PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2017

EDITOUR 31 PET planet Insider Vol. 18 Kay Barton: Yes, that makes sense. I must say that I’ve become more laid back over the course of the many trips. On many things, there is a steep learning curve, especially with areas like bureaucracy and customs formalities. And that’s not forgetting the language barrier, which is a con- stant feature of our tours. But coping with crossing borders can certainly be a positive experience! Alexander Büchler: Great, and definitely something to look forward to again! Meeting people, new experi- ences and stimuli! I’d better get my first flight booked... *Editor’s note: Rolf Sinkovec, IT Specialist und Commercial Director at PETplanet time. In the seven years we have been doing these tours, we have got to know more than 250 customers, and they were all willing to lend us a hand when needed. Alexander Büchler: Seven years of tours already? We must be mad! Kay Barton: Too true. If I could have just one wish, it would be for a few more appointments with end- users. Alexander Büchler: But suppliers with on-site facilities are also impor- tant. They create a high market transparency. On the other hand, it is always exciting to see how users from different regions make use of simi- lar equipment. Kay Barton: Quite so. And if we do that we get a real feel for any special regional features in prod- uct design, finding out what works with the end client and why. Alexander Büchler: Yes, for example, the large PET bottles for beer in Russia, the small 0.25l Coca-Cola bottles in India or the extremely light bottles for water in North America... Do you think there are going to be differences between Cambodia, Thai- land and Laos? Kay Barton: To find that out we have to go there and plan to be at the Propak fairs. As far as Thailand is concerned, I do have real concerns about the security situa- tion. Alexander Büchler: I’m reasonably relaxed about it. If we contact our office in Bangkok and our clients, we can always keep ourselves updated about the current security situation.