Ready to move beyond!

Lori Bruno, CPMR

by Lori Bruno, CPMR

With a show of hands, who is ready to move on from the past three years? I think we are all a little bit over such phrases as “the new normal,” “social distancing,” and my absolute favorite, “trying times.” It’s time to put our big kid pants on and move on and beyond from what feels comfortable. Let’s get comfortable being uncomfortable.

The conference committee selected the theme “Moving On, Moving Beyond” because we need to move beyond outdated ways of thinking with regards to the way we sell to our customers, manage our teams and hire, retain and motivate our employees. The 2023 ERA Conference is focused on providing techniques to adopt new and successful strategies. Expect some interesting and thought-provoking content, best practices discussions, great takeaways and plenty of time for networking.

Starting in May 2022, more than 50 volunteers from manufacturers’ representative firms, manufacturers and distributors have been focused on putting together a program that will maximize your return on investment. The committee has donated their time, energy, talent and passion for knowledge to ensure every session will provide key takeaways.

Keynote Speaker Meridith Elliott Powell will kick off the conference with her presentation, “THRIVE: Turn Uncertainty to your Competitive Advantage.” Powell’s keynote presentation will motivate your organization to make a plan to take these unprecedented times and an ever-changing, uncertain business landscape and turn them into an opportunity to thrive and grow.

We will again have four general sessions this year. On day one, back by popular demand for the third year in a row, attendee favorite Bernard Baumohl, chief economist for The Economic Outlook Group, will present “Navigating Through Economic Uncertainty.” Chris McChesney, author of the best-selling book “The 4 Disciplines of Execution,” will present the Monday afternoon general session. McChesney’s presentation will dive into the universal challenges for leaders of organizations who are trying to execute strategy amidst numerous competing priorities and distractions. Cheryl Cran, founder of NextMapping™ and NextMapping.com and author of her newest book “Super.Crucial.Human,” will present the morning session on Tuesday, Feb. 28, with her presentation entitled “The Future of Leadership (Hint: It’s Human!)

Michael Knight, returning to present for the sixth time at the conference, will present the closing afternoon session on Tuesday, Feb. 28. The perennial attendee favorite will present “Technology Drivers for 2023 and Beyond,” where he will share his insights on the 20 technologies driving the 2020s and how the supply chain, political and economic environment will influence these technologies, as well as be influenced by them.

I have always found that the keynote and general sessions provide very high-level strategic takeaways, but in my mind the real benefit of the conference comes from the breakout sessions. The conference will have 15 different sessions available to attend. Topics range from best practices working the distributor, manufacturer and rep relationship, to industry trends and how to stay relevant in the coming years.

I may be biased, but I believe the 2023 ERA conference will be one for the record books. I am truly amazed by the dedication of the volunteers and overwhelmed with the support of our over 150 sponsors. We could not deliver a quality conference without our sponsors and volunteers and for that, I thank you.

Personally, I have had the most amazing two years serving as co-chair and now chair of the conference. I am so proud to walk among the industry’s leaders. This California girl, for one, is excited to attend the 2023 conference. See you in the halls of the AT&T Center!