ERA 2011 Conference Agenda and Sessions

ERA Conference Program Agenda and Sessions

This Conference explores the NEXT GENERATION of four vital categories of information and best practices – regarding people, technology trends and tactics – that you will need to manage your rep firm or your manufacturing company's sales, both today and in the near future.

Here is the final Agenda, including General Sessions, Breakout Seminars and locations:


MONDAY, OCT. 3

11:30 a.m.	Registration Desk Open	Courts Ballroom Foyer

12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Suppliers Showcase	Courts BallroomFoyer

12:45 p.m.	Pre-Conference Program Opens	Courts Ballroom

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	Being Preferred in a World of Options (For reps and manufacturers) Speaker: Michael, Knight, TTI, Inc.
	Attaining "preferred" status in an environment that is crazy with options starts with consumers. However, their easy access to information and ways to buy creates huge pressures on the entire supply chain as demand for a product ebbs, flows and jumps around. In the world of distribution, the customer has options (choices) of which manufacturer to select and then which distributors (or broker or direct sources) to select. The manufacturers have options on which distributor to work with, as do the manufacturers' reps. So, as is the case throughout the supply chain, the goal is to be preferred among all the various options. In this presentation, Michael Knight outlines how TTI strives for preferred status with its suppliers, customers and reps, and he explores the basic and emerging distributor value propositions and how they intertwine with those of the rep community. He also lays out some possible emerging challenges that he believes reps and distributors must solve jointly, including customers discovering and playing the DREG game and what happens when "eBiz is the Biz."

2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	New Product Design Fulfillment (For reps and manufacturers) Speaker: Glenn Smith, Mouser Electronics
	This presentation provides insight into Mouser's core competencies and how they bridge the gap between NPI and the design engineer by providing the newest products for the newest designs.

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	Reps and Distributors Surviving in an Industry of Change (For reps and manufacturers) Speaker: Michael Calabria, Arrow Electronics
	In this session, Mike Calabria recaps the industry changes of the last 30 years and the directions it is now heading. He also outlines current market and business trends, profiles the attributes of a "good rep," and describes howto be successful when working with his company.

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.	Networking Reception (For all registered attendees)	Gazebo Patio (This event will be held outdoors, weather permitting, or indoors in the Canterbury.)

Evening	OPEN

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TUESDAY, OCT. 4

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast (For all registered attendees.)	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Registration Desk Open	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Suppliers Showcase	Courts Ballroom Foyer

8:00 p.m. - 9:15 a.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	As Business Models Change, Do Organizations Change as Well? The Digi-Key Corporation Journey (For reps and manufacturers) Speakers: Mark Larson and Chris Beeson, Digi-Key Corporation

9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	Security of Supply (For reps and manufacturers) Speaker: Walter Tobin, Future Electronics
	Walter Tobin describes the challenges of maintaining "Security of Supply" in a supply chain where everyone needs the inventory and no one wants it! He also addresses the question of how the ERA community can partner with the distribution community to grow sales and share for manufacturers while servicing the supply chain needs of their diverse customer bases.

10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.	Pre-Conference General Session	Courts Ballroom
	Allied Electronics: Get on the Growth Train (For reps and manufacturers) Speaker: Lee Davidson, Scott McLendon and Mark Simon, Allied Electronics
	Allied Electronics has grown rapidly over the last decade. In this session, learn about the company's formula for success and ways to work with Allied to grow your business locally.

12:15 p.m.	Pre-Conference Program Concludes

12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.	Table Leaders' Orientation	Westmont

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.	Conference First Timers' Orientation	Canterbury

1:45 - 3:15 p.m.	General Session Keynote: Blowing the Doors Off Business as Usual: Creating Pockets of Excellence (For all registered attendees) Speaker: Dr. Kevin Freiberg, marketing consultant, coach and co-author, Boom!, Guts!, Nuts! and the newly-released Nanovations
	It doesn't matter what industry you are in, someone, somewhere right now is building a product, process or business model designed to kick your butt. How? By producing the NEXT GENERATION of people, technology, trends and tactics that disrupt the competition and amaze customers. If it's you, then you define the rules by which others must play the game. If it's NOT you, then you had better get comfortable playing by someone else's rules. Someone is going to start a revolution that will change your world. Why can't it be you? In this session, Kevin Freiberg takes you on a "deep dive" into the kind of leadership that inspires ingenuity, accelerates innovation and makes you indispensable to your customers. Find out how gutsy, go-for-it leaders in some of the most creative companies "de-commoditize" their businesses, radically differentiate themselves from their competitors and stand out in an overcrowded market. Then, build your own strategy for blowing the doors off business as usual!

