Intersolar has never been just a trade show for me. It is a place where you can feel the new trends in the industry and experience the positive energy that flows through the solar business. I first visited Intersolar in 2017, and this largest solar energy event in Europe holds many memories for me.

In 2021, we made the decision to take RAULI to the next year's Intersolar. It did not matter if we were ready for the "biggest stage" or if we had all the answers to the questions that international visitors would throw at us. We just knew we had to be there.

Together with Timo, we sketched out the booth design and started building the stand in a cramped warehouse. When the structures were ready, we packed everything into an old rental van and pointed the nose toward Germany. The journey from Riihimäki to Munich, through Sweden and Denmark, was nearly 1800 kilometers. Arriving at the massive exhibition complex and setting up our booth overnight was an unforgettable experience.

We had also invited our Central European distributors to join us, and together we welcomed thousands of visitors over the three-day event. Like everything I do, I believe that success at trade shows comes down to hard work. Talk to people, solve problems, build connections, and, most importantly, agree on the next steps. It was our first time on such a big stage, and we gave it everything we had. We let our passion show in everything we did, and it paid off. The show was a massive success. Many of our partnerships started at that booth. We made new friends and became part of the international community.

The next year, we pushed even harder. We booked a huge 8x8 meter booth and built the entire stand ourselves once again. This time, we arrived by plane, and the equipment was brought by a shipping company. I did not miss the nearly 4000 kilometer round trip from the year before. We invited and hosted our distributors from Finland, Norway, Hungary, and Sweden. I even hired a video team to capture the event and share the energy and atmosphere on social media.

The show was a success for the second year in a row. The difference this time was that we were no longer trying to become part of the international community – we were already a part of it. Countless people from the previous year came back to our booth to catch up and enjoy some Finnish licorice.

On the way home, I felt completely drained. Speaking a non-native language for days on end takes its toll. But looking back at the hard work that made these experiences possible, I can proudly say to myself, "WE DID IT!"