The Select Dealer Group (SDG), a prominent collaborative of office technology dealers, recently held their Owners Meeting in Asbury Park, NJ. Housed in the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, this gathering saw approximately 70 dealers from around the nation partaking in the event, which was generously sponsored by industry leaders Sharp Electronics, GreatAmerica Financial and Hytec Dealer Services.
A lineup of esteemed speakers took the stage, including Sharp Electronics President and CEO Mike Marusic, Jim Coriddi, the Vice President of Ricoh’s dealer division, and Chris Polek of Polek and Polek.
The keynote speech delivered by John O’Leary, whose tale of fortitude and faith was inspirational, stood out. Introduced and sponsored by Polek, his speech left the attendees profoundly moved and there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd when he was done.
Earlier, Hytec sponsors Emily Rodriguez and Doug Sphar spoke to the group about their certified data destruction services, power protection and more.
Hannah O’Donnell and Mitch Leary from GreatAmerica also took a few minutes to discuss their Collabrance IT program and PathShare HR services.
Also sharing insights was Andy Slawetsky of Industry Analysts, Inc., who succinctly provided an overview of the ongoing shifts and trends in the industry, presenting a comprehensive picture of What’s Happenin’. In addition to these presentations, the meeting was studded with interactive sessions and collaborative discussions. Noteworthy among them was a financial review delivered by Todd Johnson and Paul Mosley and an engaging panel discussion by dealers sharing their experiences in the production print market.
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In a uniquely structured vendor rundown session, the dealers discussed their primary vendors and later presented a group analysis of the A3 brands, fostering a shared understanding and collaborative growth among the attendees. This was very enlightening, with some brands clearly working much more hand-in-hand with their resellers than others.
The meeting wasn’t all work and no play. The evenings were filled with camaraderie and entertainment. On the first night, attendees reveled in an arcade teeming with vintage pinball machines and boardwalk games. The next night brought everyone to a bowling alley for a Springsteen tribute band and the symbolic transition of SDG’s leadership. Outgoing president, Carter Hertzberg of Nauticon, graciously handed over the reins to the incoming president, David Scibetta of Copier Fax Business Technologies based in Buffalo and Western NY.
The meeting concluded on a bittersweet note, with a bar crawl honoring the retirement of Jerry Jehn from Waltz Business Systems. The gathering became an opportunity to celebrate Jehn’s contributions as he attended his final meeting as an SDG member.
The SDG Owners Meeting offered a harmonious blend of knowledge exchange, collaboration, and entertainment, emphasizing the inherent value and competitive edge offered by SDG membership in today’s ever-evolving office technology landscape.
SOURCE Industry Analysts Inc.
