> Arizona ERA to Host the Sonoran Technology Show and Gathering in December

Nov. 13, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Associations

The Arizona Chapter of ERA is hosting a tabletop show, “Sonoran Technology Show and Gathering,” on Dec. 6, 2018, from 2:30 – 8:00 p.m., at the Hilton Phoenix Chandler, in Chandler, Ariz.

The event will feature a special presentation by ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin and various engineering seminars from leading semiconductor companies.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network and participate in a special raffle prizes from suppliers, enjoy a hosted cocktail bar and hors d’oeuvres, as well as live music entertainment from the Irish band “Paddy Punch.”

All electronics industry professionals are invited to attend the show.

For more information or to register, contact ERA Event Coordinator Erin Collins at ecollins@era.org.

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> Northern California ERA Hosts Women in Leadership Panel Discussion

Nov. 6, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Northern California Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association (NCALERA) held a Women in Leadership panel discussion and networking event in October at the Hilton Santa Clara Hotel in Santa Clara, Calif.

The panel consisted of five extraordinary women who hold a wide range of positions in the industry, including Kelly Britt, senior director of business development, Flextronics; Mary Cain, operations director, Lexar; Monica Highfill, vice president sales-Americas, KEMET Electronics Corporation; Joan Huser, vice president, Americas sales, InvenSense Inc.; and Sharon Woo, CEO, Peak Technology Enterprises Inc.

The goal of this event was to empower women in the workforce by offering attendees the opportunity to listen to an esteemed group of panelists about day-to-day experiences with business challenges, successes and professional growth.

“The subject matter was very timely to the interests of our members as was shown by the excellent turnout and the addition of many non-members of NCALERA who had not experienced an ERA meeting in the past,” said Chapter President Dennis Gagne of ES West. “We had many positive comments on the panel, which featured insightful questions about the panelists’ experiences and their suggestions to help bring women currently in the work force more success in the future. We will definitely be doing more meetings like this!”

A percentage of the registration proceeds will benefit the American Breast Cancer Society.

For more information about upcoming NCALERA events, visit http://ncalera.org/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> ERA Conference Committee Announces Conference General Sessions Topics and Speakers

Oct. 26, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) Conference Committee has announced the three General Sessions topics and speakers at the upcoming 50th Anniversary Conference, slated Feb. 24-26, 2019, at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The topics and speakers were carefully selected to reflect the event theme, “Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow.”

Linda Clemons, CEO of Sisterpreneur Inc., will present “I See What You Are Thinking: The Power of Nonverbal Communication.” According to Clemons, 80 percent of communication is expressed non-verbally. Her presentation will focus on how to master nonverbal communication skills to maximize leaders’ and business owners’ effectiveness and increase sales. Clemons is an award-winning, record-setting sales producer, as well as one of the top sales trainers in the world in the resort/timeshare industry where clients have generated over two billion in sales.

Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics and chairman of the Futurist Institute will present “Our Disruptive Future Economy – An Economic, Financial, and Technology Outlook.” In his session, Schenker, will focus on how the future of the economy, markets and technology will impact people’s professional, personal and investing lives, and provide a mix of short-term economic and financial market dynamics. Schenker has been ranked one of the most accurate financial forecasters and futurists in the world.

Tim Wackel, one of today’s most popular sales speakers who has mastered the ability to make information entertaining, memorable and easy to understand, will present “The Constant Client — Building Relationships your Competition Can’t Steal!” Wackel combines more than 30 years of successful sales leadership with specific client research to deliver high-impact programs that go beyond today’s best practices. His session will offer attendees a simple three-step process for building better relationships, new ways to stand out and become someone who is memorable and much more.

Terri Straube of Straube Associates, co-chair of the Conference General Sessions Sub-Committee, said, “We are delighted to introduce a vibrant, exciting and accomplished group of General Session speakers, including the highly regarded Tim Wackel, an expert in sales relationship building; Linda Clemons, an expert in understanding body language; and Jason Schenker, a highly ranked economic forecaster. We are extremely pleased to have three industry leaders in their respective fields who combined will provide sales building tools needed to maximize returns in this strong economy and build a solid foundation to excel in the future.”

