"We Guarantee Innovation and Continuity"
Three Questions for Dirk Lehmann, Publishing Director Technical Trade Media, dfv Media Group
C2 and OPE are entering the year with a new leadership team. What are the advantages of the new structure?
We have gained two senior professionals, Bettina Maurer and Ibo Ücel, who bring experience from various industries and have been highly successful, some even entrepreneurial, in their previous positions. This new expertise will be integrated into the titles and will benefit the industry companies, both through a strengthened editorial offering tailored to the information needs of industry decision-makers and through a variety of, including new, communication services that our readers and partners will benefit from. It's also important to mention our strong support team in the background, consisting of approximately 40 experts in areas such as marketing, production, and logistics.
What's next for C2 and OPE? What plans does the team have for 2024 and beyond?
C2 Coating & Converting and OPE are the leading information providers in the market. We aim to further develop both titles and take them to a new level. We want to focus even more on themes and content, examining monothematic focal points in collaboration with our partner media from packaging, textiles, climate protection, food, and more, providing different perspectives. Additionally, we want to put a stronger emphasis on the people, the decision-makers in the industries. After integrating the new team, the agenda includes the further development and relaunch of the websites. By the way, there will be a Converting Summit in 2024, in the fall, where we bring together relevant players in the industry, and we are already looking forward to it!
What signals are currently coming from the market and the companies?
The signals are clearly positive. There is significant trust being placed in us, with numerous companies expressing their desire to collaborate more closely because they are familiar with the credibility and professionalism of our organization. This is reflected in a very encouraging initial response for the cross-media areas of print, online, and events. Both we and our customers benefit greatly from C2 and OPE being part of Europe's largest specialized media house, with 100 titles, including packREPORT, packAKTUELL, and Packaging360, represented in around 30 industries. Our customers appreciate that our organization is committed to competent quality journalism, guaranteeing both innovation and continuity. Not to be forgotten is the high reach and credibility of our trade media, especially the synergy and reach effects made possible by collaborations with other media within our international publishing house and the respective industries in the new structure.