Success with partnerships

Béda Bacsa, International Sales Manager at Ionair, was not surprised as several ventilation engineers from Vietnam knocked on the door of the Head Office in Lucerne to request an offer. That is actually not yet the surprise, since the label for naturally clean indoor air enjoys an excellent reputation in the casinos industry. The company, which is based in central Switzerland, has equipped many renowned casinos with the Air Quality System (AQS) over the last decade. «What made me curious was how the inquiry came about and who the decision makers involved were that I’d established contact with in the past. It is really a rather small world and Ionair is very popular, especially in the casino industry.»
 

Multi-optional complex

«In an effort to satisfy the gambling desires of the clientele, there are new games rooms and new types of casinos mushrooming constantly,» explains the experienced Sales Manager. Above all, this is the case in the Asian region. The popularity of the gambling activities is represented by the large project, Hoi An South Development (HASD), in Vietnam. The target audience: financially powerful and, of course, international guests. The resort is situated on the East coast between Ho-Chi-Minh and Hanoi, and it is a multi-optional complex, which integrates the gambling casino, mass gaming, VIP gaming, as well as multiple hotels and towers. «Generally speaking, such inquiries are received by local partners, who are well-connected in their region and maintain direct dealings with local owners and design offices,» explained Béda.

A local partner is necessary

«It was obvious that the project would not have been successful if they had executed it on their own,» explains Béda. Since Ionair does not have any local partners in Vietnam, we had to decide in favor of an existing one in the Asian region. The cultural interactions are far too complex, linguistic barriers are almost insurmountable, as well as the customs and traditions in the business world being different for Westerners. For Béda, in hindsight, it was the correct decision. «Without the characteristic knowledge of the selected partner, successful execution in Vietnam would not have been possible. We decided instinctively in favor of the most suitable partner.»

Effective Air Quality System

The ionair Air Quality System significantly improves the quality of indoor air. «Studies and independent air quality measurements indicate the correlations between health, well-being, and the physical performance capability with the ion content in the air,» explains Béda in regard to the air cleaning and germ reduction system. Ionized air contributes to a perception of a high level of air quality. However, each country has specific requirements, and especially if it concerns safety in connection with ionization, then the work of convincing customers, particularly new customers, is really demanding. What has been installed technically in Macau several times and at the premises of various customers was generally in demand in Vietnam, especially with respect to safety in case of a fire. This is where the high standard of quality and the controlled AQS solution, as well as the certifications in the past, have certainly helped. The final supply for the VIP gaming zone left Switzerland for Vietnam at the end of December 2019. With this, a large project for Ionair came to an end, which will be put into operation during 2020 in Vietnam. This has proven to be yet another extraordinary reference for the company from Central Switzerland. Quite often the result is different from what you imagine, «or expect», as Béda explains, with a smile on his face.