ePages YOU 2019 - from a perspective of two newbies

Day one

It’s all about YOU

This year’s YOU agenda offered many very interesting presentations from different departments of ePages, a cool ice breaker, workshops, and an exciting panel discussion with four online merchants. And, of course, there was also a fun team event planned. All in all a lot to look forward to!

Coming to the office last Thursday was a bit different than usual. Many people were already standing together, talking and laughing in the hallway. Quickly grabbing a snack, it was time to join the others.

“Welcome to the ePages YOU!”

Wilfried Beeck, CEO of ePages, gave us an update on where ePages is heading to in the future. He also presented how ePages is working across the world with existing and future partners.

Afterwards the CTO of the Vilkas Group, who has been an ePages technology partner for many years now, joined us and talked about how Vilkas works and what they do to keep a high rate of customer satisfaction. He emphasized that the key to keep customers satisfied is to support them in whatever they are doing.

It’s people-BINGO-time!

To raise conversation beyond the familiar office doors, an ice breaker was organized. It was time to play Bingo. We each received a table with certain characteristics. The goal was to find people who were not working on your office floor and who match those characteristics, so that eventually you’d get a Bingo by putting their names in the table. It was quite fun and a good opportunity to get to know new people from the company. So at the end of the day, even if you know nothing else about that person, you’ll know if they own a Madonna CD.

Know your customer

After a short break we had a panel discussion with four merchants on the agenda. This was probably our favorite part, because we got first-hand feedback in an open discussion with merchants that use an online shop software on a daily basis. They addressed what they already like about the current software, but also the changes and features they would like to see in the future.

It was great to see what ePages has already achieved with its online shop software, but also to recognize what still needs to be done in order to meet the merchants needs. A big thank you goes to the merchants from superstreusel.de, hansemann.de, nutringo.de, and chronobalance.de for their time and opinion.

Hands-on

After a little lunch break, we continued with several workshops we could sign up for during the last weeks. They all covered different topics, such as usability testing, customer micro-moments and journeys, and a perspective change game.

After the workshops, the different groups made their way back to the presentation room where each group presented what they had worked on for the past two hours. This way everyone got an impression of what the other workshops were about.

Keep calm and shoot straight

Afterwards, we were ready for some action. It was time for our team event: Archery! Fortunately, we had the weather on our side. When we arrived at the location everything was already set up. All ePagees were divided into 20 teams, and we got an introduction on how to use the bows and arrows correctly. Each player had eight test shots to get a first feeling, and then a little competition started. Overall it was a very cool experience to try out this uncommon sport.

After sport comes the pleasure. For all ePagees a very tasty buffet with thai curry, rice, falafel, salad, and chicken breast had been prepared. Everyone filled their stomachs, had some drinks, and reviewed the day. As newbies this was our opportunity to get to know new faces and make new contacts. Eventually we headed home, prepared for the next day.

Day two

In the shoes of a merchant

The second day of the YOU kicked off with a presentation by our Product Management team. They showed us the processes that every merchant goes through when they decide to open an online shop. It was interesting to see which functionalities are important for our merchants and what happens in the head of the merchants when they build their online shop.

Let’s focus on Sales

Next up was a presentation about the recent development in the Sales department. Our Sales colleagues presented the status of the current cooperation with different partners and also explained which steps are planned in the near future.

Any questions?

Last but not least our CEO thanked all ePagees for the great event, summarized the recent two days, and answered the last burning questions.

Before our Jena and international colleagues departed home, we once again set off for a delicious buffet at an Asian restaurant a few meters away and reviewed the last days.

See YOU next year!

A lot of input, a lot of new faces, but also a lot of fun! The ePages YOU is a great chance to connect with colleagues from different departments in a comfortable atmosphere and get everyone on the same page concerning the product and the company’s achievements and goals. Thanks to all ePagees for making these two days fun and informative, especially for us newbies! We’re looking forward to next year’s YOU!

About the authors

Anna-Lena Langhans is an apprentice in the Design and Consult team at ePages. She’s open-minded and likes new challenges.

Mario Köster is an apprentice in the Design and Consult team at ePages. He is always open to new ideas and likes to work with others in a team.