3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.	General Session Principals' Growing Demands on Reps: What Are the Satisfactory Solutions for All? (For all registered attendees) Moderator: Bob Terwall, former president of Cherry Electrical Products; Panelists: Keith Bandolik of Switchcraft; Paul Nielsen, CPMR, of Brainard-Nielsen Marketing; David Norris of Norris Associates; Greg Pace of Ohmite Manufacturing; and Bill Romick of The DNA Group
	Are the increasing demands on reps just a normal raising of the bar that is typical of most business relationships today? Or are they genuine "scope creep?" What duties are and are not included in a commission payment relationship? What can reps do (and not do) effectively for their principals, and how do they receive adequate compensation for their time and efforts? In this session, learn what others are doing to better define the terms of the rep-principal relationship that enhances the relationships for the partners' mutual benefit. Learn what works (and does not work) in pay-for-services arrangements that are outside the scope of the traditional selling function. And take away practical tips on how to address the subject of expanding time demands and payment for same. A round table workshop discussion for all attendees is included.

5:15 - 6:45 p.m.	Welcome Networking Reception (For all registered attendees)	Gazebo Patio (This event will be held outdoors, weather permitting, or indoors in the East Foyer.)

Evening	OPEN

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast (For all resgistered attendees.)	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Registration Desk Open	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.	Suppliers Showcase	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.	Exhibitor Workshops (For all registered attendees.) For detailed descriptions, click here ... Empowering Systems: Tired of Not Getting Paid on All Your Design Wins? Canterbury Eyond: Automate Sales Reporting between Manufacturers and Reps Westmont MRERF: MRERF's Must-Have Resources for Reps and Manufacturers Prince of Wales JJM Search: Executive Search 101: The Art of Recruiting Butler


8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.	General Session (For all registered attendees.) Closing the Generation Gap: Leading Today's Multi-Generation Work Force Speaker: Nancy Barry, best-selling author of When Reality Hits	Courts Ballroom
	Who are these people and why can't they all get along? For the first time in history, there are four generations in the workplace. During this lively program, Nancy Barry provides insight into each generation – who they are, what they want and what makes them different from other generations. She shares simple solutions on how to get all the generations to work well together and create an environment filled with open communication, mutual respect and collaboration. A round table workshop discussion for all attendees is included.

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Breakout Seminars For detailed descriptions, click here ... The View from the Other Side: How Today's and Next Gen Reps and Manufacturers See Each Other (for All) Courts Ballroom Creating a Tribal Sales Culture to Help Manage Change (for All) Canterbury War Stories from the Rep (Legal) Front (for Reps; Manufacturers welcome) Butler Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Now That You Know the Basics, You Can Shift into High Gear (for Manufacturers) Prince of Wales

11:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.	Break

11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.	General Session and Lunch (For all registered attendees.) Economic Outlook 2011 and 2012: How the Fed Sees It Speaker: William Strauss, senior economist of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank	Courts Ballroom
	The "Great Recession" of 2008 and 2009 ended in the middle of 2009 with significant impacts on the economy. The economy experienced outsized losses in housing, manufacturing and jobs. Yet, what should be a robust recovery is not occurring, nor expected. Consumers are saving at an increased pace, limiting the growth of consumer spending. Credit conditions, while significantly improved from what existed during the recession, remain relatively tight and will act as a headwind to growth. Bill Strauss looks at the performance of the overall macro economy with specific attention paid to key economic sectors and indicators.

