AWMA Show Charts Course for Success
Canning Charts Upcoming Year
“I am confident that with the right tools, determination, and a willingness to adapt to change, our future is very bright,” said 2011 AWMA Chairman Keith Canning, Pine State Trading, as he opened Wednesday’s opening Super Session, sponsored by The Hershey Company.
Photo 2011 © Gary Michael www.exposuresltd.com
Burklund's Chairman's Gift
2011 AWMA Chairman Keith Canning presented Jon Burklund with a gift commemorating his year as 2010 Chairman.
Photo © 2011 Gary Michael www.exposuresltd.com
Panel on InfoMetrics and Boosting Profits
Zeno Corrigan, Pine State Trading and Mark Davenport, J.T. Davenport & Sons joined others in a panel discussion of the AWMA InfoMetrics Program and how to use the program data to improve profits.
Photo © 2011 Gary Michael www.exposuresltd.com
Hundreds of convenience distributors and suppliers are at the 2011 AWMA Show at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas this week, not gambling to make a killing in the casino, but to chart a solid, winning course for future business success.
Yesterday, they participated in a round of sharply focused educational sessions and presentations, and then spent some five and a half hours on the Expo floor, meeting with suppliers and uncovering solutions to help boost their businesses in the months and years ahead. A wide range of Show-Only Deals provided great value for distributors as they streamed onto the Expo floor when the educational programs were concluded.
“I am confident that with the right tools, determination, and a willingness to adapt to change, our future is very bright,” said 2011 AWMA Chairman Keith Canning, Pine State Trading, as he opened Wednesday’s opening Super Session, sponsored by The Hershey Company.
Helping to implement and make successful AWMA’s new InfoMetrics program is Canning’s top priority, he said, telling attendees that he hopes to make sure InfoMetrics is utilized to set and measure the benchmarks for our industry so we can speak intelligently about mutual issues “based on facts rather than emotions.”
“InfoMetrics is a real game changer,” he said. “With this program, we have the power to create an entirely new model for the convenience channel. For the first time ever distributors – both large and small – have a tool to understand, in real time, how their businesses stack up against the industry as a whole.”
Canning said the InfoMetrics customer portal allows distributors to offer the same capability to customers, and pointed out that manufacturers can purchase InfoMetrics data to help understand where their products sit in the marketplace, where distribution gaps and opportunities exist.
“AWMA will use InfoMetrics to highlight the value of distributors in the channel and in the economy as a whole -- and to shine a spotlight on the need for increased manufacturer participation in the association,” he added. A breakout educational session yesterday went into more detail on the InfoMetrics program, helping attendees understand how they can use the information it provides to make data driven decisions and boost profits. A special dinner to inform distributors and manufacturers about the program was held last night.
The new chairman also said he will work to strengthen the AWMA dues structure “in order to secure the long-term financial viability of the association,” and that he will seek to foster a continuation of friendships and cooperation within the industry to ensure future success.