AHTD Association Meeting Report – Late Night Meetings

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AHTD Association Meeting Report – Late night meetings


 

My Assistant and Marketing Expert, Jenny has heard thousands of stories tied to my experiences/exploits at AHTD. 



This year, she challenged me to share timely updates on what’s going on during my stay at AHTD (which is at the LaQuinta Resort near Palm Springs).  This is the first of several such reports. 

 

One of the most valuable parts of association meetings comes not from the great presentations but from the informal conversations held during “off hours.”  I have always enjoyed the comradery of these evening chats.  When I was a younger man, the meetings went well past the witching hour.  These days, I target 11:30 as a hard stop.  If the conversation is brisk, I can be enticed into sacrificing sleep for business.

 

Last night I joined a group of young leaders in our business for “one more” and found myself listening intently to a discussion centering around eCommerce and the future of the automation industry.  Without giving away the entire conversation, the focus of the chat involved:

·         Does an “online only” distributor (actually/really) create a market for manufacturers serving this industry?

·         What is the difference between being a solution provider and a market server via a webstore?

·         How do customers, especially Millennial customers, use the internet in making buying decisions?

·         How important is price to the online buyer?

·         Can a solution-providing distributor compete against an “internet” distributor in the search engine wars?

·         Are there strategies that work on a localized basis?

 

Massively educational and this morning I am dragging, but I can certainly say it was a small price to pay for such a powerful information exchange.

 

Finally, a few of my rules for after hours meetings:

·         When it comes to consuming Kentucky’s finest export,

Unless you pace yourself...

aka Jim Beam, the pace is the name of the game.

·         Listen a lot, ask questions tied to your business, and contribute when appropriate.

·         Take time to jot down a few notes before you doze off in the evening.

·         Make it a point to continue the conversation with those with deep knowledge the next day.

·         Set two alarms and make sure your room is equipped with plenty of coffee for that 6:00 wake-up call.

 

See Jenny, I am good at following instructions.

Stay tuned for more from AHTD…

BTW – #AHTDRocks



Frank Hurtte, Founding Partner of River Heights Consulting, shares his personal experiences with 28 years of "in the trenches" training and 17 years as a consultant.  He serves as a personal coach to industry leaders across many lines of distribution.  As a past 

Frank is also a sought-after copywriter of marketing materials for technology companies.  His charismatic, yet laid-back, easy-to-follow manner makes him a favorite among public speakers.



Comments

Gary Eliasson said…
AHTD has been a big part of my success in business, originally as a distributor for most of my career. Then, as a manufacturer for several different start-up companies. I agree that after hours, "conversations" were the highlight of the events. When did Frank Hurte put a hard stop at 11:30PM? I seem to recall a recent conversation (AHTD meeting at the Broadmoor) which went until the bar turned the lights on and said we had to leave. Kentucky's Knob Creek was involved. Other conversations, over the years. with industry icons like Steve Early and Tim Kline and others were priceless!
November 3, 2022 at 8:16 AM
Marine Vienney said…
Great read, as always :)
November 3, 2022 at 1:01 PM
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