Generation Exhibitions rolls out the red carpet to game-changing savings

Generation Exhibitions is an exhibition stand design and project management business with roots in the UK. Dave Fisher, Founder, and his team of exhibition experts work with clients from all over the world from the initial concept stage, right through to the production of exhibition stands.  

“We have such a varied client base,” explains Dave. “Not only Americans and Europeans, but also Armenians and Swedes and South Africans.”

To service their far-reaching client base, Dave and his team have built up a very wide network of suppliers, vendors and contractors all around the world to give clients what they need, where they need it. 

The Pain

With such a diverse partner base, communicating and transacting across borders is fundamental to Generation Exhibitions’ modus operandi. 

That’s not all. Exhibition projects often have tight timelines, requiring efficient planning, coordination, and execution to ensure everything runs smoothly. 

Dave’s thriving exhibition business means that project delivery costs frequently run into the tens of thousands. This means that sending and receiving large sums of money is a huge part of Generation Exhibitions’ financial operations. 

“The ability to efficiently bill clients in their preferred currency is extremely helpful,” explains Dave. “But when I used my conventional bank to pay partners, the exchange rates were awful and there were always fees.” 

But using traditional banks to send and receive funds in foreign currencies is typically painfully slow and expensive, making it a poor option.

Dave Fisher

Founder, Generation Exhibitions

“Before using Airwallex, I used to pay partners via my conventional bank. The exchange rates were awful and there were always fees.”

The Solution

In addition, traditional banks are typically limited in their range of currency accounts, making them unsuitable for companies like Generation Exhibitions which trades in a high number of foreign currencies.  

Dave and his team needed a more efficient and cost-effective way to send and receive funds, so they started looking into Airwallex. 

“Before using Airwallex, I used to pay partners via my conventional bank. The exchange rates were awful and there were always fees.”  Says Dave Fisher, Founder of Generation Exhibitions.

Dave knew that finding a financial partner to take away the headache of managing foreign currency payments would be instrumental in the continued growth of his exhibition business. 

But opening accounts in multiple currencies with traditional banks involves copious amounts of paperwork, red tape, and excessively long timeframes. 

Dave turned to a more agile solution; Airwallex Global Accounts. Thanks to its powerful global payments infrastructure, Airwallex lets Dave open foreign currency accounts in minutes in a wide choice of currencies. 

By choosing Airwallex instead of a traditional bank, Dave has avoided the painfully slow and inefficient process of opening local currency accounts around the world.

The Result

As well as this, working with Airwallex has significantly improved the way Generation Exhibitions manages its global payments, bringing far-reaching benefits to the company.   

Specifically, using Airwallex Global Accounts means: 

• Generation Exhibitions can now receive payments in the same currencies that clients pay in, and hold these proceeds to spend later. This means Dave can avoid unnecessary conversion fees, reducing the cost of taking payments from clients and as a result saving the company considerable money.

• Making large transactions to overseas partners in local currencies is now faster and more efficient. Using local accounts provided by Airwallex instead of his bank means no more costly bank charges.  

• Paying suppliers efficiently and in their local currency is easier than ever, and this has enhanced the company’s relationships with its partners. 

• Dave and his team can now send, receive and view all of their global transactions in one place, streamlining the company’s financial operations. This has freed up considerable time for the team, allowing them to focus more on growing the company.

“Using Airwallex is a quick and efficient way of saving noticeable amounts of money,” said Dave. “Enough, in fact, to buy my last family holiday!” Dave joked. 

Dave Fisher

Founder, Generation Exhibitions

“When it comes to overseas payments, Airwallex massively outperforms my main bank account. Using Airwallex has saved my business thousands every year in conversion and transaction fees.”