This year, INBOUND Services celebrates its 20th anniversary! In honour of this special occasion, the owners Wenche and Jens take a trip down memory lane and remember the past 20 years of leading INBOUND Services. How did it all start and how did they become so successful?
How did it all start?
INBOUND Services was founded in 2001, after Wenche recognized that a motivated German DMC working in the Nordic market was hard to find. “Then someone told me ‘why don’t you do it yourself?’ To make a very long story short: That is what Jens and I did when we started INBOUND Services as a DMC for Germany, specialized in the Scandinavian market in 2001.”
After entering the Norwegian market, INBOUND expanded into Denmark and Sweden. “I was very proud and lucky when I was at the IBTM for the first time, knowing that this is the place where all the ‘big ones’ meet. It was a great feeling to know that we belong here too,” Wenche says. Little did she know that INBOUND would gain even greater market share in the coming years.
What are INBOUND Services’ milestones?
Milestones are often related to the largest and most opulent events of all time. Jens mentions: “The FIFA World Cup in Germany in 2006 made a real difference to us and has shown a very different picture of Germany into the world. Of course, the opening of a new office in Vienna in 2008 was a major milestone as well. In 2018, the foundation of PLUS DMC Group, which today has seven members providing services for nine destinations, opened new possibilities.”
Wenche agrees that there were many bigger events, which were groundbreaking. She adds, however, “To me, there are actually several smaller milestones than one big one. Happy clients, people that were satisfied with their event…” INBOUND Services considers itself lucky to have been able to organize so many different events for various clients over the years.
What is INBOUND’s secret to success?
“In a people’s business, the most important thing are the people and that no matter how many clever computer and systems we get, it is the cooperation among the people that delivers the results. I think the secret to our success is that our employees have always been giving 100%,” Wenche explains. “There is a lot of German thoroughness in their work and a lot of Scandinavian mentality.” The combination of the best from these two worlds is what differentiates INBOUND Services from its competitors.
How is INBOUND dealing with the current situation?
“Of course it hasn’t been easy but we took all necessary actions to secure the stability and future of the company concerning manpower, know-how and economy. It helps that INBOUND has always been profitable and can now rely on its solid financial background,” Jens explains.
What does the future look like?
“Right now we feel like restarting again, but with a very different basis and knowhow,” Jens says with a plan up his sleeve. “Business will change and we are getting ready for it. Of course, one focus will be on safe travel in regards to health regulations and supporting our clients by being a knowledgeable partner at their side. Also, we are looking into more sustainable products and understanding the needs of our clients and how we can support sustainable and social development. Last but not least and very important to us is to secure and communicate our financial stability as solid DMC partner for our clients,” Jens concludes.
Wenche adds: “We have always been looking forward and never gave up, so why should we now? We have the best team with us and we are positive to bring INBOUND Services into a successful future.”
Stay tuned and keep in touched to see where INBOUND Services is heading in the coming years.