Three Weeks At CommodityPoint by Mark Tredway
The first three weeks of any new job can be a daunting experience– but my three weeks at CommodityPoint literally gives justification to the phrase “my head is going to explode”.
The amount of information concerning the commodities and Energy industry that has been passed on to me recently by leading research and expert analysts Dr Gary M Vasey and Patrick Reames of CommodityPoint (with a combined experience of 54 years Energy and Utilities) is enough to fill a small library. Throw into the mix high expectations around creating a more customer focused environment throughout Utilipoint set by David Steele, President of Utilipoint International, and you then have a great setting for my first three weeks at CommodityPoint.
E-World – In at the Deep End
A few days at E-World in Essen was also a good way to open my eyes.
One surprise for me was that sixty percent of the firms that I had a chance to talk with were German firms with a view to expand into other European countries. Even more surprising was that 90 percent of this group did not have any English collateral, websites or even English speaking staff on their stand. To quote one fairly senior gentleman “I was not expecting to speak to English people here”. Of course there were also many other emerging European firms from France, Italy, Romania etc. that had a strong presence and it was informative and educational to talk with these companies.
There were also those whose firms that have been around a while and who have their thumbs seemingly in every pie. Imagine my surprise when we arrive at an event that is host to many thousands of people and I find that I am standing with the Energy industry equivalent of a John Travolta or Morgan Freeman.
You could barely walk passed a stand and someone would shout “Gary” – The amount of respect and information that then passes between Dr. Vasey and whichever client or industry leader that met with him was really something special for me to observe. And that is where it became very interesting – you might expect that industry leaders would know what was happening where, when and with whom at all times, but every so often I would watch a client hang on to the edge of their seat gathering as much information as they could from Gary. Discussions about ways to approach the market in a more effective matter, how to better brand their company or where their firms stands in relation to the market and what they should consider in order to raise the bar a little more.
One example that really stuck in my head was a well known vendor in the industry. After several minutes of conversation it seems that this particular vendor is perceived in the industry to be focused almost entirely on the financial side of commodities whereas they are in actual fact a full services vendor. The vendor is aware of this misconception but does not really know how to change market perceptions.
“Well” says Gary – why not use the CommodityPoint vehicles to get this message across. Weekly we communicate with over 10 000 people within the industry. We have research reports that target over 100 000 people in the industry and websites and blogs that are seen by over 200 people daily who are relevant to your business.
To prove his point, here are a few examples of the current projects we are working on:
The Sourcebook
In February/March 2010, CommodityPoint will publish the definitive guide to CTRM software complete with comprehensive information about more than 30 products. The sourcebook, which will be distributed free of charge, will be the definitive resource for prospective buyers of CTRM software and it will carry advertisements from those interested in reaching this market.
Non Traditional Delivery Methods Research Project
Recent CommodityPoint research and vendor and end user briefings suggests that alternative delivery models for CTRM seem to be catching on as a trend in the industry – specifically SaaS and hosted models. This study is designed to look into these trends and establish some benchmark data around SaaS, hosted and other delivery models. CommodityPoint are still seeking sponsors to help shape the study and advertisers who would like to have a presence in the final free report
The Non-Energy Commodity Vendor Perception Study
A vendor perception study that is solely focused on the non-energy commodity trading world in order to specifically benchmark the vendor landscape, procurement rates and criteria in the metals, agricultural and other non-energy commodity area. The study will target companies across all industry segments, from producers to end users, for these commodities and will be global in nature. We believe it will be the first study of its kind to examine this market place. Again, we are seeking sponsors to help shape the study.
All of these initiatives offer advertising space.
CommodityPoint – The Market Leader
And from my experience this is why people come to CommodityPoint. Players in the industry respect CommodityPoint and their analysts. They know about our websites and quality research, about our reports and analysis and want to get involved with sponsorships or through advertising.
In conclusion – CommodityPoint has certainly giving me a fantastic impression of being the number one research and analyst company in the space. Our vehicles for understanding the market and communicating with the market are second to none and our services for assisting clients are well known.
The last three weeks were just the beginning of a great learning experience for me.
