employees, which strengthened the cooperation and mutual understanding. The inspectors play a central role in the company’s projects. They receive detailed information about the orders being produced in China from their colleagues in Berlin. On site in the factories and quarries, they check whether work is being carried out in accordance with belgrano® standards. These standards include, for example, compliance with working conditions and random quality control of the goods produced for BESCO.
Together with the inspectors, they visited three quarries apart from the trade fair. The quarries in the Xiamen region are known for their high-quality materials, which are valued worldwide. The visits enabled the group to gain an insight into the origin and quality of Chinese natural stone.
A visit of the quarry in the Xiamen region: BESCO employees in front of a gigantic saw blade.
Cultural exchange and business relationships: Experience Xiamen’s diversity
Aside from the business aspect, the trip also offered the opportunity for intercultural exchange. The German employees had the opportunity to experience Chinese culture first-hand, whether through traditional Chinese cuisine, visiting the city of Xiamen or interacting with their welcoming colleagues.
This not only strengthened their team bond, but also highlighted how cultural diversity and business collaboration can go hand in hand. “The trip to China and the visit to the trade fair are a great event every year. We are grateful for our reliable inspectors who enable us to deliver high quality materials. In addition to the business successes and new perspectives, we have created valuable memories that will stay with us for a long time,” says Carl Duhn, Commercial Director at BESCO.
Social get-together: BESCO colleagues enjoy the variety of Chinese cuisine.
Xiamen Stone Fair: The largest natural stone fair in the world
The main themes of the Xiamen Stone Fair include the presentation of the latest products and innovations from the world of stone and stone processing as well as design solutions for the use of natural stone in landscape and interior design. Due to its long history and tradition in the stone industry, Xiamen and the surrounding region is the perfect venue for the fair. The annual event will celebrate its 25th anniversary in March 2025.
Leisure and culture: sightseeing in the Chinese port city of Xiamen.
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