Behind the Glamour: The Foundations of Trade Show  Success By Desiree Grace House porn. You know it when you see it, those home remodeling shows that suck you in until, suddenly, you’ve killed an hour and started planning an outdoor kitchen, a fancy mudroom, and garage storage that would make your local mechanic jealous. But here’s the thing: those shows conveniently gloss over two essentials, the cost and the infrastructure. The foundation, plumbing, electrical… all the not-so-glamorous parts that actually make the remodel possible. Trade shows and association meetings are no different. From the outside, they look easy and glamorous, you know, schmoozing with buddies, smoking cigars, swapping stories. What you don’t see is the foundation, the prep work that makes the event worth the investment. Just like a solid remodel, what happens before the spotlight determines success. Here are ways to make sure your foundation is level and watertight before your next event: Rev...

For years we've discussed the reasons for joining trade associations and the benefits of attending association meetings: Attending these meetings is essential for building valuable connections, staying updated on industry trends, and enhancing professional growth.  These gatherings offer unique networking opportunities, access to exclusive insights, and skill-building sessions led by industry experts.  Being active in associations also strengthens credibility and influence within the field, making it a powerful way to stay competitive and inspired. (It's a great way to get out of a funk or selling drought.) Plus, they're a heck of a lot of fun! You can count on off-site adventures and cocktail hours to keep things interesting. Plus, I've made some lifelong friends along the way. Most recently, I had the honor of attending the AHTD Fall Meeting. If you missed it, here is a quick video recap with Nikki Gonzales  from the Automation Ladies Podcast. Frank Hurtte is a huge ...

Thinking about a Late-Night Conversation At the AHTD Fall meeting a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join a group of young leaders in the automation industry.  Several points of discussion are worthy of further discussion.  Here is a recap of the earlier post.    Last night I joined a group of young leaders in our business for “one more round” 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 truly 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? ·...

AHTD TRIP Day 3 As can be expected from AHTD functions, we had great meetings and a fabulous showcase yesterday.   This included  a full day of presentations with strong insights from some leading experts in our industry as well as from experts on topics that impact our environment. Mike Foster, who is a cybersecurity expert, gave an eye-opening presentation that left us all with a checklist of things to review tied to our IT systems.   Last night was the product showcase. I brought nearly 100 business cards and I'm down to my last three.  Note to self: Use my QR code to exchange cards. If you are looking to join AHTD or wonder if it's the right fit for your organization, feel free to drop me a line .   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 dist...

Sleep is essential but… Dr. Matthew Walker is the foremost expert on the subject of sleep.  According to his research missing an hour of sleep can be harmful to your health and mental well-being.  I recently read his groundbreaking book, Why we Sleep , and armed with detailed explanations as to the importance of sleep, I was forced to make a hard  decision – sacrificing sleep versus spending an extra couple of hours engaged in some incredibly interesting conversations. You can imagine which I chose... Last night a small group of automation experts shared their thoughts on the impact of “reshoring” on the automation industry.  Here are some questions to ponder: ·          What regions will be most positively impacted by reshoring?  ·          Will the flow of manufactured products change from an east-to-west flow to a south-to-north supply chain? ·       ...

AHTD Report Day 2- AHTD is a networking extravaganza. Tuesday marked the official launch of the AHTD meeting.  The morning was devoted to a Board of Directors meeting which only involves a dozen or so members.  However, many attendees showed up early to engage in informal meetings with Supply-Partners and other distributors.  I couldn’t help but notice dozens of distributor groups huddled together to do some benchmarking.  Much sharing of information on the condition of the market and supply chain issues.   The official meeting started at an opening reception where the record crowd munched on appetizers and chowed down on the latest industry gossip.  What was the gossip? Business continues to hold up nicely. Supply chain issues are still a part of the business.  Could this be the new normal? Finding qualified workers is a major deal and the AHTD Future Leaders Program is overflowing with smart folks who will carry the industry into the fut...

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 eCommerc...

Adios 2021, Hola 2022... For most of my career, I have taken the week between Christmas and the New Year to reflect on the previous year and plan for the next.  Let me share a few thoughts…   Ten questions that demand answers Our mission as distributors, and those who work in distribution, must include this Top 10 : 1.     How can we make life better for our customers in the next year? 2.     What can we do today that makes it harder for our competitors to attract our customers? 3.     What might we do in the future to attract new customers? 4.     Precisely why do our best customers buy from us? 5.     Which customers drain our profitability and how might we move them into a positive revenue position? 6.     Are there new products we should be selling that we are not currently selling? 7.     Is the productivity of our team better or worse than our competitors? 8.  ...