On 7th and 8th September, the first edition of the Two Day Event took place in Biella, the meeting dedicated to the agents who represent the Marchi & Fildi Group throughout the world.
This event was strongly recommended by the Commercial, Marketing and Communication sectors along with the General Directors and management level, with the objective of actively involving our agents in a continual way in Group projects, and of starting a dialogue about values, objectives and results, in such a way as to give our representatives information and motivation.
Full immersion in the Marchi & Fildi Group activities
The 30 agents, who represent our brands and technical and fashion products, arrived in Biella from different countries across the world.The programme alternated theory sessions with visits to the various sites and informal, more convivial gatherings.
The opening session was an update focused on the marketing and communication activities, commercial strategy and product development, with a medium to long-term perspective. This was both necessary and appreciated, and made space for the numerous projects the Group is involved in and the discussion on the topics of values, company identity and strategic development areas:
- sustainable innovation at the level of the products and production technology
- the partnerships at various levels in the supply chain and with educational and institutional contacts
- online and offline communication and other events.
Then followed a visit to the MagnoLab office, the chain of suppliers to textile companies amongst whose founders are Marchi & Fildi and Filidea, and whose objectives are innovation and synergies between companies. For our agents, MagnoLab is a project with enormous innovative potential which could be of great interest for customers across the world. In the freshly-refurbished rooms which belong to the industrial complex of Cerrione, where the Group’s dyeing facilities and the training sites for ITS TAM of Biella are also located, the guests were able to see the pilot micro-plants in operation, which enable the development of products and innovative processes with rapid experimentation cycles, sharing the know-how gained with the companies involved. This unique context permits: the concentration of prototyping activities in order to present them to future customers; experimentation with solutions in terms of products and processes to transfer directly to partner facilities; subsequent moving to scale production.
The second day was dedicated to workshops. The speakers from the company areas who promoted the meeting led a discussion in small groups on some of the crucial topics arising at the marketing, commercial and product level. This technique allowed participants to discuss needs, clarify doubts, share impressions, as well as reinforce a common vision and a feeling of belonging with regard to the Group’s objectives.
The leitmotif was sustainability
The organisation concentrated on creating an event with respect for the sustainability values supported by the Group: from valorising the Biellese region in the choice of the catering company, which eliminates the use of disposable tableware in favour of washable or compostable items, right through to the involvement of social promotion companies:
The gifts given to the participants also represented the values which form the basis of a circular economy. This was a personalised laptop bag created using fabrics produced with ECOTEC® yarns which are made using upcycled textile waste, designed and created by Quid Impresa Sociale, a company from Veneto with more than 130 employees offering jobs to female survivors of violence or other women who are marginalised in the labour market.
In conclusion
On the basis of the feedback received from the participants, the Two Day Event was seen as an efficient format to:
- reflect on and consolidate values, objectives, project and working methods
- create a direct connection with the Group
- return to one’s job with renewed energy and to introduce new marketing and communication topics.