5 Things I Learnt At Archidex 2016

Archidex is South East Asia’s most successful annual trade event focussing on architecture, interior design and building. Latham Australia was pleased to be invited to exhibit our products at the recent 2016 show, in conjunction with Sun Synergy Sdn Bhd, our exclusive Malaysian Distributor. Edwin Ng is Sun Synergy’s Business Development Manager and in this article he shares five key learnings he gained from his time spent manning the stand at Archidex 2016.

 
1. Human interaction plays a vital role

In this part of the world, face-to-face communication and interaction plays a vital role in getting our products known to the public. Archidex provides a fantastic platform to approach Architects, Designers and all major industry players in the region. Apart from human interaction, the human to product experiential during the show enables Sun Synergy to further capture public attention and convey our commitment to provide the most suitable and highest quality OHS products — products that are sorely lacking in the Malaysian region.

2. Education and knowledge are essential

During the show we encountered many students and local industry players that didn’t know the existence of Mechanical Expansion Joint Covers, nor of Latham’s Original Neoprene-X-Pansion Control Joints. We spent a lot of time during the show explaining the functionality and its results — there were a lot of “oohhs and aahhs…” to be heard throughout the day. We’ve also received a number of requests from universities and Architectural firms to do product presentations and demonstrations. All of us at Sun Synergy will continue to do our part in making sure Latham products become, and remain, at the forefront of the industry for current and future generations. 

3. Enforcement of OHS remains a key issue

The lack of enforcement on OHS compliance in Malaysia has lead to the industry’s lacklustre attitudes towards flooring safety in public places. Simple tactile flooring has only recently begun to be implemented on public walkways – mostly in the CBD area and large cities. We also found ourselves promoting:

• Latham’s TI Tactiles as an alternative to the inferior “yellow tile” tactiles
• Latham’s Asbraloy as an alternative for walkways and ramps. In Malaysia, there is yet any standardised OHS requirements for anti slip properties. 

4. Ideas and opportunities abound

During the exhibition, we experienced innumerable positive responses from the visitors, and from time to time learnt various tips and tricks after just a short 5-minutes chatter. One suggestion that stood out this year was to replace our Asbraloy‘s Supagrit™ Silicon Carbide Mineral Granules with Swarovski crystal for that extra white sparkling effect! 

5. Exceptional support makes all the difference

With air-conditioning blasting, we enjoyed many hours of standing and talking (almost non-stop). We learnt to wear more comfortable shoes, sit down whenever there was chance and drink lots of water. It was also a real pleasure to have Adam Latham, one of the worlds foremost experts on expansion joint technology, on hand to help out for the duration of Archidex show. It just goes to show the great level of support that we’re privileged to receive from Latham Australia to assist in our local Malaysian market.



To find out more about Latham products, please visit www.latham-australia.com. To talk to a Latham product expert, call 1300 LATHAM (528 426) or email sales@latham-australia.com.