Event Preparation Checklist
Every event requires five assets. Prepare these before the first event (VDA Mittelstandstag or MobiCon, whichever comes first in June).
1. One-Page German Pitch
Format: Single A4 page, German language, printed and PDF.
Content structure:
- Headline: “Catena-X in unter einer Stunde. Managed EDC ab EUR 20/Monat.”
- Problem: Your OEM customer (BMW, VW, Mercedes-Benz) has mandated Catena-X integration. Building connector infrastructure in-house takes 6+ months and six-figure SI budgets.
- Solution: Kaphera Cloud provides a managed EDC connector: self-service signup, sub-EUR-50/month pricing, under-one-hour deployment. 150+ connectors in MDS production.
- Differentiators (three bullets):
- Open-source operator (no vendor lock-in)
- Steward-owned, EU-operated (digital sovereignty)
- Multi-dataspace (MDS + Tractus-X + Manufacturing-X from one connector)
- Call to action: “Kostenlose 30-Minuten Readiness-Bewertung buchen” with QR code to booking page.
Audience-specific variants:
| Audience | Emphasis |
|---|---|
| Geschaeftsfuehrer (VDA Mittelstandstag) | Business continuity, cost of non-compliance, speed |
| IT-Leiter / CIO (automotiveIT Kongress) | TISAX certification, production-grade SLA, open-source stack |
| Head of Digitalization (Rethink! Smart Mfg) | AAS compatibility, Manufacturing-X readiness, digital twin registry |
2. Clickable Demo
Requirement: Connector deployment from shared plan signup to first data exchange in under 5 minutes.
Demo flow:
- Open Kaphera Cloud dashboard (live, not slides)
- Create a new connector instance (show the form, not a screenshot)
- Connect to a sample dataspace (use MDS or a staging Tractus-X instance)
- Execute a data exchange transaction
- Show the governance/policy configuration surface
Key talking points during demo:
- “This took 4 minutes. T-Systems quotes 48-72 hours.”
- “No infrastructure to manage. No DevOps team required.”
- “Same connector works across MDS, Tractus-X, and Manufacturing-X.”
Technical requirements: Reliable WiFi at venue (bring a mobile hotspot as backup). Pre-stage the demo environment before the event so it runs from a warm state, not cold start.
3. Readiness Assessment Template
Format: 30-minute diagnostic conversation guide.
Sections to cover:
- Mandate status: Which OEM(s) have issued requirements? What is the deadline?
- Current infrastructure: Any existing EDC/dataspace components? Self-hosted or managed?
- Use cases: PCF, traceability, battery passport, DCM, or other?
- Team capacity: Do they have DevOps/infrastructure engineers available?
- Budget range: Under EUR 5K/year (shared plan), EUR 5-25K/year (dedicated), or EUR 25K+ (enterprise)?
- Timeline: When must they be operational?
Output: Recommendation of shared vs. dedicated vs. enterprise plan, with a one-page summary emailed within 24 hours.
4. Pre-Event Outreach Template
Channel: LinkedIn message or email, sent 4-6 weeks before the event.
Template:
Subject: [Event Name] on [Date]: 15-minute meeting?
Hi [First Name],
I saw [Company] is attending [Event Name]. We help mid-sized automotive suppliers comply with Catena-X mandates without building connector infrastructure in-house.
Kaphera Cloud is a managed EDC connector: self-service signup, EUR 20-50/month, deployed in under an hour. We run 150+ connectors in production for MDS.
Would a 15-minute coffee meeting at the event be useful? I can share how other Tier-2/3 suppliers are handling the [BMW/VW/Mercedes] mandate.
Best, [Name]
Targeting: Use LinkedIn to map confirmed attendees and speakers. Focus on IT-Leiter and Geschaeftsfuehrer pairs at the same company.
Volume target: 30-50 outreach messages per event. Expect 10-15% response rate.
5. Post-Event Follow-Up Template
Timeline: Send within 72 hours of the event. Personalize based on the conversation.
Template:
Subject: Following up from [Event Name]: [specific topic discussed]
Hi [First Name],
Thank you for the conversation at [Event Name]. You mentioned [specific pain point, e.g., “the BMW mandate deadline is creating pressure on your IT team”].
I’ve attached a 2-page brief on how Kaphera Cloud addresses [specific pain]. The key points:
- Managed EDC connector, operational in under one hour
- EUR 20-50/month shared plan (no six-figure SI engagement)
- 150+ connectors in MDS production
Would a 30-minute readiness assessment be useful? I can walk through your specific setup and recommend the right plan.
[Booking link]
Best, [Name]
Conversion goal: 20% of follow-ups convert to booked readiness assessment calls. Measure against a 3% reply-rate threshold as minimum viability.
Preparation Timeline
| Weeks Before First Event | Action |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks | Start pre-event outreach via LinkedIn |
| 4 weeks | Finalize German pitch (printed + PDF) |
| 3 weeks | Demo environment staged and tested |
| 2 weeks | Readiness assessment template reviewed by team |
| 1 week | Mobile hotspot tested; demo run-through at venue WiFi speed |
| Event day | Arrive with: printed pitches, charged hotspot, demo on warm standby |