Launches and roadshows — product launches, dealer tours and regional rollouts

What the launches and roadshows workstream covers

The launches and roadshows workstream takes a buyer's brief — usually a launch concept, a city list, a per-city attendee count, a launch kit plan, a dealer kit plan, a regional rollout plan and a mobile showroom plan — and turns it into a kit that travels across the cities. In the Czech Republic this workstream typically runs against the calendar of Czech and CEE launch moments — automotive OEM launches at the Prague Convention Centre or the Žofín Palace, FMCG launches at the Hilton Prague Old Town or the Augustine Hotel, IT and SaaS launches at the Prague Congress Centre, industrial launches at BVV Brno Exhibition Centre or PVA EXPO PRAHA, dealer tours across Prague / Brno / Ostrava / Plzeň, regional rollouts across Bohemia / Moravia / Silesia, mobile showroom tours across the regional cities.

The brief captures the launch name, the launch dates, the city list, the per-city venue, the per-city attendee count per tier (press, dealer, partner, distributor, leadership, retail, end customer), the per-recipient personalisation rule, the per-city dispatch window and the post-launch redistribution plan. The supplier runs a city survey at first-time cities and a city profile at recurring cities — measuring the city venue, the city hand-over window, the city hotel, the city courier route and the city redistribution plan.

Pre-launch kitting runs in the Prague Hostivař warehouse. Items are pulled, counted, quality-checked and packed into per-city kits. Personalised items (launch kits, dealer kits, regional rollout kits, mobile showroom kits) are matched against a controlled spreadsheet and packed into named cartons. The kit is staged for dispatch and the manifest is shared with the launch team 5-7 working days before the first city launch.

Per-city tiers and per-tier kit

Launches and roadshows typically have four per-city tiers with distinct kit compositions. The press tier (the largest group, often 40-60% of the per-city attendee count) receives a press launch kit with a press release, a hi-res image folder, a branded notebook, a branded pen, a USB stick with the digital media pack, a branded product sample (where applicable) and a press contact card.

The dealer tier (the partner channel) receives a dealer kit designed for the dealer moment — a dealer launch pack, a dealer pricing sheet, a dealer co-marketing toolkit, a branded apparel (polo, T-shirt, hoodie), a branded product sample and a personalised welcome card from the buyer's leadership. The dealer kit is the supplier's specialty for the dealer network.

The partner tier (the strategic partner network) receives a partner kit designed for the partner moment — a partner launch pack, a partner co-marketing toolkit, a branded apparel, a branded product sample and a personalised partner recognition card. The partner kit is the supplier's specialty for the strategic partner network.

The retail tier (the retail channel) and the end-customer tier (the launch event's end customers) receive a retail kit designed for the retail moment — a branded point-of-sale kit, a branded product sample, a branded brochure and a branded end-customer giveaway. The retail kit is the supplier's specialty for the retail network.

City-specific hand-over

City hand-over is the workstream that takes the kit from the Hostivař warehouse to the city venue. For Prague launches the supplier uses the Prague venue's loading dock — the Prague Convention Centre, the Žofín Palace, the Hilton Prague Old Town, the Augustine Hotel, the Intercontinental Prague, the Prague Marriott Hotel, the Prague Congress Centre and the regional hotels.

For Brno launches the supplier uses the Brno venue's loading dock — the BVV Brno Exhibition Centre, the Hotel International Brno, the Hotel Continental Brno, the Hotel Voroněž and the regional hotels. The supplier holds a permanent BVV Brno delivery account with a digital appointment board.

For Ostrava launches the supplier uses the Ostrava venue's loading dock — the Výstaviště Černá Louka, the Hotel Imperial Ostrava, the Hotel Clarion Ostrava and the regional hotels. For Plzeň launches the supplier uses the Plzeň venue's loading dock — the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Pilsen, the Hotel Vienna House Easy Pilsen and the regional hotels. The supplier holds a permanent delivery account with each of these regional venues.

