Enjoying the Monday night kick-off reception at the AWMA Summit & ABX in Atlanta are (l to r) Steve Caniff, Ohio Valley Wholesale Distributors, OJ Smith, The Hershey Company, and John Guarnieri, Albert Guarnieri & Company.

The 2009 AWMA Summit opened at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, in Atlanta, GA, Monday, September 14, with a record-setting group of distributors and suppliers ready for top-level educational sessions today, networking opportunities, and the AWMA BUSINESS EXCHANGE (ABX), Wednesday and Thursday.

The Summit and ABX are intended to help distributors improve profits, address key issues that challenge their companies within the supply chain and get business done between trading partners. This year’s Summit program will include discussions of key challenges facing the industry, and will focus on specific programs established by AWMA to help distributors strengthen sales and profits.

The Summit opened for business Monday morning with a round of committee meetings, followed by a meeting of the AWMA Board of Directors.

“We are looking forward to one of our best Summits and Business Exchange meetings ever,” said Scott Ramminger, AWMA President & CEO. “Today our program will cover challenges confronting the industry, such as tobacco regulation and the economy, and steps AWMA is taking to help members deal with those challenges. Then, our two-day ABX program will give distributors and suppliers an opportunity to work together and build their businesses.”

On Monday evening attendees gathered for the Summit’s opening reception, the first of several opportunities that they will have to connect, compare notes, and discuss common concerns.

“This is fantastic," said 2009 AWMA Chairman Sherwin Herring, CEO, Southco Distributing Company. "We have record participation – on both the distributor side and manufacturer/supplier side – in our ABX program. We have a great lineup of presenters for our business program, and great networking events as well. It’s hard to beat all that!"

Tuesday's session will open with a report from Herring on developments at AWMA over the past year, and a look at what’s ahead.

His comments will be followed by a presentation by distribution expert Dr. Adam J. Fein, President, Pembroke Consulting, who will offer a glimpse into the future for wholesale distributors and their trading partners. He will provide his perspective on how key trends – economic, regulatory, and demographic – will affect our distribution system and discuss implications for AWMA member companies.

Following Dr. Fein's presentation, Viv Penninti, President and CEO of InfoRyhthm, will provide a progress report on the new AWMA InfoMetrics project initiated over the past year. He will demonstrate the InfoMetrics Portal and the value/benefit for participating distributors.

In addition, Dr Maria Singson, Global Analytics Innovation, Dun & Bradstreet, will outline steps distributors can take to keep tabs on total risk exposure in today’s economy, including risks that can be brought upon by suppliers, customers and prospects.

Tuesday’s program will also include:

•    Lunch with Ron Funk, owner, Funk Consulting, Ontario, Canada, who will review major aspects of the Canadian tobacco legislative framework, drawing comparisons to developments in the U.S.

•    "The Importance of Critical Thinking and Peripheral Vision in 2009: How Do We Remain Both Resilient AND Agile?” by Dr. Kathy Pearson, Senior Consultant & Director, Executive Education Decision Strategies International.

•    "The New Paradigm for Tobacco Sales,” a panel discussion on changes the new tobacco regulations are likely to bring and an overview of steps AWMA is taking to represent members in the process and help them prepare. With Ramminger moderating, the panel will include John Hoel, Senior Director, Federal Government Affairs, Altria Client Services, Inc.; Dave Riser, Vice President, External Relations-Trade Marketing, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Ron Funk, President/Owner, Funk Consulting, Ontario, Canada; and Gene Lange, AWMA General Counsel.

Silent Auction Benefits Government Relations Program
All day Monday and again on Tuesday, Summit attendees will have an opportunity to bid on fabulous prizes contributed by distributors and suppliers, including two combination case cutters from Meyercord. Winners will be posted Tuesday evening.

AWMA wishes to thank members for their support of this crucial funding initiative for AWMA's government relations program, which represents distributors' interests at the national and state levels of government.

2009 AWMA Chairman Sherwin Herring (center) catches up with other AWMA members at last night’s reception.

Last night’s kick-off reception at the AWMA Summit & ABX was packed full of suppliers and customers who took the opportunity to reconnect.