Conference Committee Chair John Hutson, CPMR, of MacInnis Group, added, “I could not be more excited with the General Session speakers, and the topics that they will be presenting at our upcoming conference. Under the leadership of the General Sessions Sub-Committee Co-Chairs, Terri Straube of Straube Associates and Tom Vanderheyden of TTI Inc., their incredibly talented team identified and booked world-class experts who will be speaking on topics that I am confident everyone will find informative and rewarding in multiple ways. There are many aspects of an ERA Conference that determines the degree of its success, but the quality of the content that is shared is certainly a key to success. The content needs to be educational, practical and inspirational alike, and the sub-committee hit the mark in these areas with their docket of presenters. It is only appropriate that we have Gold Standard General Session speakers for a Golden Anniversary Conference.”

For more information about the 2019 ERA 50th Anniversary Conference, visit https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> Carolinas ERA Hosts 15th Annual Dick Paden Memorial Golf Tournament

Oct. 18, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Carolinas Chapter of ERA (CERA) recently concluded another successful scholarship fundraiser. The chapter’s 15th Annual Dick Paden Memorial Golf Tournament was held on Oct. 8, 2018, at the Crossings Golf Club in Durham, N.C. The event was attended by 104 golfers, including reps, distributors, manufacturers and customers.

From left to right: Julie Huang, Sanyo Denki; Jim Reiser, Sager; John Corn, Sager; Laura Miceli, Sager.

This event helps fund three $1,000 college scholarships to dependents of CERA member reps & DTAM participating distributors, as well as a generous donation to the American Diabetes Association.

This year’s winners include:

• First place gross (Jim Davis, Kevin Bouziden, Larry Travers and Mark Craige)
• Second place gross (Rick Vairo, Dennis Toothman, Rob Mahoney and Aparna Sproelich)
• First place net (Bob Kirkland, Billy Case, Bob Ball and Cy Dallin)
• Second place net (Steve Criscione, Jeff Schedel, Brian Rable and P.J. Strahl)
• Closest to the pin: Brian Rable (6), James Brantley (8), Teresa Parker (12) and Teresa Parker (15)
• Longest drive women/men: Tracy Spooner and Barry Simo

CERA would like to thank everyone for making this event such a success by coming out to play golf, sponsoring a tee sign and/or a flag, and gift contributions for door prizes. A big thank you goes out to all our volunteers who were instrumental in making the event a success. We couldn’t do it without you!

Visit CERA’s Golf Tournament Gallery to view photos from the event.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> TTI’s Michael Knight to Deliver Closing General Session at ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference

Oct. 9, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) Conference Committee has announced that Michael Knight, president, TTI Semiconductor Group (TSG) and senior vice president Corporate Business Development, for TTI Inc., will close the 2019 ERA 50th Anniversary Conference with a general session titled, “TECHNOLOGY IN THE ROARING 20s: How the tech party rages on in the 2020s.” The conference runs Feb. 24-26 at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The event theme is “Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow.”

Knight, who closed both the 2017 and 2018 ERA conferences, said of his upcoming presentation, “All around us we are witnessing the development of fundamentally new technology that is transforming the electronics that populate our world. In many cases, the new tech isn’t just the next increment of the current tech, it is an order of magnitude different and more capable … for example, 5G and quantum computing. This new tech, from materials to devices, is in the process of being commercialized and will begin showing up in the world in the 2020s, driving the next significant, long-term surge in our industry. This presentation will focus on a combination of 20 technologies and applications that will trigger a massive demand for upgrading and/or replacing the electronic systems and devices that populate our businesses and our personal lives. Collectively, this will drive the business for electronic components to record levels through the 2020s.”