For mobile showroom tours the supplier uses a mobile showroom logistics partner — the supplier's contracted courier service handles the mobile showroom truck from city to city with appointment-window dispatch and a confirmation call to the city's hand-over venue.

Launch kit, dealer kit and mobile showroom kit

The launch kit is the kit that lands at the city venue for the press conference and the launch event. It typically contains a branded press pack (press release, hi-res image folder, branded notebook, branded pen, USB stick with the digital media pack), a branded product sample (where applicable), a branded launch poster, a branded launch banner and a launch reception kit (branded glassware, branded cocktail napkins, branded cocktail stirrers). The launch kit is dispatched to the city venue 24-48 hours before the launch.

The dealer kit is the kit that lands at the dealer event. It typically contains a dealer launch pack (dealer pricing sheet, dealer co-marketing toolkit, branded apparel, branded product sample, personalised welcome card). The dealer kit is dispatched to the city venue 24-48 hours before the dealer event and is replenished across the dealer event days.

The mobile showroom kit is the kit that travels with the mobile showroom truck. It typically contains a branded mobile showroom wrap, a branded mobile showroom interior pack (branded signage, branded display, branded furniture), a branded product sample kit, a branded end-customer giveaway kit and a branded point-of-sale kit. The mobile showroom kit is dispatched to the first city venue 5-7 working days before the first city launch and is replenished across the tour.

On-site replenishment and redistribution

On-site replenishment is the workstream that keeps the launch venue, the dealer event and the mobile showroom stocked across the city launches. The supplier holds a buffer of items in a local storage locker (where the venue allows) or in the supplier's vehicle at the loading dock. The supplier's on-site coordinator walks the floor and reports the stock position to the supplier's logistics lead in Prague. When the stock drops below the agreed threshold the supplier pulls a replenishment shipment from the Hostivař warehouse and dispatches it to the loading dock with a 4-6 hour turnaround window.

Post-launch redistribution follows three typical paths — return to the buyer's nominated address (Prague or Brno), return to the Hostivař warehouse for the next launch, or return-and-recycle through a textile-recycling partner for textile off-cuts and end-of-life apparel. The supplier does not run discount codes or promo codes on leftover inventory; the buyer decides the redistribution path at the post-launch debrief.

Mobile showroom dismantle and waste handling is part of the post-launch workstream. The supplier removes the mobile showroom wrap, the mobile showroom interior pack, the branded signage, the branded display, the branded furniture and any merchandise that the buyer does not want to keep. The supplier separates cardboard, plastic and textile waste and routes each fraction to the appropriate recycling channel. The supplier issues a waste-handling certificate on request.

Czech and EU regulatory context

Czech and EU regulatory context is a core part of launches and roadshows merchandise. DPH 21% on the master invoice in CZK. EU reverse-charge under § 64 ZDPH for non-Czech recipients on the attendee list (international press, foreign dealers, foreign partners). Recapitulative EC Sales List filed by the supplier monthly with the Financial Authority of the Czech Republic. ISDOC format mandatory for Czech B2B invoices from January 2025.

For non-EU launches (Switzerland, the UK post-Brexit, the Balkans, Ukraine) the supplier handles the destination-country import regime with the destination hotel acting as the importer of record or the supplier's nominated freight forwarder acting as the importer of record. The supplier issues the commercial invoice, the packing list and the certificate of origin for each destination shipment.

GDPR compliance follows EU Regulation 2016/679 and Czech Personal Data Protection Act 110/2019 Coll. The attendee list (press kits, dealer kits, partner kits, retail kits) is captured for launch delivery only, not marketing, and held for the legal retention window. The supplier signs a data processing agreement with the buyer and processes attendee data only on documented instructions. Pantone Coated / Uncoated matching is the standard colour reference. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (class I or II) on skin-contact textiles. GOTS on organic cotton. GRS on recycled polyester with minimum 20% recycled content. FSC on paper and packaging.

