Summit 2010 Monday Night Reception

Monday reception opened with the largest number of attendees-to-date at the Summit 2010 in Key Biscayne, FL.

Information-Packed Agenda, AWMA Business Exchange on Tap

The 2010 AWMA Summit opened at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, FL Monday, September 13, with distributors and suppliers ready for top-level educational sessions, networking opportunities, and the AWMA Business Exchange (ABX), Wednesday and Thursday.

The Summit & 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 focus on challenges of the economy and tools distributors can use to succeed and boost profits, despite those challenges. The ABX will feature two days of face-to-face buyer-seller meetings where distributors and suppliers will make concrete plans for doing business together over the next year.

The Summit opened for business Monday morning with a round of AWMA committee meetings, followed by a meeting of the AWMA Board of Directors. A welcome reception brought attendees together Monday evening, the first of several opportunities for making connections, comparing notes, and discussing common concerns.

“This promises to be our best Summit & ABX ever," said 2010 AWMA Chairman Jonathan Burklund, president and chief operating officer of Burklund Distributors, Inc. "Our agenda is packed with solid, relevant information on ways distributors can improve efficiency and profits. Then, we top it off with the ABX. It is an incredible combination that provides real value for everyone here."

Tuesday's session will open with a report from Burklund on developments at AWMA over the past year, and a look at what’s ahead. Walter Zimmermann, vice president & technical analyst, United-ICAP, will present a technical forecast and economic outlook. Then, Louie Sheetz, executive vice president of marketing at Sheetz, Inc., will share the culture of his company’s success.

The program will shift to strategies for reducing operating costs, with a presentation by Stephen Wilson and Andrei Perumal, managing directors, Wilson Perumal & Co., Inc., and authors of “Waging War on Complexity Costs.”

After incoming 2011 AWMA Chairman Keith Canning, managing partner, Pine State Trading, Augusta, ME, is recognized at lunch, industry consultant Kit Dietz, president, Dietz Consulting LLC, will preview findings of a new study, Candy and Snacks in Convenience, which identifies opportunities for potential sales increases for candy and snacks at retail.

2010 AWMA Chairman Jon Burklund with 2011 Chairman Keith Canning

Viv Penninti, president and CEO of InfoRhythm, Inc., will discuss distributor data as compiled by AWMA’s InfoMetrics program and how manufacturers and distributors can tie this data to effective distribution. His presentation will be followed by Marty Monserez, convenience channel leader, Procter & Gamble, who will offer ways the industry can benefit by using data to identify distribution gaps on core SKUs and individual retail opportunities by store and by SKU.

“Collaborating for Success” will be the final program on Tuesday, when a panel of experts, led by Dietz, will discuss key takeaways from the day’s information-packed program, define next steps, and what has been learned can be leveraged to boost profits for all trading partners.

Dick Dunham, Stephenson Wholesale, brought his new president, Corey Cooper, to the Summit for the first time. “We’ve told everybody that the ABX is the best type of meeting anywhere, and I wanted Corey to see it first hand and become involved."

Corey Cooper (L) with AWMA board member Dick Dunham

Silent Auction Benefits Government Relations Program

All day Monday and again on Tuesday until 6:00 pm, Summit attendees will have an opportunity to bid on fabulous prizes contributed by suppliers. Winners will be posted Tuesday evening during the Summit reception.

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

Praise for the Summit & ABX

• "The AWMA Summit continues to be one of the best trade events that we do every year. The members of AWMA continue to support this venue, which gives us a great opportunity in two days to discuss our current business and plans for 2011 with our customers. Having the event in a beautiful place like Key Biscayne does nothing but add value to the total package."  Tom Joyce, The Hershey Company
  
• "This gives us the ability to meet with some of the top manufacturers in the country. It goes beyond putting a value on it. The key is being prepared, and we are. In two days there is no way we could see all of these people in any other way. It’s invaluable. You must attend ABX whether you are a wholesaler or a manufacturer."  Frank Davoli, Richmond-Master Distributors
• "The ABX has become a very important component of our marketing strategy because it gives us an opportunity to sit down with our most important wholesale distributors and work out programs for the coming year."  Eric Atkinson, Atkinson Candy Company
• "I am looking forward to the new technology seminar, the presentation about InfoMetrics. This will help distributors be more knowledgeable about their customers. We will have the ability to track progress with our customers.”  Chad Gummer, Gummer Wholesale Co.

AWMA board member Chad Gummer with wife Kinder