All sessions are offered TWICE; first on Monday, Feb. 24, and repeated on Tuesday, Feb. 25, EXCEPT for “The Ever-Changing World of AI” which is offered at two time slots on Monday only. “Master Your World: 10 Leadership Tactics for Productivity, Profits and Communication” is also only offered once on Tuesday.
Sessions are listed in alphabetical order by title. Times listed are Central Standard Time.
> Read about all of our esteemed Conference speakers HERE.
Monday, Feb. 24 — 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Speakers: Alan Ahern, President, Crowley Associates; Rob Brunson, VP Sales and Marketing, Wallace Electronic Sales; Mike Swenson, President, The Mel Foster Group
A panel of reps will share how AI tools can be used to manage your existing business, drive new revenue and help with new customer acquisition and improve efficiencies.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Speaker: Chris Lins, Vice President & General Manager, Americas, Powerbox USA
Our customers are always depositing or withdrawing from their customer bank with us. How can we make our interactions with them a wholly positive experience? How can we calibrate our interactions with them? This presentation will explore proven strategies and innovative techniques to delight customers at every touchpoint, building loyalty and driving business growth.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dennis Reed, Senior Analyst, Edgewater Research
Dennis Reed of Edgewater Research will update us on economic trends in this industry, the various financial markets that guide his insights, and what it all means for the immediate future and 2025.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Speakers: Emma Gaedeke, and Danielle Gaglioti, Partners, G&G Creative NYC
Improve and modernize your digital marketing toolbox. Presenters from G&G Creative NYC will review modernizing your firm’s website, creating a multi-channel strategy, measuring digital marketing ROI, digital ads and more.
Monday, Feb. 24 — 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Speakers: Steve Turner, CEO and Founder, Turner Time Management
Combining advanced time management with technology makes for a powerful combination to achieve more success. Laptops, smartphones, tablets and apps can be powerful tools for sales professionals, but they can also be a time-wasting distraction; Steve will show you how to use them all more effectively to save time and improve your sales results.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Speakers: Kerry McClenahan, Chief Strategy Officer, President, Publitek
The buying decision making process has grown increasingly complex. Most modern buying teams consist of six to ten members, each with unique information needs and preferred channels for consuming content. These individuals often avoid direct engagement with salespeople, opting instead to conduct nearly 70% of their buying process independently. Alarmingly, 81% of buyers have already chosen a preferred vendor before contacting any potential suppliers.
This new reality poses a significant challenge: how can you reach each buying team member with the right information, in the format and channel they prefer, at every stage of their decision-making journey?
In this panel session, we will share actionable strategies to effectively market to engineers, ensuring you engage them with the right content at the right time—and influence their decision-making process.
Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 12:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Mary Kelly, Ph.D., CSP, CDR, US Navy (Ret.), CPAE – Author, Speaker
In this fun and focused breakout session, Mary Kelly will share transformational leadership tactics to elevate productivity, drive profits and enhance communication. Tailored for the fast-paced demands of the electronics industry, this session equips leaders with practical tools to create high-performing teams and build a culture of success. Key actionable insights will include: 1) Reward good behavior – Foster a culture of accountability and motivation by recognizing and reinforcing actions that align with your team’s goals and values. 2) Don’t reward bad behavior – Eliminate inefficiencies and frustration by addressing challenges and ensuring consequences match actions. 3) Be consistent – Build trust, clarity and stability by setting and maintaining clear expectations for your team.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Speakers: Adam Glazer, Partner, Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC; Adam Maxwell, Esq., Litigation Attorney, Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC
SFBBG, long-time ERA legal advisors, will address the latest issues facing the rep community and help sales reps avoid legal landmines.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 12:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Speakers: Jordan Yates, Marketing Engineer and Content Creator, and Ian Ord, CEO and Founder, The Fifth Ring
The sales and marketing approach has changed for 2025….. Has your approach changed?
Challenges:
1.) It’s become hard to reach people in the office due to working from home.
2.) Relationship selling is no longer the only solution. AI has changed everything.
3.) The buying process has become more complicated; there are multiple stakeholders involved in buying decisions. (C-suite, procurement, end users)
4.) AI tools mixed with traditional marketing have made an impact.
New tools and innovation have been developed to handle these challenges. Jordan Yates and Ian Ord will be discussing how to integrate sales and marketing and use the tools of the trade to overcome the new challenges. You will learn how to leverage content marketing, AI tools and a personalized approach to speak to each stakeholder.
Want to achieve a more predictive revenue model? Embrace the change!
Monday, Feb. 24 — 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Speakers: Ricky Allen, VP of Cybersolutions, CyberOne Security
With the growing digitization of supply chain operations, cybersecurity has become a top priority for many organizations. To protect against increasing cyber threats, companies are investing heavily in securing their physical and digital assets, including implementing rigorous vetting processes for suppliers and ensuring strict compliance with comprehensive security standards. As supply chains become more interconnected and reliant on digital tools, the need for state-of-the-art cybersecurity systems and practices will continue to grow.
An expert on cybersecurity will present an overview of the cybersecurity challenges our industry is facing today and how companies of all sizes can protect themselves against these threats.
Monday, Feb. 24 — 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 — 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Speakers: Alex Gabbi, Assistant Professor, Business, Government & Society, Marketing, at UT-Austin
During this session, Alex Gabbi, lecturer at UT in Austin, will update us on the Texas Institute for Electronics that was formed in partnership with University of Texas as a result of the CHIPS Act. In addition, Alex will show our attendees the latest technologies that can be used to be onboard new employees.
Monday, Feb. 24 —9:30 – 10:45 a.m.. and 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Speakers: Sam Richter, CEO and Founder, SBR Worldwide
The world of AI is new and changing rapidly. Join us for a captivating exploration of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on sales and marketing. Learn how to harness the power of AI to gain a competitive edge, enhance customer experiences and drive revenue growth.
Monday, Feb. 24 at 1:45 – 3:00 p.m. / Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Speaker: Bryan Shirley, CPMR, Consultant
The term “partner” is often overused, leading to varying opinions and perceptions of its meaning. This highly interactive session will explore practical strategies for fostering genuine strategic partnerships among manufacturers, distributors, representatives and even customers. Topics will include aligning mission and vision, simplifying strategic planning, establishing effective representative councils and addressing conflict resolution—particularly in scenarios involving product line overlap, mergers and acquisitions and equitable contract negotiations. At its core, the session emphasizes the importance of culture– clear communication, aligned expectations, and a commitment to transparency, honesty and trust.