Communicating PCB knowledge in an application-oriented, entertaining and engaging way - that is precisely the aim of the KSG XPERTS online seminar series. The KSG Group's digital knowledge format brings current trends, industry topics and information on technologies and applications to the screen and has been very well received since its launch in February 2022.
Not only the Head of Marketing, Katharina Luchner, is pleased about this, but also Robert Jungk, who as Head of Operations recently accompanied more than 340 participants on an interactive tour of the Gornsdorf plant. In the following interview, the two reveal what the success factors behind KSG XPERTS are and why it is worth taking part in the online seminars.
Mr. Jungk, if someone had told you two years ago that you would be giving a tour of the plant in Gornsdorf to over 340 interested parties, how would you have reacted?
Robert JungkWell, digitalization makes it possible, but to be honest, I probably wouldn't have believed it. It's very interesting to see how virtual event formats have become increasingly popular since the start of the pandemic and are now a matter of course. We are very pleased that our format has also met with such a great response, although a virtual tour is something quite different from an in-person tour.
In what way? What experiences have you had as a speaker on the digital factory tour?
Robert JungkAs I was actually standing in front of the camera for the first time, it took me a bit of effort at first to look into the camera. Normally, I look into the faces of the guests on such tours and of course that is missing, as is the opportunity to respond to the participants individually during the tour. That's why, in the virtual version, we have made a point of conveying the core topics in as general a way as possible and the opportunity to respond to individual questions arises during the Q&As afterwards. In principle, however, the XPERTS format has a lot of advantages, as my colleague Katharina Luchner, who designed and launched this webinar series, knows.
Interview: Robert Jungk - Head of Operations
Robert Jungk has been with the KSG Group since 2016 and has been Head of Operations for the Gornsdorf site since 2022, responsible for process planning, control and monitoring as well as managing the entire production process.
Katharina Luchner: A big plus point is the much greater accessibility of participants. We must not forget that we have many different contacts at our customers and not everyone has the time to visit us in person. And it is precisely these people that we can reach very well with the digital format. There is also another advantage: anyone who is unable to attend live on screen can still use the online seminar on demand afterwards.
Interview: Katharina Luchner - Head of Marketing
Catherine Luchner has has been Head of Marketing at the KSG Group as Senior Marketing Manager since September 2021 and is responsible for the conception and implementation of the XPERTS seminar series, among other things.
How has the feedback been on the interactive factory tour in particular and the seminar series in general?
Robert Jungk: I have only received positive feedback, both from external participants and from colleagues. I was particularly pleased that I was also contacted personally and that participants thanked me. The large number of questions submitted to the Q&As after the tour also showed that there was a great deal of interest. In fact, there were so many that we even extended the Q&A session.
Katharina Luchner: The high number of participants since the start of the seminar series shows us that we have created an attractive format here. Even weeks after the initial broadcast, we generally still receive on-demand inquiries and feedback from technical support and field service. This was particularly the case after the virtual factory tour. What is interesting here is the really broad group of participants: even a mayor and a teacher from the region took part in the tour. The regional impact should not be underestimated here either, and that's a good thing - after all, we are one of the largest employers in the Ore Mountains and want to show how progressive we are in the area of digitalization and new media.
How do you explain the success of the XPERTS online seminar series?
Katharina Luchner: Online seminars in themselves are nothing new, not even at the KSG Group. However, we wanted to move away from the classic form of pure slide presentations and deliberately opted for something more "entertaining". In other words, we show the KSG Group's experts and give them a face: BAt XPERTS, colleagues from technical support or the quality laboratory, among others, stand in front of the camera and convey their expertise in a charming way. This makes them very approachable and allows them to present themselves as a friendly interface to the customer. We also make sure that the participants really understand the content, which is why we always include practical elements.
What topics can we look forward to after the summer break?
Katharina Luchner: From September, we will once again be providing a wide range of expert knowledge on all aspects of PCBs, including topics such as high frequency, useful information on PCB design and HDI routing. We will also be devoting our attention to the quality laboratory again and will also be giving an insight into a customer project. So the second half of the year at XPERTS will definitely be exciting, varied and packed with lots of interesting content.
We would say: It's high time to sign up for XPERTS
Whether it's a digital factory tour or the next XPERTS seminar: At 
www.ksg-pcb.com/xperts you have the chance to register for all on-demand recordings and our upcoming seminars. Starting on September 22nd with Need for Speed - Success factors for a reliable HF printed circuit board and the two speakers Johann Hackl and Tilo Leistner.
- Did you take part in our digital factory tour? Please give us your feedback here! We look forward to your comments.
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