Top Ten Reasons to Attend the Supply Summit & Showcase
10. Education: Attending will help you make good business decisions. Would you like some insight into the energy trends and their effect on ag equipment? Are you curious about where all the workers have gone, and why it’s so hard to find people? Do you want to know how to scale your sales operations efficiently using AI automation, while maintaining a relationship-driven approach? Or, do you want sales and channel marketing strategies? Our Supply Summit speakers will inspire, educate, and energize.
9. Perspective: Good things come when you can step away from the daily grind. Matt Westendorf, a former Association Board Member and General Manager at Westendorf Manufacturing, says it is tough to make the time, but “as soon as you get to a meeting, you realize that when you take a break from day-to-day work, important things come out. Your mind clears, you hear what others in the industry are doing … it just gives you a broad approach and a bigger picture.”
8. Fun: Little Rock offers something for everyone. From state parks to landmarks, museums, and a vibrant music scene, it offers a diverse range of experiences. The city also boosts excellent shopping, restaurants, outdoor attractions, and a world-class art collection
7. Solutions: You’ll find solutions to problems. We hear stories every year of a manufacturer meeting a supplier at the product showcase and stumbling onto a game-changing solution. Former Association President, John Tye with Lubbock Fastener Supply, describes it like this: “You walk by a table and look at something, and you say, ‘That’s the sort of thing we are looking for, but it needs to be like this. Can you make it like this?’ In most cases, the answer is ‘If you want to buy it, we can make it.’”
6. Golf: Face it – your golf game could use some improvement. What better spot than the beautiful Country Club of Arkansas in Maumelle, AR, to hone your swing while engaging in conversations about steel prices, navigating supply chain hurdles, or recruiting top talent in a competitive labor market?
5. Networking: Building relationships is the key to success, and this meeting is all about relationships. “Networking is so important, and we have forged relationships at the Summit that go back many years,” said Randy Reinke, Association President with Custom Products of Litchfield. “I encounter familiar faces and make new connections at every summit. The experience consistently offers me fresh insights and innovative problem-solving approaches,”
4. Value: The Summit provides unmatched value. Association member, Nick Jensen from Edney Distributing and a former Association President, said that attending gives you a leg up on your competition. “We always learn something new about distribution law at these meetings, which in the long run, has more than paid for the price of the meeting and membership fees.”
3. Productivity: There is no better place to maximize your time. This is your chance to meet with supplier companies that represent parts, materials and service providers worldwide, all in one place. It will save you time— seriously. Over three days, you can engage with suppliers, gain insights from industry experts, and exchange ideas with a few hundred colleagues from the industry.
2. Growth: It can drive growth. John Brown from Myers Spring, Chairman, Supplier Section Board of Governors, said his company’s business has grown as a result of the Summit. “We’ve met a lot of decision makers here. Myers Spring is a larger part of the ag market because of the Association.”
1. Innovation: This is a moment in the industry when a little creative thinking may lead to a breakthrough. Consider changes in product distribution law (we’ll cover that), business transitions (learn more about that, too), and insurance trends in property valuation and cyber coverage (on the agenda). And, with the current agriculture economy poised for recovery — this is a good time to pursue innovations not only in product development, but workplace strategies. Your next ‘aha moment’ might just be waiting for you in Little Rock.