12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.	Break

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.	Breakout Seminars For detailed descriptions, click here ... Creating a Tribal Sales Culture to Help Manage Change (for All) Courts Ballroom Cloud Computing for (Pardon the Expression) Dummies (for All) Canterbury Business Transitions: What Every Owner Needs to Know (for Reps) Westmont Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Now That You Know the Basics, You Can Shift into High Gear (for Reps) Prince of Wales Supply Chain Logistics: How Can Manufacturers Cut or Control Costs? (for Manufacturers) Butler

2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.	Breakout Seminars For detailed descriptions, click here ... Working with Distribution: Maximizing the Channel (for All) Courts Ballroom Cloud Computing for (Pardon the Expression) Dummies (for All) Canterbury Business Transitions: What Every Owner Needs to Know (for All) Westmont Using Social Media to Boost Your Business: Now That You Know the Basics, You Can Shift into High Gear (for Reps) Prince of Wales Commission Recovery Under the Procuring Cause Doctrine (for Reps) Butler

3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.	General Session for All Attendees: Tracking (and Keeping) Business When It Moves Off Shore: Who Does It Best and How Moderator: Mark Conley of O'Donnell Associates North, president of ERA; Panelists include: John Janis of Cooper Bussmann; Steve Mathis of SynQor, Inc. and Al Wright of Laird Technologies
	"Chasing" business when it goes off shore remains a huge headache for many companies, reps and manufacturers alike. In this session, executives of three manufacturers – all credited by reps with doing a good job of both tracking and keeping their off shore business – describe how they do it. The questions to be addressed cover: scenarios in which design, protyping, NPI and production occur in multiple locations; different profit centers and how they impact design registration; communications and information flow between design and ship-to territories; and the types of CRM systems manufacturers are using. A round table workshop discussion for all attendees is included.

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.	"Next Gen" Conference Party (Optional Event) (This is an optional event for which there is an additional charge. Those who have not signed up in advance for the theme party can do so at the Conference Registration Desk.)	Marquis

THURSDAY, OCT. 6	top

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast (For all resgistered attendees.)	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - noon	Registration Desk Open	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - noon	Suppliers Showcase	Courts Ballroom Foyer

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.	Exhibitor Workshop (For all registered attendees.) For detailed descriptions, click here ... RPMS: DIY Data Import with the RPMS I-MAP System Butler

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.	ERA Chapter Leadership Council (CLC) Meeting (For all ERA chapter officers and managers)	Canterbury

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.	General Session (For all registered attendees.) What IS a Sales Territory Today? How Can Reps and Principals Build Win-Win Agreements When Traditional Territories Are Disappearing? Moderator: Chet Zaslow, CPMR, Zaslow Sales Panelists: Gerry Gallagher of GM Nameplate; John O'Brien, CPMR, of Coakley, Boyd and Abbett; Gary Smith, CPMR, of G. L. Smith Associates; Tom Wichert of TDK Lambda	Courts Ballroom
	Are "traditional" sales territories becoming obsolete? And if so, what widely varying arrangements are being forged between reps and manufacturers to ensure their mutual success? In this program, reps and manufacturers profile a number of variations now in use, outline the pros and cons of each and share their experiences. A round table workshop discussion for all attendees is included.

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.	Coffee Break	Courts Ballroom Foyer

9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.	General Session (For all registered attendees.) New Ways of Thinking about the Next Generation of People, Technology, Trends and Tactics Speaker: Gordon Hunter, Chairman and CEO of Littelfuse, Inc.
	One of the industry's most sought-after speakers and respected CEOs wraps up the conference program with an insightful and optimistic look into the future of the global electronics enterprise and your business. Some of his projections may be surprising, and all of his observations are sure to be thought-provoking.

11:15 a.m. - Noon	Closing General Session (For all registered attendees.) What Are YOUR Action Items? Moderator: Kathie Cahill, CPMR, of Net Sales Co., Chair, ERA 2011 Conference Committee
	Don't leave the conference without your action items! Use this brief time to organize your all-important to-do list for when you get back to the office.

Noon	Conference Concludes Thank you for attending ... and travel safely!

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