Stunning Christmas Lighting at Short Notice
We live in a busy world. Although we always suggest that customers contact us at the start of the year so that we can plan a show-stopping lighting display for their city, shopping center or visitor attraction, the reality is that this simply isn’t possible for everyone.
With that in mind, we spoke to our MK sales teams world-wide, and over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to give you their top tips to help you choose the right MK Illumination lighting products that will fill your space with last-minute festive atmosphere and Christmas cheer.
Today, we have insights from four of our team in Germany.
We asked them to recommend three products that would help customers with last-minute Christmas needs and what they cut-off date for last-minute orders might be. Here’s what they said.
Tomy Edgar Adis
Project Management & Sales, Retail Real Estate
We typically have a good selection of individual stock items in our catalog, as well as pre-produced festive lighting motifs specifically for last-minute purchases, so rather than suggesting three products, it makes more sense for me if customers give me a ring so that we can have a quick chat, and I can then suggest products that I know for certain that we have in stock.
In the past, we’ve been able to create some impressive festive lighting displays using this approach, and we’ve been able to do so right up until 22nd December!
Andreas Armbrust
Sales, Retail Real Estate
Without a doubt, the top three products that I’d suggest would be MK Illumination’s Quick Fix String Lite series, our Giant Trees, and our Deco Trees.
If a customer is on a tight-deadline, they’re looking for a stress-free solution that can be implemented quickly and look great – and these three products ALWAYS leave a lasting impression. They are available at short notice, fill any space with a “Christmassy” feeling, and don’t require intensive planning – all essential when time is of the essence.
Our Sting Lites, and in particular, the Magic String Lites, are wonderful for outdoor decoration and lighting up building contours, which create an inviting atmosphere from afar. Trees always work well at this time of the year, and our Giant Trees are instant show-stoppers.
That’s not to say that I wouldn’t also take a look at our stock lists or the rest of the catalog, but these would be my top three.
In terms of cut-off dates for last-minute orders, if the customer is happy with a December delivery and installation, we can usually help right up until Christmas Eve.
Heike Isufi
Sales, Public Spaces
My top three products would be our Magic String Lite range, motifs from our Organic Line, and either the String Lite 120/20 or String Lite 90.
Magic String Lites are wonderful for contour lighting – any building can be enhanced with these. They can also be hung in the branches of trees to great effect, so this is my two-for-one product recommendation.
Motifs from our Organic Line are super flexible and come in many different shapes, sizes and colors, which means that they are easy to integrate into a concept.
Finally I love String Lites because they have many applications. They are particularly good in trees as there as many possible winding techniques. They generally have a high luminosity, are easily extended (useful for live, growing trees), and as an additional bonus, they can remain in trees after Christmas is over, adding sparkle to festivities and events all year round.
The cut-off date for last-minute orders is tricky. Obviously customers can order until Christmas Eve, but if they want to make the most of their Christmas lights, I’d recommend that orders are in by 10th December. This would then give us enough time to deliver and install the lights, and would give the customer an opportunity to do a little marketing around the switch-on, too.
Alexander Triendl
Head of Sales, Public Spaces
If time is short, I’d suggest products from our QuickFix Collection, specifically our String Lite, Drape Lite, Ice Lite, and Magic String Lite products. I’d also focus on tree lighting.
Our QuickFix lighting products are brilliant: modular, expandable and easily combined with other product lines, they tend to be available late in the year, which is essential for projects that start later than hoped.
The whole QuickFix collection is incredibly versatile and we usually have a selection in stock. Almost all of the motifs in the QuickFix collection can be used for over-voltage and lantern lighting, and as an added bonus, it’s easy to exchange the motifs themselves throughout the year whilst keeping the same connection, so there’s scope for year-round usage, too.
Last but certainly not least, my “evergreen” recommendation: I’d definitely suggest that customers decorate living trees with our String Lite 90. This is our growing light chain, which means that it can expand as the tree grows, and it can remain in a tree for years, adding a glowing highlight to any event throughout the year.
With these three product ranges, it’s always possible to stage creative, custom lighting displays – even at the last minute!
In theory, there is really no cut-off date for ordering products for Christmas. No matter when customers contact us, we always do what we can to find a solution. Having said that, I believe that it’s never too early to start planning festive lighting and I tend to suggest that customers start their planning in the first quarter of each year.
That’s it for today!
We hope that you’ve been inspired by the MK Illumination team in Germany. Feel free to get in touch with us if you’re struggling with a last-minute festive lighting project and keep an eye out for our next installment of “Stunning Christmas Lighting at Short Notice”.