Tom Vanderheyden of TTI Inc., co-chair of the Conference General Sessions Sub-Committee, said, “Back by popular demand, we’re delighted that Michael has accepted our invitation to close the 50th Anniversary ERA Conference. Michael is a respected and industry-recognized thought leader who balances the realities of today with the excitement of tomorrow. We’re anxious to learn about the near-term, technology advancements and upcoming launches that will fuel growth in the next decade.”

Terri Straube of Straube Associates, co-chair of the Conference General Sessions Sub-Committee, added, “As we celebrate the past 50 ERA conferences, Michael Knight is the visionary who will take us forward to the ROARING 2020s!”

ERA CEO Walter Tobin commented, “We are thrilled to welcome back Michael Knight to deliver the closing general session of ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference. His presentations are always engaging and thought-provoking, and we look forward to his insights on how new technology developments will continue to transform and shape the future of our industry.”

For more information about the 2019 ERA 50th Anniversary Conference, visit https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> ERA 2019 Conference Committee Announces Keynote Speaker

Sept. 19, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) 2019 Conference Committee has announced that Curt Steinhorst, bestselling author of “Can I Have Your Attention? Inspiring Better Work Habits, Focusing Your Team, and Getting Stuff Done in the Constantly Connected Workplace” will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming conference, scheduled Feb. 24-26, 2019, at the AT&T Center in Austin, Texas. Steinhorst will open ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference program on Monday morning, Feb. 25, with a presentation titled, “Can I Have Your Attention? Reach the Distracted Customer.”

After years studying the impact of tech on human behavior, Steinhorst founded Focuswise, a consultancy that equips organizations to overcome the distinct challenges of the constantly-connected workplace. He has coached executives, TV personalities, and well-known professional athletes on how to effectively communicate and create focus when they speak to audiences, lead their employees, and engage their customers. His unique insight and entertaining speaking style have captured the attention of audiences worldwide.

For the first time in history, we live in a world without any barriers to connection or communication. This has fundamentally altered the way people work, engage, communicate and relate to one another. The same technology that simplifies processes, compromises our focus and makes it ever more difficult to reach increasingly distracted customers. Steinhorst is on a mission to rescue us from our distracted selves.

Conference Keynote Sub-Committee co-chairs Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP, of Control Sales and Paul Dosser of Digi-Key Electronics commented on the sub-committee’s decision to invite Curt Steinhorst as ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference keynote speaker.

“We are very happy to have Curt Steinhorst as the 2019 conference keynote speaker this coming February,” Kingsland said. “The Keynote Sub-Committee evaluated a significant number of candidates and unanimously chose Curt for his fundamental message and enthusiasm. In the days of constant distraction and work overload, we as salespeople have increasing difficulty obtaining our customers’ attention. Curt will present to us how to alter our sales tactics and strategies to filter out the noise and focus on what matters. In order to remain relevant in the future, we need new communication methods and shifts in our behavior to help keep in step with the ever-changing customer relationship dynamics.”

Dosser added, “We are very excited to announce the 2019 ERA Conference Keynote Speaker, Curt Steinhorst. As we look to the conference theme, “Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow,” the Keynote Sub-Committee found Curt’s expertise in focusing your team and business in a high-tech world full of distractions that will only grow as we embrace tomorrow, to be very fitting for all. Curt believes that organizations who will be best at creating new ideas and navigating setbacks will be those that are disciplined in communication technology both internal and external, driving success with your customer and capturing their attention. We look forward to listening to, learning from and applying Curt’s message.”

ERA 2019 Conference Committee Chair John Hutson, CPMR, of MacInnis Group, said, “A big thank you to our devoted Keynote Sub-Committee members who volunteered a great deal of their time and expertise to research the 2019 conference keynote speaker. Based on the talent pool of world-class speakers that they came up with, it is no surprise that they found a keynote candidate as impressive as Curt Steinhorst to kick-off the 50th Anniversary Conference. During the selection process, the sub-committee constantly kept at the front of their minds the need to have a keynote speaker who would offer conference attendees real tangible takeaways, and Curt fits the bill. His presentation will help attendees understand how to communicate with customers effectively and spark ideas about how to work smarter in this age of digital distraction. I am confident that Curt’s humor, energy and insight will keep everyone engaged and entertained.”

