Proforma’s “The Steps” 2018 Convention and Family Reunion concluded with another stellar year of attendance, attracting more than 800 industry professionals to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This four-day event was a gathering of top print, promotional and marketing professionals, who were challenged to “Step Up” to the next level of success by learning new sales strategies, engaging customers through social media platforms, and streamlining processes through new technology.
Greg Muzzillo, founder of Proforma, opened the event with an energizing general session, motivating attendees of the four-day networking and learning experience.
“There is no better event than our Convention and Family Reunion bringing top print and promotional industry professionals from all over the world under one roof to network, and continue learning and evolving not only within our own industry, but within the business world as it operates on a more global level,” said Muzzillo. “It’s an event where our amazing owners, supplier partners and support team members come together to exchange ideas, share new products and learn new strategies in helping each other achieve their goals and attain more success.”
Session highlights included hearing from the most influential Proforma owners, such as Fred Albrecht, 25-Million-Dollar Club member and co-owner of Proforma Albrecht & Co. in Milford, Ohio, who gave strategic insight into implementing the 12-week year theory during the general session; Bill Hageman, 10-Million-Dollar Club member and co-owner of Proforma Graphic Services in Columbus, Ohio, who spoke about embracing e-commerce opportunities not just for owners, but for sales representatives as well; and many other featured owners who shared their expertise.
“We would never have a lot of the ideas, energy, opportunities, and relationships that allow us to continue to grow without attending convention,” said Allison Washburn, co-owner of Full Throttle Marketing Powered by Proforma, Bonita Springs, Fla. “We leave re-energized and refocused ready to attack our business plan. Best of all, we know exactly who is going to help us get there. From the Support Center team to other owners, we leave with the resources and steps to make it happen.”
New to this year’s Convention and Family Reunion were sessions on the “12 Week Year” strategy, a book written by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, helping industry professionals have a mindset of shorter 12-week goals, rather than standard annual goals, with a sense of urgency and immediacy to get better results; the 80/20 Rule, in which attendees learned how to have the most impact with the most impactful clients; and various strategy sessions for sales representatives to upsell and cross-sell products.
Convention attendees were also introduced for the first time to the Proforma Learning Center, interactive training videos designed for owners and sales representatives to gain mastery in business development, product knowledge and building a lifestyle business.
A popular stop for many attendees was the Show & Grow exhibit during the Supplier Partner Showcase, where they could learn how owners and sales representatives have partnered with suppliers to grow sales through direct client interaction. The Supplier Partner Showcase featured new products from more than 300 dedicated supplier partners eager to share product knowledge to help boost sales for a more productive year.
A big draw for attendees was also the annual awards ceremony, where owners were recognized by their peers for their business growth and achievements. During the ceremony, 32 owners were recognized for qualifying for the 2018 Inc. 5000, while 12 businesses and their 26 owners were honored for making the list as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.”
Additionally, Proforma recognized nine “Rising Star” Award winners: Phil Yale, owner of Proforma Legacy in Westlake, Ohio, as the Hall of Fame Award winner; 15 Top Supplier Partner award winners; and 19 Proforma owners as the “Best of the Best” for making Top Billers status, with Fred and Suzette Albrecht, co-owners of Proforma Albrecht & Co., earning the “Top Biller” title with nearly $30 million in 2017 sales.
The Convention wrapped up with a closing luncheon with John Davis, a stunt coordinator and comedian, who had everyone motivated to take action towards success and great takeaways relevant to this year’s “The Steps” theme.
For more information about Proforma, please visit www.onlyproforma.com.
