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There is no more "business as usual" in today’s world. The Rules Have Changed and those who understand the implications and opportunities that exist in this environment are the ones who will succeed.
MHEDA held its 55th Annual Convention May 1-5 in Marco Island, FL. The event was well-attended and featured a breadth of speakers who educated attendees on a diverse mix of topics ranging from value-added selling to social media strategies. The event also featured an Exhibitors' Showcase where the association's distributors were able to meet and network with some of the industry’s top suppliers.
The Convention, is the highlight of each year's industry calendar as hundreds of representatives from across the globe gather together for five days of seminars, networking opportunities, a trade show and more. At the registration table, the buzz was that this year's Convention is expected to be one of the best yet. "The great thing about coming to Convention is the knowledge that you leave with. In every single session, there is always a pearl of wisdom that you can take back to the office," says Hal Ingram, division vice president at Gregory Poole Equipment Company (Raleigh, NC).
As the sun rose over Marco Island, Florida, Saturday morning, the sense of excitement in the air was palpable. Representatives from some of the most successful material handling companies in the world were arriving at the Marco Island Marriott to participate in the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association's 55th Annual Convention.
Saturday's activities were all about settling in and getting ready for the show. There were optional recreational activities like a sailing & shelling cruise and a yacht cruise/lunch for attendees who wanted to kick back and relax before things got down to business. The events were well-attended. However, some Convention attendees decided to forgo the activities. After all, there is a 7:00 a.m. golf tournament today, and with bragging rights at stake, it can’t hurt to be well-rested.
From the early morning golf tournament to the opening party late Sunday evening, sports themes surrounded day two of MHEDA’s Annual Convention. Marco Island’s gorgeous Rookery Golf Club was the site of the day’s first activity, the annual golf tournament. The foursome of 2009 MHEDA President Duncan Murphy, president of Riekes Equipment Company; 2000 MHEDA President Tim Hilton, CEO, Carolina Handling; and EnerSys’ Jeff Long and Robert Edwards, took the grand prize for the 18-hole scramble. Prizes were also awarded for longest drive and closest to the pin, both won by TGW-ERMANCO’s Jim Bronsema.
After golf wrapped up, it was back to the Marriott where the Convention was kicking into high gear. The evening’s activities began with the Newcomers’ Reception. Here, more than 100 first-time attendees were greeted by MHEDA’s Board of Directors. Each Board member met with a small group of first-timers about what to expect over the next few days. “A big part of MHEDA is networking, and people who regularly attend Convention know a lot of people already,” says 2010 MHEDA President Greg Morrison, vice president of Morrison Industrial Equipment. “But it can be intimidating for newcomers. That’s why we create an outreach program so new attendees instantaneously know other people and can begin networking.”
As the Newcomers’ Reception came to an end, the action shifted to the hotel’s Palms Ballroom and the opening party. The event had a “MHEDA Zone” theme, a sports-themed take on the popular ESPN Zone restaurants. There were pop-a-shot basketball machines, a putting green, pool tables, air hockey, dart boards and more for attendees to enjoy. The event started with a welcome from MHEDA President Greg Morrison. He was followed by MHEDA President-Elect and Convention Chairman Chuck Frank, president of AHS Inc., who entered dressed as a referee, a nod to the Convention theme. “The Rules Have Changed,” Frank said, “and we are all ready to meet this new reality with the help of MHEDA. During the next two days, you will learn about what’s ahead in this economy and where the growth will occur, you’ll learn how to strategically plan, you’ll learn how technology can streamline your operational processes and you’ll learn that even though customers are demanding more than ever, we can still sell our value instead of competing on price.” After Frank’s speech, an invigorated crowd took to the ballroom floor for a night of food, fun and networking.
MHEDA's 55th Convention & Exhibitors' Showcase got into full swing Monday with the Annual Business Meeting. 2010 MHEDA President Greg Morrison, vice president of Morrison Industrial Equipment Company (Grand Rapids, MI), described the state of the association, "MHEDA was able to end 2009 in the black thanks to avoiding a hefty hotel penalty, tightening its budget and correctly managing its financial investments.” Morrison then was joined on stage by 2009 president Duncan Murphy, president of Riekes Equipment Company (Omaha, NE), and his wife Rozanne. Morrison presented Murphy with the traditional Past President's green jacket.
Economist Lowell Catlett addressed the audience and highlighted emerging markets, new technologies and workforce trends for distributors to focus on. Catlett predicted that the next 3 years would see growth for the material handling industry. “The last time the United States GDP declined was 1946, which is good news for the economy,” he said.
Attendees then filed into the ballroom for the always-popular Exhibitors' Showcase, where 82 companies showcased their wares. The Showcase opened with "Speed Networking," where distributors spent 3-minute time slots at a booth and then moved on to the next, much like speed dating. Attendees had 2 additional chances to browse the showroom floor—once following Speed Networking and another at happy hour later in the afternoon. “The Exhibitors’ Showcase gives me an opportunity to touch base with suppliers. It’s a great event every year where I get to know new people,” said Dennis Hines, president of Quality Lift Truck (Chula Vista, CA).
After a break for lunch, Michael Marks spoke about thinking creatively and looking at new ways to do business in today’s new material handling marketplace. He predicts a quick recovery, but added that it’s up to business executives to take responsibility for business development. “Material handling distributors must find a niche, develop a game plan for success, build a high-commitment work force and carefully consider their suppliers,” Marks said. Monday's business events concluded with Roundtable Discussions about topics such as manufacturer-distributor relations, marketing, promoting the value of distributors, benchmarking, health insurance, recruiting, technology and sales.
The last full day of MHEDA's Convention was an exciting one, with attendees treated to a series of speakers and seminars. Author Peter McLaughlin got the day off to a rousing start when he showed attendees how to break through the "monkey traps," or mental ruts, that we all face in our daily lives. “A 3 to 1 positive to negative ratio in your thoughts builds your ability to develop confidence,” he said. “Positivity leads to productivity.”
Sales expert Sam Richter followed up with his successful "Know More Sales" method and gave numerous examples for doing pre-call research on potential clients. He encouraged salespeople to use the Platinum Rule, an offshoot of the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as they would like to have done unto them,” he said. He illustrated several methods for searching “the invisible Web” to find information on companies.
Following the opening sessions, attendees went to a series of educational workshops on marketing, financial benchmarking, sales and strategic planning. See comments from attendees in the “Heard in the Hall” section below.
After a break for lunch, sales guru Tom Reilly took the stage. His presentation on value-added selling provided a lot to think about. “Ask yourself this question: ‘What is it that I do that is so vital and irreplaceable to customers?’" he said. “If you don’t know, you need to improve your value proposition.” Then, attendees could choose one of four more educational seminars on profitability, marketing, crushing price objections and technology tools for efficiency.
Bart Basi finished off the business portion of the day with his speech, "Fair Value Accounting and Recasted Financial Statements." Basi was well-received, giving members a host of helpful tax tips.
The night wrapped up with another sensational closing gala. The theme was "Club MHEDA" and the festive affair found all Convention attendees winding down with refreshments, dinner and dancing. A comedy performance from improv group "Laughing Stock" lampooned some common business practices. The band Performance Stock played late into the night.
It proved to be a great wrap-up to another successful Convention. Don’t miss next year’s event, to be held April 30 – May 4, 2011, at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ.
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