Tag: MHEDA

Plan Ahead for the MHEDA 2015 Conference

The premier networking and educational event of the year is already around the corner: the MHEDA Annual Convention & Exhibitors’ Showcase for 2015. The material handling conference is scheduled two weeks earlier than usual, so don’t be caught off guard!

The MHEDA’s 60th annual conference will be April 18 to 22, 2015 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. Material handling events and entertainment include:

  • Talks, Q&As, and discussions on countless industry topics
  • A keynote speech on improving your company’s culture
  • Resort accommodations with great food, golf & entertainment
  • Rare and valuable networking opportunities with leaders of your field

MHEDA scheduled the conference for April 18–22, 2015. That’s two weeks earlier than usual, so don’t miss this event.

Start at the MHEDA site and click through to book your hotel now to guarantee a room. The JW Marriott is close to the airport and features the TPC San Antonio golf course on site (not to mention the Riverwalk and authentic, gourmet Tex-Mex fare nearby).

Workshop topics include:

  • Management tips from a former CIA leader
  • Talks on workforce planning, customer engagement, social media
  • Getting the most out of CRM
  • Technology roundups and presentations

The 2015 conference appears to have plenty in store for newcomers and return participants. They even have a spouse event planned, so you can bring your loved ones along to enjoy San Antonio with you.

From rubbing elbows to getting educated on the latest technologies, the MHEDA conference is an event worth attending every year.

We’re always looking for ways to help you discover better productivity and efficiency in the material handling industry. If you want to jumpstart your warehouse efficiency now, talk to us about cart movers and other ergonomic solutions!

MHEDA Debuts Material Handling Wiki Web Resource

MHEDA, the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association, has just launched wikiMHEDA, an excellent online resource for those of us who work in material handling, our customers and people who want to learn more about the material handling industry. Think of it as Wikipedia for the material handling industry. Just like the famous online encyclopedia, wikiMHEDA is an interactive Web resource written and edited by its readers, in this case people active in the material handling industry. However, unlike Wikipedia’s broad “every subject under the sun” scope, wikiMHEDA focuses solely on the subject of material handling.

According to website information, MHEDA intends its new wiki site to:

  • serve as an educational resource for and about the industry
  • provide an encyclopedia of material handling industry terms
  • provide a news outlet for industry events, activities and developments
  • be a resource for material handling product specification sheets
  • serve as a library and distribution center for industry white papers
  • provide a video library of material handling equipment and accessories
  • provide a directory of firms that manufacture and distribute material handling equipment and accessories

We found searching for information about the material handling industry and its players easy on the new site, but — and we’re sure this is because it has just launched — information is sketchy in some areas and distributor lists are far less than comprehensive. For example, a search for “ergonomics” brought up an abbreviated definition with a cursory overview of OSHA activity, all generally related to the manufacturing industry. Because it is a wiki site, the new site does allow users to add content, and the process is fairly simple. Creation of an account and website registration are required before editing. 

MHEDA Convention Focuses on Positioning Your Business for Success

Powerful Positioning is the theme of this year’s MHEDA Annual Convention and Exhibitors’ Showcase. Scheduled for May 2 to 6 at the J.W. Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California, the annual gathering of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association offers a chance to learn, network and find out what’s new in the industry. This year’s MHEDA convention will offer 16 exciting presentations from industry leaders geared to help you position your material handling business to weather the current economic storm and emerge stronger, better and more successful than before.

Here are snapshots of some of the presentations we’re looking forward to:

  • Economic Trends and the Impact on Your Business by Alan Beaulieu. His twin Brian Beaulieu was a hit at MHEDA’s 2008 convention. Trend researcher and economist Alan will update the Beaulieus’ economic forecast for the industry and provide specific, practical management objectives you can incorporate in your current and future business plans.
  • The Customer Empathy Solution by Ross Shafer. To earn your customer’s loyalty, it’s no longer enough to merely serve his needs. Today, quality customer service must succor the customer’s emotional state through every phase of a transaction. Author, motivational speaker and a regular on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Shafer will explain how to develop customer empathy and turn it into long-term customer loyalty. His talk is sure to feature hilarious excerpts from his latest book, “The Customer Shouts Back — 10 Things You Must Know If You Want Their Lifetime Loyalty.”
  • Inside the White House and Hollywood … Getting to the Top with Character by Steve Ford. Son of President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford, actor Steve Ford will share his personal insights on leadership, adversity and making life choices. Given his unique personal experiences on stage and behind the scenes at the White House, Ford’s views on the importance of family and developing a personal moral code should be interesting.
  • Relationship Economics — How to Build and Nurture Business Relationships by David Nour. Although it may sound like “sales reps are from Mars and customers are from Venus,” building strong relationships with customers builds business. A social networking strategist, Nour will focus on the art and science of relationships and how to incorporate these methodologies into the pursuit of customers.

Of course, in addition to the featured talks, MHEDA conventions always offer a good selection of down-to-earth, useful educational workshops. This year is no exception with sessions tackling profitability, credit and collections, negotiations, pricing optimization, website optimization, and salesmanship. If you haven’t signed up for this year’s MHEDA convention, click here to register.

Why Attend Trade Shows and Conferences?

Why should you attend trade shows and industry conferences? When the economy is tight and sales are down, how do you justify the expense of attending a trade show or conference, particularly when gas, airline and hotel expenses are climbing? My dad would tell you what every smart businessman knows: keeping up with industry developments and trends isn’t a perk, it’s a necessity.

