Spring 2023 – Chapter News
Chapter News reports the local activities of the 22 chapters of ERA. The chapters sponsor educational and training workshops, local trade shows, legislative and industry projects to enhance the professionalism of individual members and to advance the goals and mission of the national association.
CHAPTER NEWS
CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
At its annual Conference, held Feb. 26 -28 in Austin, Texas, ERA announced the Chapters of the Year award recipients for 2022 activities. There were over 15 entries submitted this year from nine different chapters.
The awards were based on four categories: Education, Networking, Marketing and Special Projects.
The award recipients were:
Education: Northern California ERA for their online event “Time Management Strategies.”
Networking: Southwest ERA for their inperson member happy hour and food bank fundraiser event.
Marketing: Arizona ERA for their industry- focused State of the Sonoran Electronics Economy event.
Special Projects: Empire State ERA for its Julie Baker Memorial Golf Tournament.
Congratulations to all recipients!
CAROLINAS
Carolinas ERA continues to engage with their members by holding monthly virtual networking events focused on various industry topics of discussion for each session. The chapter also hosted their annual DTAM and scholarship announcement event virtually on March 24 with nearly 30 people in attendance.
The chapter has also started planning for their successful golf tournament and fundraiser to be hosted this fall. Stay tuned for more information to come!
CHICAGOLAND-WISCONSIN
Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA hosted an in-person board meeting at the beginning of April, followed by a breakfast roundtable discussion that was open to reps, manufacturers and distributors, featuring a review of topics presented at the 2023 ERA Conference and key takeaways. This conference recap discussion offered a way for attendees to take away expert advice from the conference, review it and develop a plan of action.
EMPIRE STATE
Empire State ERA hosted its annual Upstate NY DTAM Analysis in mid-March. There was a total of 35 attendees at this year’s event. Dennis Reed, senior research analyst from Edgewater Research, shared some incredibly insightful updates and outlooks for the industry.
The chapter is grateful for Dennis’ time and expertise.
METRO NEW YORK
Metro New York ERA hosted an event on March 30 at Topgolf in Holtsville, N.Y. The goal of the event was to promote a comfortable and fun atmosphere for networking between area reps and distributors. The chapter took advantage of this in-person event to showcase the power of ERA and gain new membership. There was a great turnout, with 50 people in attendance: 42 golfers and 8 spectators. Included in the price was two hours of golf, dinner, soft drinks and the first round of beer sponsored by the chapter. The chapter also added a large conference room, which worked out well, as it allowed for an intimate setting for everyone to mingle and eat together.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Northern California ERA came out in numbers for the 2023 ERA Conference, “Moving On, Moving Beyond.” Seven rep companies and one manufacturer were in attendance. All of the current chapter officers were present: Terri Straube (Straube Associates), Joe McGovern (Meridian Technical Sales), Erin Fox (TAARCOM) and Elisia Triantos (Digi-Key). Chapter Delegate Lori Bruno (Luscombe Engineering of San Francisco) served as Conference chair. We’re already looking forward to next year! The chapters sponsor educational and training workshops, local trade shows, legislative and industry projects to enhance the professionalism of individual members and to advance the goals and mission of the national association.
On March 30, the chapter hosted a social mixer at Big Al’s, a sports bar and entertainment center in Milpitas, Calif. This event was intended to “strike” up a good time and provided an excellent networking opportunity for local representatives, manufacturers and distributors. Guests enjoyed happy hour appetizers, beverages and bowling. The event organizers made a point to highlight the resources available on the ERA website, from the interactive HoverMap to discounts for services like the new ERA SearchLink.ai tool. The NorCal ERA is committed to supporting the growth and development of the electronics industry and providing valuable resources to its members!
Be sure to give the NorCal Chapter’s new LinkedIn page a “like” at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ncalera.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern California ERA has been busy in 2023!
The chapter started off the year with a Rock N’ 2023 Social at Rock N’ Brew. Despite experiencing rain on the day of the event, the chapter still had almost 100 reps, manufacturers, distributors, principals and OEM customers join us from San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange County. Sponsors promoted the event, and there were over 50 walk-ins from the electronics industry on the day of the event. Guests were able to enjoy a fun evening with a Rock N’ Roll twist thanks to the event’s amazing sponsors! The food and bar tab were even maxed out, and there were generous last-minute donors that wanted to keep the evening going. This was the chapter’s first Orange County social in years, and based on the turnout, it will not be the last. The group was energized to have everyone from the electronics industry under one roof again!
Next up was the chapter’s “Work Smarter, Not Harder” virtual event with Steve Turner of Turner Time Management. During the onehour session, attendees learned tips to manage their email inbox in minutes, a 60-second rule to be more productive and faster, how to “silo-tize” their work, and tactics to minimize and effectively handle distractions and interruptions. All attendees received a complimentary follow-up session to learn more personalized tips on how they could be more efficient in order to reach their goals for 2023.
At the end of March, the chapter went “old school” and got in front of customers one on one! For the first time ever, the chapter brought the supply chain to the busiest customer base in our territory – Tijuana, Mexico! Reps, distributors and manufacturers were lined up to earn business from customers at the Tijuana Table Top Show. The chapter even dug through the archives and found photos from back in the day to commemorate such a moment.
At the end of April, Southern California ERA and Del Mar Electronics & Manufacturing Show 2023 will be hosting the “Set-Up Day” Social. After a long day of moving boxes and hanging signs, the best from our industry will get to kick back and enjoy libations and food on us. Just another example of a great Southern California ERA membership perk!
Look for more updates coming soon regarding the following upcoming events: Owners’ Forum, Sagebrush Social, Selling in a Virtual Environment, Engaging with Engineers and the Annual Golf Tournament benefiting Operation Homefront. Start practicing now for the golf tournament! Last year, over $23,600 worth of gifts and prizes were given out and the chapter is trying to top that this year.