For more information about the 2019 ERA 50th Anniversary Conference, visit https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> Southwest ERA Hosts Informative Lunch Event

Sept. 10, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Southwest Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) held an informative session on Aug. 24, 2018, in Austin, Texas. The event featured guest speaker Roland Peña, vice president of economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, who has nearly 30 years of experience in economic development and serves as a member of both the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

Peña’s presentation, “Look Who’s Coming to Town! Future Thoughts on Austin Technology,” touched on how the city markets itself to attract companies from other parts of Texas, other states and other countries to move to Austin. The presentation also discussed that the current growth rate is expected to continue over the next few years with an emphasis on software, IT, manufacturing and medical business development.

Other topics included Austin and Dallas’ bid for Amazon’s new headquarters and the U.S. Army’s decision that its new Futures Command will be headquartered in Austin.

Southwest Chapter Austin Director Rob Curtiss of Kruvand Associates Inc. shared his thoughts about the event, “Roland Peña provided valuable insight into the areas of economic development in Austin that sales reps and distributors will see emerging in the next few years. As a result, we all have a clearer idea of the types of new customers to expect.”

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. ERA member representative firms (often called “reps”) provide field sales services on an exclusive basis to manufacturers of related (but non-competing) products in a defined territory. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA Hosts Educational Program

Aug. 10, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Chicagoland-Wisconsin Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) held an educational presentation and lunch on June 1, 2018, at Avnet Inc., in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The event featured guest speaker Richard Greaves, senior partner at Empowering Systems. Greaves’ presentation, “Leverage the Latest Collaboration Tools,” discussed the latest collaboration tools and why Office 365 is a great platform for rep firms and all salespeople.

Chapter President Rick LaPiana of Cain-Forlaw Company said, “I am a strong believer that collaboration is key to efficiency and success in component sales, but I was not aware of all the tools, tips and tricks that Office 365 provides. Rich Greaves did a nice job illustrating the benefits at our June 1 chapter event. In fact, this meeting convinced me to move the entire company over to Microsoft 365. Everyone who attended, was pleased with the interaction and discussion at the event.”

Chapter Vice President, Fiscal & Legal, Kingsland Coombs, CPMR, CSP, of Control Sales Inc., who helped organize the event, added: “Rich was tasked with explaining and demonstrating for us the latest in collaboration software tools. He did a very fine job showing us the benefits of the Office 365 suite of products including the Microsoft Teams application. Since the presentation, our company has started to use Teams for file sharing, chatting and screen sharing. We are pleased with the results so far and thank Rich for the nudge we needed to get started!”

The chapter is planning more networking and educational events for the remainder of 2018. For more information, visit www.chiwisera.com.

About Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA
Chicagoland – Wisconsin ERA is a local resource for continuing education programs, networking opportunities, peer discussion groups and an array of services designed to help improve professionalism and profitability. For more information, visit www.chiwisera.com.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> Carolinas ERA Hosts a Networking Program

Aug. 7, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Carolinas Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) held an informative networking program on May 21, 2018, at the Morrisville Commerce Center, in Morrisville, N.C.

The program featured guest speaker Joel Kaczmarek, a sales and management trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker from Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C. Kaczmarek’s presentation, “Four Secrets to Leveraging LinkedIn as a Selling Tool,” focused on the importance of strengthening one’s LinkedIn presence and the key steps in prospecting with LinkedIn.

He also offered attendees tips on how to find and connect with decision makers on LinkedIn and the do’s and don’ts for making connections. “When creating your LinkedIn summary, think of it as a 30 second commercial. Who are you, specifically what you do, what problems do you help your clients solve,” Kaczmarek explained.

Chapter Vice President, Membership, Penny Hoglund of AEM Group said, “Creating a LinkedIn profile can seem a daunting task, and Joel Kaczmarek provided a simplified approach. The importance of using your LinkedIn profile as a sales tool shouldn’t be underestimated.”