Logistics and distribution

The Prague Hostivař warehouse is the hub for launches and roadshows merchandise. Items are pulled from stock or produced to order, packed into per-city kits, staged for dispatch and shipped on the agreed carrier with appointment-window delivery. PPL, Zásilkovna, Česká pošta, GLS Česko and DHL Česko are the contracted domestic carriers. PPL and DHL are the contracted EU carriers. The supplier holds daily carrier windows with each contracted carrier.

Multi-address delivery is standard on the launches and roadshows programme — a 10-city tour typically goes to 30-100 unique addresses (the launch venues, the dealer event venues, the partner event venues, the mobile showroom venues). The supplier holds the address master in a controlled spreadsheet and updates it before each city launch with the launch team's input.

Carrier selection depends on the city, the delivery window and the budget envelope. PPL is the workhorse carrier for domestic delivery with daily pickup from Hostivař and a 24-48 hour delivery window. Zásilkovna is the pickup-point carrier with 5,000+ pickup points across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. GLS Česko is the B2B carrier with a tracked signature service. DHL Česko is the express carrier with a 24-hour window to Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw.

Pricing and MOQ

Launches and roadshows merchandise is priced per tour with a tier structure that reflects the kit complexity, the decoration technique and the dispatch window. Tier 1 (500-1,999 units per tour) is priced at the standard per-unit rate with no tour-volume discount. Tier 2 (2,000-9,999 units per tour) earns a 5% tour-volume discount on the per-unit rate. Tier 3 (10,000+ units per tour) earns a 10% tour-volume discount on the per-unit rate and includes a free on-site coordinator for the load-in and dismantle days.

MOQ depends on the decoration technique and the product — 25 units for engraved glassware and laser-engraved drinkware, 50 units for embroidered apparel, 100 units for screen-printed apparel, 250 units for custom-mixed stationery items. The supplier does not have an MOQ on the city-related services — kit assembly, dispatch, on-site replenishment and post-launch redistribution are quoted per service per pack.

Payment terms are 30 days from invoice date for buyers with an established credit history. New buyers are asked for a 50% deposit on order confirmation and the 50% balance before dispatch. EUR / CZK dual invoicing is available for buyers that have both CZK and EUR bank accounts. The supplier does not run discount codes or promo codes; tour-volume discounts are negotiated at the brief level and reflected in the unit price.

Roles and responsibilities

The supplier-side team is built around four named owners — launch manager, dispatch coordinator, production lead and logistics lead. The launch manager owns the master brief, the change-control log, the master schedule and the post-launch debrief. The dispatch coordinator manages the per-city dispatch and the per-city hand-over. The production lead owns AQL inspection, kit assembly and the per-recipient personalisation. The logistics lead owns carrier selection, appointment-window delivery and customs documentation.

The buyer-side team usually has three named owners — launch lead, brand lead and finance lead. The launch lead owns the supplier relationship, the master brief and the change-control approval. The brand lead owns the brand book, the artwork approval and the sample sign-off. The finance lead owns the ERP integration, the cost-centre mapping and the invoice approval. The supplier runs a kickoff workshop with all buyer-side owners at the brief stage and a recurring check-in with the launch lead before each city launch.

Case studies

Škoda Auto new model launch — 8,000 press kits and 2,500 dealer kits for the Czech and Slovak launch tour across Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Bratislava and Košice. The supplier ran the tour from the Prague Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the city venues on appointment-window delivery. The kit was assembled in two waves (pre-tour dispatch / mid-tour replenishment) with branded apparel, branded glassware, branded leather folders and a personalised welcome card. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS on the cotton mix. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK with reverse-charge for the Slovak dealer tier.

