With a record crowd attending the 2007 Direct Selling
Association Annual Meeting, Supplier Members found a receptive audience for
their product and service offerings.
The Grand Opening Reception kicking off the meeting was held
in the exhibit hall at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, giving attendees
an early glimpse of the breadth of the kinds of companies exhibiting. Like the
overall attendance figures, the 128 companies displaying their wares set a
record for the number of exhibitors participating in the conference.
The DSA Supplier Members who exhibited represent a vast array
of products and services that support the growth of companies and the industry.
From software providers to event planners to contract manufacturers of
nutritional supplements and personal-care products, direct selling executives
and decision-makers were offered valuable information and insight for improving
their companies. Convention and Visitors Bureaus from several cities showcased
their cities as destinations for company conventions or incentive trips. Direct
selling is an industry built on relationships and networking, and there is a
bond between DSA companies and Supplier Members. “The DSA Annual Meeting was
fantastic,” says Jo Ellen Collins, VP of Marketing of iMakeNews Inc. (IMN) “It’s
refreshing to exhibit at a venue where the attendees are so interested in what
supplier companies have to offer. We had an excellent opportunity to connect
with customers and network with new prospects. We consider it a must-attend
event, and plan to exhibit and sponsor again next year.” Based in Waltham,
Mass., IMN provides e-communications tools to help companies retain customers,
strengthen brands and increase sales.
The trade show is an opportunity for companies and suppliers
to build those relationships and learn from each other to enhance the industry
overall. “Measuring the behavior, the success and the health of the independent
salesforce will become the most relevant key performance indicator,” says J.P.
O’Brien, CEO of SageFire Inc., a Boulder, Colo.-based provider of small-business
accounting and contact-management services. “For SageFire, the annual DSA event
helps us demonstrate our solutions to interested prospects in a relaxed,
face-to-face environment. After all, business today is still about building
trust, and putting a name to a face is the first step.” Randa Stanley, of
promotional-products company Geiger, adds, “As a vendor, we want to help our
clients make wise business decisions. We do this by educating ourselves about
the issues and topics that relate to them. The enthusiasm of this group is
contagious. This event has provided many new opportunities for us.”
With most U.S. direct sellers also doing business north of the
border, a few Canadian-based supplier members came to establish and strengthen
relationships with industry executives. For Vic Janzen, Director of Corporate
Sales for Direct Distribution Centres, this year’s trade show was a great
experience for a first-time attendee. “We were impressed by the professionalism
of the event” Janzen says. “As a Canadian-based order fulfillment provider to
DSA companies, we were extremely excited with the positive response we received
at the trade show. We look forward to the opportunity of attending the 2008
conference in Phoenix.” Direct Distribution Centres has operations in all major
Canadian centers, including Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg.
It’s the strong business opportunities that bring Boca Raton,
Fla.-based Niche Applications to the annual meeting year after year. “We have
experienced significant year-over-year growth and have now worked with some of
the largest member companies since joining,” says Mike Bennett, Niche
Applications’ EVP of Sales. “It continues to be a great forum to reach out to
potential clients, and every year the DSA seems to outdo itself in the quality
of this venue.”
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