The event started with a presentation by Daniele Merla of Kronospan’s Italian design consultants Impress, who told them the inspiration for the new Fresh range of surfaces was "human emotion" "to make a real connection with the consumer and their aspirations, from childhood to old age".
Kronospan marketing manager Paul Duddle then invited Forum guests to take the iPad they’d picked up on the way in and point its camera at four posters illustrating ‘trend’ groups in the new Fresh range.
A QR code embedded in the posters triggered the software to create a 3D ‘room-environment’ presentation of the different colour and grain finishes in the new range, which they could mix and match before pressing an icon to "vote" for their favourite combinations.
"Next we will collate the votes and take them into account in building the completed Fresh range, which launches in the New Year," said Mr Duddle. "The data we collect will also give us vital insight into how to market products."
He added that the software system had taken around three months to perfect .
"We’ve also given our regional sales managers iPads and training in using the system as a sales tool when they visit customers," he said. "And we’ll additionally give customers and specifiers an app to download."
The company also used the Forum to present its recently launched Mirror Gloss and embossed Natural Touch collections. The latter is produced on a special £5.5m press installed at Chirk last year, which produces a grain texture in register with the printed panel surface.
