October 2016 ... an email in our mailbox from Freddy, coordinator of the REVA fair in Ghent asking if we were interested in a stand at the REVA fair. ...
We didn't have to think about this for very long. As occupational therapists, we have been to the REVA fair several times to stay up to date on all innovative products and services.
We decided it would be a must to reserve a place.
The REVA fair is a biennial information fair at Flanders Expo in Ghent. It is the event in Flanders where visitors can meet different actors from the rehabilitation sector: manufacturers, aid workers, associations for people with disabilities, etc. The first REVA fair was organised in 1989, with about 75 exhibitors and 3000 visitors. In 2017, the exhibition welcomed nearly 16,000 visitors over three days. It was a great opportunity for So Yes, as a young company, to showcase itself and physically introduce people to appropriate clothing.
It soon turned out that there was a lot of enthusiasm among visitors for custom clothing; especially wheelchair trousers and jackets with magnetic zippers were frequently demonstrated. Once again it became clear that the existing supply is still very limited, and the need real.
Our presence at the REVA fair also served an objective in the other direction. After all, a meeting place where patients, occupational therapists, personal supervisors and organisations can talk to each other is the perfect channel for a design company to find out directly what needs are highest and what we should be working on more quickly.... This feedback will become an important source of inspiration in the coming months to further optimise our range of supportive clothing. Of course, we still invite everyone to contact us via the website for tips and suggestions.
Our sincere thanks to the organisation for the kind invitation and the smooth running of this three-day event. The visits from customers and a number of our photo models were also very satisfying. We now hope to once again have a cordial chat with everyone at the REVA exhibition in 2019!
Bye,
Sofie en Jessie
