BTA Mid-America's Gateway to Success, open to BTA members and
non-members, will feature a keynote address and four education sessions,
each sharing industry-specific insight, strategies and practical advice
that will help attendees boost their bottom lines. The conference will
also include networking events and a trip to Busch Stadium to watch the
Florida Marlins take on the St. Louis Cardinals from a private suite.
Schedule of Events:
Tuesday, May 3: At
4 p.m., Ed McLaughlin, president of Sharp Imaging and Information
Company of America, will kick off the event with a keynote address. A
cocktail reception will follow, giving attendees a chance to network
with peers and visit with exhibiting sponsors.
Wednesday, May 4: Four education sessions will be
held from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. In between sessions, there will be
breaks for lunch and time to visit with exhibiting sponsors. At the end
of the sessions, there will be a drawing for a number of great prizes
from the exhibiting sponsors.
At 6 p.m., attendees will walk to Busch Stadium to watch
the Florida Marlins take on the St. Louis Cardinals from a private
suite. Food and drinks will be served. (A limited number of game tickets are available on a first-come, first served basis.)
Marlins vs. Cardinals game sponsor:
To register for this district event, click here.*
*Note: Registration is only open to office technology dealership personnel.
Keynote Speaker:
"On the Horizon: Possible Changes in the Office Technology Industry"
Ed McLaughlin, president, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America
Drawing upon his many years of experience in the office
technology industry and his role in guiding a leading MFP manufacturer
as president of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America,
McLaughlin sees several important industry changes on the horizon that
could lead to new opportunities for dealers. In the keynote session, he
will share his expectations for the future, providing a look at what he
sees as the ideal strategies for independent dealers seeking to take
their companies to new heights.
 McLaughlin is responsible for the sales and marketing
of Sharp's broad-based line of business products, including
multifunctional products, professional displays and software solutions.
An industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience, he joined
Sharp in July of 2002 and has overseen the group's consistent growth and
increasing industry recognition. In 2007 and 2010, McLaughlin was
honored with The Cannata Report's "Executive of the Year" award.
Prior to Sharp, he held sales and management positions with several
Fortune 500 companies, including 3M Co., SCM, Saxon Industries, Canon
USA and Savin Corp.
Education Sessions:
"Twenty Traits of the Successful Dealership"
Bob Goldberg, general counsel, Business Technology Association
Working with dealers for more than 30 years, Bob Goldberg
has observed the traits for industry success. This session presents the
20 best traits of a successful dealership and explains why they make a
difference. From winning proposals to energized employees to a data
security update that includes policies, legislation and opportunities,
this session guarantees you will return to your dealership with new
insights for success.
 Goldberg has served as general counsel for the
Business Technology Association since 1977. He is also of counsel to the
Chicago law firm Schoenberg, Finkel, Newman & Rosenberg. Goldberg
writes the monthly "Courts & Capitols" column appearing in BTA's Office Technology magazine.
"Prospecting Stats: What 'Good' Looks Like"
Kate Kingston, founder and president, Kingston Training Group
Kingston will provide historical data of prospecting trends
over the last five years, focusing on what "good" looks like. To help
you determine how your dealership measures up, she will address such
questions as: What changes have occurred? What are the averages that
many dealerships are experiencing in prospecting across the country?
What can you do right now to improve your team's averages and bring in
more business every month? Kingston will bring energy, humor and real
"meat" to her presentation to help your dealership identify ways to
make more meetings and make more money.
 Kingston, founder and president of Kingston Training
Group (KTG), is a motivational sales trainer specializing in making more
qualified meetings. With more than 17 years of success in making
appointments with decision makers, Kingston is a recognized authority on
lead generation, cold calling and new business development. She
is a sales-driven, energized communicator who uses humor, audience
participation, proven techniques, handouts and real-time phone calls in
her training sessions.
"Building & Maximizing the Impact of Your Solutions Team"
Mitch Morgan, Growth Achievement Partners
Your solutions team can have a big impact on your
revenue and growth strategies; this session will show you how to
capitalize on that impact. Attendees will learn key elements, including
building and developing the team, engaging a customer in a "solutions
sale" and capitalizing on your solutions catalog for off-cycle
opportunities.
 Morgan founded the Connectivity Dealer Program from
NIA in 1991. After his business was acquired by IKON Office Solutions in
1996, he led its Technology Services division. In 2001, he formed the
Professional Services division for IKON. Morgan has been consulting with
CEOs on strategy, operations, organizational development and sales
since 2005.
"Service Productivity, Efficiency & Effectiveness"
Mike Woodard, consultant, Strategy Development
Your field technicians may be productive — that is, they
utilize more than 85 percent of their time on service calls. But how
effective and efficient is their work? Is your current technician
staffing level driven by your own level of inefficiency? What are you
spending on "re-work"? This session will focus on the industry
definitions of these critical service measures, the differences between
them, their interdependence and why they are such critical performance
measures. Managing the quality of work produced is a key driver for
delivering 52 percent-plus service GP.
 Woodard has 30-plus years experience in all aspects of
field service operations and service strategy development. He served 20
years at IKON Office Solutions in key regional and national service
operations positions. Prior to joining IKON, Woodard spent 18 years with
Xerox Corp. in multiple field service assignments. He is now a
consultant with Strategy Development, a management consulting and
advanced sales training firm.
Pricing:
Registration includes keynote session, cocktail reception, general
education sessions and Wednesday continental breakfast and lunch.
Registration with game ticket: $199
Additional attendee, same dealership: $199
Registration without game ticket: $169
Additional attendee, same dealership: $149
To register for the BTA Mid-America event, click here.*
*Note: Registration is only open to office technology dealership personnel.
Hotel Information:
 Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis
999 N. 2nd St.
St. Louis, MO 63102
Phone: (314) 881-5800
Room rate: $175/night
Website: click here
The Four
Seasons Hotel is adjacent to the 24-hour, award-winning,
75,000-square-foot Lumière Place Casino, which features approximately
2,000 slots, 55 tables and a dedicated 13-table poker room.
Front Runner: May 2-3, 2011
 Are
you seeking a solution sales process that will allow you to take your
dealership to new heights? This workshop, taught by Mitch Morgan and
Chris Ryne from Growth Achievement Partners, is intended for sales reps, sales managers, specialists and dealership principals.
For more information or to register, click here.
|  | BTA Mid-America
2011 Sponsors:
Click a logo to visit the sponsor's website.
| Cardinals Game Sponsor:
 | Cocktail Reception Sponsor:
 | Breakfast Sponsor:
| Lunch Sponsor:
| Breaks Sponsor:
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