What Three Words? Members’ Convention Testimonials
Association members and long-time convention attendees shared their thoughts in the fall issue of Ag Innovator on what they most value about the annual Marketing & Distribution Convention. They had more thoughts than we had space to publish, so we’re following up with their responses to this question: What three words would you use to describe the meeting? Here’s what they said.
Jan Faassen | Walterscheid Powertrain Group
Network. Relevant. Relaxed. In one location in a short period of time, I can meet and reach so many key players that can be customers, collaborators or simply advisors. I always hear speakers who are topical and important to the industry. And, it is almost always a relaxed venue that puts you with colleagues in a way that you can make the most of the opportunities.
Pat Meenen | Concept Sales, Inc.
Educational. Relationships. Opportunities. I have gained a lot of knowledge from speakers and from others in the industry. The relationships I have built have been rewarding—professionally and personally. And, the conventions have opened numerous business and personal opportunities for me.
Brad Baker | Salford Group, Inc.
Informative. Collaborative. Inclusive. The meeting provides fantastic networking and insightful educational experiences. The interaction with industry peers often results in new opportunities or ideas on how to collectively address common challenges. Other attendees are very open and welcoming. It is a socially engaging environment.
Nick Jensen | Thurston Manufacturing Company
Distribution. Relationships. Improvement. Our product distribution has greatly benefited from contact we’ve made at the convention, both in finding new partners and connecting with established partners.
We’ve built relationships with industry colleagues, marketing groups, and suppliers that consistently deliver new insights. The convention is loaded with current and relevant content. This is why we often choose to register multiple attendees; some focus on the sales and distribution, others on improving our operational engine.
Mark Lamboley | HCC, Inc., and Shaver Manufacturing Co.
Convenient. Busy. Relationships. I am able to meet with all our distributors in one location. The time is filled with meetings, convention sessions, and board duties. It’s great to be able to spend time in a social setting. It provides opportunities to grow relationships with distributors and fellow board members. There is a great chance you will meet new people, too, and you never know where that might lead.
Mike Kloster | Worksaver, Inc.
Intense. Informative. Valuable. It is intense because we may have as many as 10 meetings in a day. These are one-on-one meetings with distributors where we form plans for the coming year and share information about products coming to market. We also meet with our key suppliers and potential suppliers.
It is informative not only because of what we learn from our distributors and suppliers but also our peers. We talk to other manufacturers regarding machinery, processes, state and federal laws, and other things that may affect our business.
It is valuable because it shapes our decision-making on products, processes and programs we roll out with our distributors throughout the year. We also get firsthand information from our suppliers on the items we purchase, which results in us being able to better plan our purchases.
Craig Harthoorn | H & S Manufacturing
Go. To. Learn. It could be a speaker session, the Supplier Showcase, or an unexpected conversation. I always come away having learned something.
See more testimonials: FarmEquip.org/agi.