Last week, while yet another winter storm pounded the northeast, Promo Marketing kicked off our seventh year of Power Meetings with a four-day extravaganza in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The event, held at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, was the first of four Power Meetings set for 2018. And boy did it deliver.
Here’s what you missed if you weren’t lucky enough to attend:
Networking
Not familiar with Power Meetings? No worries—click here to get up to speed. Or, take a look at what we wrote previously:
These aren’t your typical mega trade shows, where face time with suppliers is almost impossible. No, these are personal, individual meetings where suppliers already have information about you, your company and your challenges, so they can speak intelligently with you about innovative ideas to help you solve problems and increase your sales.
Basically, Power Meetings are a series one-on-one, 20-minute meetings that build relationships between suppliers and distributors, with a host of networking events mixed in. And Power Meeting Ft. Lauderdale had plenty of both. But let’s stick with the networking for a minute.
Not a bad view for breakfast, eh? #pmpowermeetings Ft. Lauderdale is off to a good start 👌 pic.twitter.com/OfJvZ6Suf2
— Print & Promo Marketing (@printpromo_mktg) March 20, 2018
Catered breakfasts? Lunch overlooking the water? Off-site dinner at a swanky tequila bar? These were just a handful of the networking opportunities at the event. And for Debbie Nierman, president and chief creative officer for HGX Creative, Boston, they helped build relationships that could profoundly boost her business.
“It was great! You guys did a fabulous job and your hard work didn’t go unnoticed,” Nierman said. “Things ran very smoothly, and that never just happens on its own. Thanks again for inviting me. I can’t wait to get back to work with all my newfound knowledge and relationships.”
Collaboration
This is where Power Meetings really shine, and Ft. Lauderdale was no exception. In addition to the many networking opportunities, the event featured five one-on-one meeting sessions spread out over three days. Clocking in at around four hours per session and rotating every 20 minutes, these meetings gave suppliers and distributors plenty of time to collaborate on projects (or get to know each other for future projects) with the common goal of boosting each other’s business.
And, so far, those meetings appear to have paid off for attendees.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjtFRGHiVz/?taken-by=promo_marketing
“Thanks again for the great opportunity to be a part of the power meeting,” said Tamara Wilson, president and owner of Promotions Plus, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. “I’m looking forward to sharing all my new knowledge with my customers so I can be invited back again soon!”
Olivia Scott, owner and president of Promotional Partners, Apex, N.C, also weighed in. “It was such a blast—I can’t stop talking about it and I’m so excited about new opportunities to grow my business,” she said. “It was such a professional and well organized event!”
Dinner Cruise
We’re just going to let the pictures do the heavy lifting here (click the arrows to scroll through):
Yep, we capped off the first full day of Power Meeting Ft. Lauderdale with a dinner cruise for all attendees. And if the pictures don’t do it justice, maybe this comment from Brannon Craig, vice president of supplier Southern Plus, Hartwell, Ga., will.
“How can you beat an opportunity to board a yacht with a collection of distributor prospects and spend a few hours cruising the Intracoastal Waterway?” said Craig. “They are a captive audience, and what a delightful way to build relationships with these companies in such a fun and relaxed setting. The food, fellowship and fun helped me create some lasting relationships with new accounts. Bravo!”
Want to join us for a future Power Meeting? Here’s the list of upcoming meetings still available to attend:
• May 21-24, 2018 – Deerfield Beach, Fla.
• Aug. 27-30, 2018 – Palm Springs, Calif.
• Oct. 8-11, 2018 – Scottsdale, Ariz.
We’ll see you there!
If you’re interested in attending, contact Mike Cooper or Renee Brueggeman via email at [email protected] or call Mike Cooper at 215-238-5434. For event information and testimonials, visit www.pmpowermeetings.com.