The chapter is planning two more events in 2018 — a Networking Breakfast in Raleigh on Aug. 10 and the 15th Annual Dick Paden Memorial Golf Tournament on Oct. 8 at in Durham, N.C. Visit www.carolinasera.com for more details.

About Carolinas ERA
The Carolinas Chapter of the Electronics Representatives Association is dedicated to promoting the representative concept within the Carolinas electronics marketplace. The Chapter hopes to be a resource for its members in establishing and maintaining their respective rep businesses through continuing education, training and interface with government agencies. The government interface in important in order to influence legislation in favor of the representative concept and defeat legislation detrimental to the rep business. For more information, visit www.carolinasera.com.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities Are Now Open for ERA’s 2019 Conference

August 3, 2018
Source: ERA

Registration and sponsorship opportunities are now open for ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference, scheduled Feb. 24-26, 2019, at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas. Hotel reservations are also being accepted.

ERA’s Conference Committee and sub-committees are working on the 2019 program details, which is designed around the theme “Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow.” Please watch for announcements of keynote speaker, the general sessions and breakout seminars, all coming soon.

2019 Conference sponsors can choose from various sponsorship opportunities, most of which include one or more complimentary registrations for the event. Investment in a sponsorship will return many promotional benefits starting immediately – on ERA’s website and upcoming issues of The Representor – and running through EDS 2019.

Sponsors will have the opportunity to support the ERA 50th Anniversary Conference vital educational programming and networking opportunities, and foster innovation and growth in the industry through increased collaboration among reps, manufacturers and distributors.

Don’t miss the Golden Jubilee edition of the electronics industry’s highly informative and networking event.

REGISTER for the ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference now.

Review SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES for the ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference.

ERA thanks you for your support!

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> ERA Conference Committee Announces 2019 Theme

July 16, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) Conference Committee has announced the theme — “Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow” — of the association’s 50th Anniversary Conference, scheduled Feb. 24-26, 2019, at the AT&T Center in Austin, Texas.

Conference Committee Chair John Hutson, CPMR, of MacInnis Group, said, “I am thrilled to share that the Conference Committee for the upcoming 2019 ERA Conference is in place, as are the associated sub-committees, and things are moving forward full steam ahead. This team is absolutely a ‘Gold Standard,’ and how appropriate since this is ERA’s 50th Golden Jubilee Conference.”

Hutson’s committee began its program development discussions in May, and members are well into the planning process. The first objective for the Conference Committee was to develop a theme, for ERA’s 50th Anniversary Conference.

“It did not take long for us to realize the need to recognize our association’s past leaders, while also highlighting the importance to continually improving for the future. We all agreed that the resulting theme is simple, but strong in its message: ‘Celebrate the Past, Embrace Tomorrow.’ I am excited for the creative content that is going to develop around this theme,” Hutson said.

ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin added: “I cannot think of a more appropriate theme for our 50th Anniversary Conference! ERA is an 83-year YOUNG organization, and we have so many folks who helped build ERA into the vibrant organization that it is today. Thus, we want to take time at our 50th Anniversary Conference to CELEBRATE THE PAST by recognizing those folks who got us to where we are at today! However, we remain focused on ‘Skating where the puck is going,’ so to speak to EMBRACE TOMORROW, and to position ERA ahead of the puck and enable our members with real tangible tools and ideas to help them address the many issues that they are facing today. Come to Austin in February 2019 and help us CELEBRATE and EMBRACE; you will come away amazed and armed!”

For further information on ERA’s 2018 conference, visit ERA at https://era.org/era-events/era-conference/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> ERA Introduces a Design Registration (DREG) Task Force

June 25, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

ERA announced the formation of a Design Registration (DREG) Task Force. The task force will review the current State of the Union for the DREG Program and make recommendations on what changes need to be implemented to address the current needs of manufacturers, distributors and reps. The impetus for this initiative was a result of the ERA Conference held in February in Austin, Texas, where many of the association’s reps, manufactures and distributor members asked ERA to revisit this issue and make appropriate recommendations.

