» “ IT CERTAINLY DID ,” confirms Tony , when we spoke to him a few weeks after the event . “ We welcomed around 100 guests at the start of September , to our Edinburgh HQ . And a good time really was had by all !

“ Something that was really important to us right from the planning stage of this event , was hospitality . While this wasn ’ t so much an arena expo or exhibition ; we know that visitors can be put off by lack of hospitality at day events ; especially when it involves long travel too . Refreshments are expensive after all , and we wouldn ’ t want customers training on empty stomachs . As it was a special business milestone for us too – albeit a few years late due to Covid – we really wanted to push the boat out .

“ As such , not only did we serve snacks and tea and coffee throughout the day , we hosted a brilliant barbecue where guests could enjoy fresh

burgers , hot from the grill . No ‘ birthday party ’ would be complete without a goody bag either so everyone got a gift bag to mark the occasion and some souvenirs to take home . “ Making sure there was enough food and drink was just as important to fuel the day , as there was a jampacked schedule . Something we always pride ourselves on at Keyprint is knowledge . Anyone who has been to one of our open days before will know that it ’ s not a ‘ selling ’ exercise , it ’ s a chance to learn . Of course , there are offers and promotions available on the day , but the main aim is to allow locksmiths and security specialists to get their hands on our products , and talk to the people who design and manufacture them .

“ There really is no substitute for getting up close and personal to locks and keys , tools and machines . The last few years – when industry events were cancelled due

to lockdown – proved that more than ever . We invited international exhibitors ( from the likes of Switzerland , Bulgaria , Spain and Czech Republic ) to display and demonstrate their products , as well as domestic manufacturers and suppliers .

“ Keyprint is well-known for its training courses , and when we have an open day , these are a prominent feature . We held six seminars at our September event , covering everything from cylinder picking to auto programming , safe and lock decoding . And , as we had all the equipment and experts on site too , visitors could sit in the seminar and learn all the theory , then go straight to the practice stations and have a go at everything they ’ d just learnt . It was a really popular and successful feature of the day . All the training sessions were free , but we did ask attendees to pre-register to avoid disappointment on the day , as places were limited .

“ As a side note for anyone that missed out on a seminar they wanted , couldn ’ t attend the day or came to a course and is thirsty for more , we will be announcing our next set of training classes around the end of October / beginning of November . So , keep an eye out online .

“ In terms of product launches , a highlight for me was certainly the ESLA Technick Pro 3-Star Cylinder System . Cylinder locks are a staple purchase for locksmiths , hardware suppliers and even door designers and fabricators . With so many on the market , it proves yet again the importance of seeing the cylinder in real life .

“ With optional functions such as double-clutch , antibarricade and classroom function , this 3-star cylinder is anti-snap , anti-pick and anti-drill . It carries the British Standard Kitemark TS007 3-star rate certification and is patented for the next 10 years .