ČEZ new product launch — 4,000 partner kits and 1,500 retail kits for the Czech launch tour across Prague, Brno, Plzeň and Olomouc. The supplier ran the tour from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the city venues on appointment-window delivery. The kit was assembled in two waves (pre-tour dispatch / mid-tour replenishment) with branded apparel, branded glassware and a branded product sample. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS on the cotton mix. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Kofola new flavour launch — 2,500 retail kits and 1,000 end-customer kits for the Czech launch tour across Prague, Brno and Ostrava. The supplier ran the tour from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the city venues on appointment-window delivery. The kit was assembled in a single wave (pre-tour dispatch) with branded apparel, branded glassware and a branded product sample. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC on the carton. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Pilsner Urquell partnership launch — 1,500 partner kits and 600 retail kits for the Czech launch tour across Prague, Brno and Plzeň. The supplier ran the tour from the Hostivař warehouse with dispatch to the city venues on appointment-window delivery. The kit was assembled in a single wave (pre-tour dispatch) with branded glassware, branded brewer's aprons and a branded partnership announcement card. Certificates: OEKO-TEX Standard 100, FSC on the carton. DPH treatment: 21% on the master invoice in CZK.

Risk and contingency planning

Launches and roadshows merchandise is exposed to city, weather, carrier and supplier-side risks. The supplier's contingency plan covers the four risk families — city risk (venue closure, city disruption, security incident), weather risk (storm, heatwave, air-traffic disruption), carrier risk (breakdown, industrial action, customs delay) and supplier-side risk (production delay, quality defect, stock-out). Each risk family has a pre-defined mitigation path with a named owner and a target resolution window.

City risk is mitigated by a city profile per recurring city with the city venue contact, the city hand-over window and the alternate hand-over venue. Weather risk is mitigated by a 4-6 hour dispatch buffer before each city window and a 24-hour pre-city confirmation call with the city venue. Carrier risk is mitigated by a multi-carrier strategy (PPL + GLS + DHL) and a pre-agreed escalation path with each carrier's operations manager. Supplier-side risk is mitigated by a 6-8 week pre-tour production schedule and a physical sample sign-off at the brief stage.

For winter tours to alpine-adjacent cities (Liberec, Hradec Králové, the Jeseníky region) the supplier pre-positions a small buffer of warm-layer apparel at the city venue. For summer tours to South Bohemian cities (České Budějovice, Český Krumlov, Tábor) the supplier pre-positions a buffer of summer accessories. For mobile showroom tours the supplier pre-positions a buffer of branded signage, branded display and branded furniture at the mobile showroom logistics partner. The supplier does not guarantee a particular contingency window; the actual window depends on the city, the carrier and the time of day.

Multi-tour portfolio

For buyers running a portfolio of launches and roadshows across the calendar year (Q1 product launch, Q2 partnership launch, Q3 regional rollout, Q4 brand anniversary launch) the supplier runs a portfolio view with consolidated pricing, consolidated dispatch and consolidated reporting. The portfolio view is a quarterly review with the buyer's procurement lead and the launch lead.

The portfolio view captures the tours, the city lists, the per-city attendee counts, the per-unit prices and the recurring certifications. The supplier issues a single portfolio-level framework agreement with annual volume tiers and a single recurring invoice. The supplier holds a portfolio-level dispatch buffer at the Hostivař warehouse (typically 10% of the annual volume) and a portfolio-level replenishment window with each contracted carrier.

Compliance and certificates

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate (class I or II) on skin-contact textiles. GOTS certification for organic cotton. GRS for recycled polyester with minimum 20% recycled content. FSC on paper, wood and packaging. REACH SVHC declaration on chemicals. RoHS on electronics. Pantone Coated / Uncoated matching with Delta-E tolerance ≤ 2.5 on cotton. AQL 1.0-2.5 inspection across the production cycles. GDPR compliance under EU Regulation 2016/679 and Czech Personal Data Protection Act 110/2019 Coll. Anti-bribery compliance under Czech Act 139/2023 Coll. and EU Anti-Corruption Directive.