AS: It is nice to observe that competition takes place also among nations!! Of course, I understand that the Australian government is searching for young and promising immigration – and students are in fact young and promising! Maybe some other countries should learn from this approach and stop creating barriers and hurdles – it is not only a matter of our industry but also how they imagine their future!

The PIE: How has the industry changed since you started in the business?

AS: I dont think I’m saying anything new if I stress that, especially in the educational industry, technology has a great influence on distribution, costs structures etc. Obviously today, compared with 30 years ago – when we started in the business, the possibilities to market products are much more advanced: fairs and exhibitions are more well known and meeting partners is thus much easier.

The PIE: Do agencies remain as integral now to business as they did 20 years ago?

AS: Yes! Obviously, there are nowadays alternatives but the honest question is are these alternatives more cost-effective? In many cases I would say, no!

Because of our extensive agent network and the support we offer to agents, it is no coincidence that Sprachcaffe and GEOS have both grown so significantly. This also reflects in the bonus we pay on their volumes – we know that agents have alternatives, but we also know that they may concentrate their students in a few schools: so we reward and remunerate their trust with more commission depending on the generated traffic for Sprachcaffe and GEOS schools.

it is no coincidence that Sprachcaffe and GEOS have both grown so significantly

Of course it is not all about commission! Also know-how is important, this is why we encourage partner agents to visit our schools by organising many fam trips every year.

The PIE: What will likely present an obstacle to business growth in the next five years, do you think?

AS: Generally speaking for our business the most important factor is peace! In a peaceful world, people want to travel and see different places. They travel to take on a job in an exotic country, they travel to expand their horizons and to discover new ways of living, or maybe they fell in love and want to stay with their partner  – all good reasons to learn a language! Yes peace is the most important, in addition to a reasonable visa policy set by our governments!