The ERA DREG Task Force consists of the following industry experts:

Lori Bruno, Vice President Distribution, Luscombe Engineering Company
Mike Calabria, CEO, Abracon
Dana Canatsy, Director Channel Management, Finisar
Mike Carroll, Vice President of Global Sales, RFMW
Julie Fajardo, Director National Distribution Sales, TDK-Lambda
Mike Lasley, President, ION Associates
Chris Reginato, Manager Business Analytics Operations, Avnet
John Simari, CEO, Simari Consulting LLC
Walter Tobin, CEO, ERA
Tom Vanderheyden, Vice President Americas Sales, TTI
Karim Yasmine, Corporate Vice President Strategic Supplier Development, Future Electronics, Inc.

ERA CEO Walter Tobin comments on the formation of the DREG Task Force: “Many of the task force members have experience across the rep, channel and manufacturer communities and bring together some great industry DNA. ERA has begun this initiative and will be announcing recommendations once the task is complete.”

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> ERA Introduces New Industry Consultant to Its Expert Access Program

June 12, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) announced that it has added a new industry consultant, Steve Cholas, to its Expert Access member program.

Steve Cholas is a sales and marketing expert with more than 30 years of electronics industry experience who has developed strategic programs for distributors and suppliers globally. Cholas’ passion for the electronic industry started at Electronic Buyers News (EBN) where he was a publisher, and continued as he managed leading brands in the electronics industry such as EET, EDN, EEWeb, Electronic Products and 21ic China — China’s largest technology portal. His hands-on experience with industry research and his broad network of associates and colleagues enable him to bring together unique solutions.

ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin comments on the new ERA Expert Access addition, “We are excited to have Steve Cholas join ERA’s Expert Access program. His trusted industry expertise and extensive in-depth experience in sales and marketing strategy will be very beneficial to our members.”

For more information on the ERA Expert Access program, visit https://era.org/member-resources/expert-access/.

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. ERA member representative firms (often called “reps”) provide field sales services on an exclusive basis to manufacturers of related (but non-competing) products in a defined territory. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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> ERA to Host an Inaugural Canada Chapter Opening Discussion on June 21, 2018

May 29, 2018
Source: Electronics Representatives Association (ERA)

The Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) announced that it will host an inaugural event on June 21, 2018, at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 5 – 8 p.m., to announce the opening of a Canada ERA Chapter to provide support to all of Canada.

ERA is the largest electronic components representatives trade association in the world. Many existing ERA members already support the greater Canada market through their membership in the U.S., and the formation of a Canada ERA Chapter will in turn support members in the region.

The opening event will feature a presentation by ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin and ERA General Counsel Gerald Newman, partner in the law firm of Schoenberg, Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg LLC, which will showcase ERA’s many membership benefits to manufacturers reps, distributors and manufacturers. During the event, the new Canada ERA Chapter will be responsible for appointing directors who will elect officers to run the chapter following the chapter bylaws established by ERA National.

“ERA is proud to announce the formation of its Canada Chapter, which will be located in Toronto. We already have many rep, manufacturer and distribution ERA members in Canada, but do not have a formal chapter. It is time to fix that,” said ERA CEO Walter E. Tobin about the upcoming event. “During this meeting, I will give a brief overview of ERA and the immediate and long-term goals for the Canada Chapter. I will be joined by Gerry Newman, who will describe the legal process needed to form the chapter, the establishment of chapter bylaws, leaders and officers and some general guidelines on how to run an active and vibrant chapter. I hope to see you all there!”

About ERA
The 83-year-old Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) is the international trade organization for professional field sales companies in the global electronics industries, manufacturers who go to market through representative firms and global distributors. It is the mission of ERA to support the professional field sales function through programs and activities that educate, inform and advocate for manufacturers’ representatives, the principals they represent and the distributors who are reps’ partners in local territories. ERA member representative firms (often called “reps”) provide field sales services on an exclusive basis to manufacturers of related (but non-competing) products in a defined territory. For more information about ERA, visit era.org.

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