Gilson Manuel is the Founder & CEO of Strokes Group. We got this fantastic opportunity to interview him and got to learn a lot about his business pathway.
Gilson is an optimistic leader focused on providing detailed-oriented services. He seeks new challenges in every step he takes and believes in turning impossible aspects into possible ones.
Strokes Exhibits LLC is an exhibition & fabrication company providing turnkey solutions to clients regarding exhibition stand management. The company also has social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Our interview below lets us learn more about Gilson Manuel and his company.
Explain the background of you and the company in detail.
We are exhibition industry leaders in Dubai & UAE with over 20 years of experience in stand design and building.
With a 45,000 sq ft production facility, 278 skilled workforce, the most modern production facility, in-house paint booths, in-house graphics facility, an award-winning design team, and in-depth branding knowledge, we create the space and opportunities for our customers to connect and build successful business relationships.
As a premier exhibition stand company, what we bring to the table is attention to detail, unbeatable creativity, and a passion for excellence.
What are your goals?
To be the most preferred exhibition company in the UAE.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of yourself/company right now?
A holistic approach to Exhibition stands design and fabrication, giving 360’ solutions to client’s requirements.
Honesty, integrity, and trust are our core values.
Our branding and marketing experience gives us an edge over the competition in understanding clients’ briefs and translating them into meaningful designs that meet marketing goals.
What was the path you/your company took to get to where you are today?
Marketing automation and creativity in design.
The marketing automation process started almost a decade ago, embracing digital marketing to create brand awareness using digital tools, which helped us build brand equity as an exhibition industry leader in UAE.
Why did you start (or want to be the head of) this company?
The organic transition from my branding agency to the Exhibition business as we found a niche to position ourselves as an exhibition company that understands clients’ communication goals and translates the goals to achieve the desired result
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Competition from suitcase freelance individuals undercutting rates
Give us one word that describes you the best.
Integrity
What makes you excited about Mondays?
New challenges
What do you value most about your culture and vision?
Honesty, integrity, trust, and business ethics. In our organization, we value these aspects and build an organizational foundation based on these values and reflected in all our activities related to business.
Tell us about a project that forced you to be innovative and creative.
In every project we do, we strive to achieve creativity and innovation
What are the strategies of your company, and how do they stand unique from your competitors?
“We build stands with your marketing tools, not with pillars and structures” This tagline explains everything.
What are the fundamental values which helped you to overcome the roadblocks/challenges in your career? Tell us something about your memorable incident in your leadership.
We try to do everything differently. That’s what makes us different. Our team is our strength, and we develop our team based on our core values.
How do you see the company changing in two years, and how do you see yourself creating that change?
360’ business automation through which we boost productivity and benefits passed on to clients, suppliers, staff, and individuals associated with us
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
The most reliable exhibition company in the UAE. This is what we always strive for and offer to our clients as the exhibition industry is cluttered with unethical practices that are used to trap clients, and clients many times are at the mercy of such companies as exhibition stand building is a time-bound task.
We aim to eradicate such practices from the industry
What are the services/solutions or products offered by your company as par with the current industry standards? Tell us something about your upcoming products or services.
Apart from our core services as Exhibition stand design and fabrication, we also offer exhibition support services.
Connect with Gilson Manuel on LinkedIn.