Belina Flores is the Fairs & Events Manager of Agility Fairs & Events, a company specialized in transports to fairs and events, based in Barcelona and Madrid. In this interview, she explains the role of an agent, why she decided to work with GES and how the cooperation has turned out so far.
Belina has worked for Agility for 10 years and has been in the transport business for over 17 years. Having worked for companies like Kuenhe+Nagel or DHL before, her role today is to develop, together with her team, the company’s portfolio, in Spain and abroad.
Belina Flores
She first heard of GES when she saw Sandra Ruppe’s name on the attendees’ list of the 2017 IELA congress in Prague (link IELA article). Sandra, who is the Project Manager for French and European Exhibitions, and Belina had worked together for many years, effectively starting their careers at the same company, Danzas. When Belina moved on, they lost contact. « I was very happy to see Sandra’s name on the attendees list, » says Belina. « We had lost touch, so the congress was a great opportunity to meet again. That’s also when Sandra told me all about GES and her role there. It was only a logical consequence of events that we decided to start working together. »
Having a large network and knowing who you work with is important in any industry, transport not being an exception. « To work again with Sandra was a decisive factor for me as I knew it would be the right move forward for both our companies. My decision was confirmed when I got to know the rest of the GES team. »
« We work well together, » Belina goes on. « It is important to be always a step ahead of the competition. So we send each other exhibitor lists from our respective country and when one of us secures a contract, we cooperate and make sure that we both have the necessary information so that the transport from France to Spain or vice versa goes smoothly. »
The fact that GES is a small structure with currently eight full-time staff, is no problem for Belina, quite on the contrary. « As a small company, GES is very flexible in its approach to get the job done. Decisions don’t take long and in addition, GES is very pro-active. We really couldn’t ask for more. »
Last year, both companies worked together for the annual jewellery exhibition BIJORHCA to make sure that valuable jewellery arrived safely and in time at the Paris exhibition stand. Belina describes the cooperation as follows: « It was an unusual operation as it concerned very precious goods. » Contrary to a regular shipment going to an exhibition, the amount of safety measures taken by the transporting company in such a case is more complex, also taking into account the requirements of the insurance companies. Belina explains: « We had to take more precautionary measures for this shipment. It was vital for example to know at any moment of the transit where the shipment was and to keep confidentiality. We also had to take particular care when packing the jewellery, and on arrival the cargo was put in a secured area to which only a few people had access. Of course, we also made sure that the client received the shipment personally on-stand. »
All these details show how important it is to have agents on board and to work together. It is not only vital for the development of both partner’s business but it is also a valuable exchange of best practices and of overcoming possible cultural and linguistic problems.
If you are interested in working with GES as an agent, we are looking forward to hearing from you.