I can remember when my dad attended MHEDA trade shows in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. For a man who worked 15-hour days 6 1/2 days a week, the annual trade show was his idea of a vacation. He always took Mom along to share the fun. She’d pall around with the other wives on day tours then meet Dad for dinner with other business friends. Dad spent his days boning up on new developments and new products, jawing with suppliers and  distributors, and picking the brains of other business owners — the 1960s version of networking. He always tried to work in an educational conference or two each year, and became a MHEDA presenter later in his career.

Dad placed a high value on education and keeping abreast of current developments and future trends. He preached planning for the future as the best way to grow your business. He believed in the power of networking, both as a resource for solving business problems and as a tool for growing your business. Industry trade shows and conferences give you the opportunity to stay current in your business, learn about future trends and network with industry peers. There couldn’t be better reasons to attend.

MHEDA is offering two fall events geared to revitalize your material handling career and make your business more productive:

The Young Distribution Professionals Conference August 3-6 at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, Illinois targets material handling professionals with less than 10 years in the distribution industry. The conference is designed to help rising managers increase their knowledge of distribution and expand their distribution career skills. There will be ample networking opportunities to interact with peers in the distribution and other material handling industries. A host of engaging speakers will focus on the development of leadership and management skills.

Parts & Service Management Conference September 11-12 at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois targets parts and service managers, branch managers and operations managers. The conference will focus on daily issues that arise in material handling parts and service departments. Sessions will teach attendees how to identify key performance indicators in their departments with an emphasis on profitability and customer service.

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Material Handling Shows

It’s spring and time for our industry’s annual material handling shows. Circle the date on your calendar and start making travel plans. Here’s the low-down on what’s planned:

MHIA  —  April 21-24  —  Cleveland, OH

The  Material Handling Industry of America will host its North American exposition, NA 08: Solutions that Make the Supply Chain Work, at the I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Participants will have the opportunity to inspect and operate the latest manufacturing, distribution, material handling and IT solutions designed to increase supply chain productivity and profitability. Exhibits of products and services will be organized into four Solution Centers: manufacturing and assembly, fulfillment and delivery, information technology and knowledge which will showcase educational, benchmarking and research resources.

  • Sustainable, green solutions will receive special emphasis at the show. Andrew Winston, a nationally recognized expert on green business, will present the keynote address on Tuesday morning, April 22. The corporate environmental strategist will speak on Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value and Build High Performance Supply Chains.
  • More than 70 education sessions will be offered addressing best practices, new equipment developments and leading trends.

MHEDA  —  May 3-7  —  Orlando, Florida

Accelerate in ’08 is the theme of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association 53rd annual convention and exhibitors’ showcase. The convention will be held at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando in the theme park capital of the world, Orlando, Florida. At the show the emphasis is on education and networking, with ample opportunities to explore new technology and trends, improve business knowledge and skills and network and socialize with material handling peers. Fun activities for spouses and kids are planned for those who want to make this a family affair.

  • An exciting variety of educational presentations, round tables and workshops are planned on innovation, business growth, leadership, sales, marketing, customer service, financial and people management. Among several dynamic speakers will be Brian Beaulieu, an economist with the Institute for Trend Research, speaking on Planning for Change and Steven Little, Senior Consultant with Inc. Magazine, who will speak on Growing Your Business in the 21st Century.
  • At the May 5 Exhibitors Showcase you can check out the latest trends and developments in material handling. Hundreds of manufacturers and consultants from around the world will be on hand to showcase and demonstrate their products and services.
  • A golf tournament and biking tour are among numerous optional tours available for the fun-seeking. Ticket discounts to area theme parks are also available.

MHEDA’s Trends for 2014 – Are You Ready?

The Material Handling Equipment Distributing Association has released its 2014 Critical Impact Factors.

Among MHEDA’s 13 factors are a few that tie into the way you satisfy customers and employees alike:

Critical Impact Factor: To build loyalty and trust, distributors must provide the customer with value-added services.

What you can do now: Talk to the best customers – both yours and those of your competitors. A casual lunch or a golf game can foster open dialog about what they find important. Learn what kind of services are important to them, whether it’s pre-sale consultation  or after-sale training on their motorized carts and powered movers.

Critical Impact Factor: Members need to develop a strategy to utilize, implement and measure the benefits of web technologies, mobile apps, online marketing and social media as business development tools.

What you can do now: Take your marketing online. Today’s inbound marketing harnesses the power of the Internet to help the best prospects find you. Content creation is the key. When you create and publish original, high-value blogs, videos, eBooks and other content, you build credibility and guide casual web visitors into qualified leads.

Critical Impact Factor: Retention of top performers is critical and steps must be in place to motivate and develop existing employees.

What you can do now: Work with your employees to develop career tracks and growth plans that take advantage of each person’s unique strengths. If you haven’t already got one, implement a recognition program. “Acknowledgment is essential,” notes Business Insider, “and even the briefest notice and attention makes a huge difference. It’s about remembering workers are humans, not machines.”

As always DJ Products is at the forefront of providing solutions for all your industrial equipment needs. As you plan ahead to grow your business for 2014 we invite you to check with the staff at DJ Products to see how our customized equipment moving solutions can improve productivity and lower staff injuries.