Some moments you never forget. For me, Blickfang in Basel was exactly such a moment.
Back then, as a student, I entered the competition with the first prototype of the Vaseboard® and surprisingly won. The prize: free participation at several exhibition locations, including Basel, Stuttgart, and Hamburg.
Basel was the beginning of everything.
Located right at the train station, amidst the urban hustle and bustle, it was the first place where I presented the Vaseboard® to the public. Until then, it was an idea, a design, and a prototype. In Basel, it became real for the first time.
Between Idea and Reality
The initial situation was anything but easy.
No finished product.
No exhibition stand.
No sales experience.
No budget for stand construction or major investments.
I was faced with the question: How do I bring an idea to a design fair without the classic prerequisites?
So I started writing to exhibition stand builders and asked if anyone had old wooden boards or materials left over. From precisely these remnants, the foundation for my first exhibition stand was created.
I built it in my grandpa's barn.
An improvised setup, a lot of self-effort, and the attempt to make something out of little.
The first real contact with the public
With this stand, I went to Basel.
The location right at the train station attracted a diverse audience. People stopped, looked closer, and asked questions.
And suddenly, an idea became a product that was understood.
The feedback was direct, honest, and significantly more positive than I had expected. Within a few hours, the first sales were made.
For the first time, I experienced how the Vaseboard® feels in a room and how people react to it.
If you want to get an idea of how the Vaseboard® wall shelf with integrated vase looks in a room, you can discover it here.
An unexpected turning point
Even on the first day of the fair, an encounter occurred that still resonates today.
A wholesaler from Switzerland became aware of the Vaseboard® and showed great interest. This initial conversation led to a collaboration through which we now serve the Swiss market.
A moment that could not have been planned and that shows the significance such fairs can have.
The beginning of a development
Looking back, Basel was not a perfect presentation. It was a beginning.
A moment full of uncertainty, improvisation, and at the same time enormous confirmation.
The first presentation, the first customers, and the first partners laid the foundation for everything that came after.
If you want to use the Vaseboard® in your home, you can find all variants here:
