Last month, Dave Vander Bloomen (BPM Vice President of Strategic Partnerships) and Aaron Baer (BPM President) attended a national sales meeting for Baer Performance Marketing’s partner, Adventures in Advertising (AIA). We partner with AIA to strategically give our company an advantage over the competition with promotional and branded product solutions and branded apparel. This includes access to a large team of highly-experienced support staff and buying power with suppliers, allowing us to offer a wider variety of branded product and apparel solutions.
Below are some of the takeaways from the experience:
Don’t underestimate the power of networking within your industry.
Being able to connect with a network of other business owners within the promotional product and apparel industry was invaluable. While we are “competitors” by the definition of the word, we’re also partners. We were able to talk through common struggles and victories as well as trends within our industry, which will allow us to better our clients’ buying experience. Through working together with other business owners and managers, we were able to brainstorm concepts to increase our value to our clients. Together is always stronger than alone.
Continuing education is critical for your business to evolve.
Industry leaders answered questions about hot topics from the group and gave tips for everyone to take home with them to apply to their business, which gave everyone actionable items to enhance their business. It was extremely beneficial to hear conversations and solutions regarding the issues that occasionally occur within our industry.
Lean on your suppliers when possible and be a true partner.
Some of the best conversations had throughout the week were with our MVP supplier reps. We were able to enhance current relationships and create new ones. When we coordinate a project for our clients, there is a start and a finish, but the process can include bumps in the road, such as inventory and shipping deadlines. Transparent partnerships between a business and their suppliers team have a direct impact on the end result desired by everyone involved.
Try to talk “shop” while having fun for deeper connections!
Our event was in Nashville, and it’s not very hard to have a good time in that city. While we worked all day in meetings and listened to speakers, in the evenings, there were plenty of opportunities to get to know our AIA community on a different level. We got to know Sal, the owner of ABC Promotional Products in Baltimore, as well as Sal, the family man and Red Sox fan who loves to go fishing for tuna in Massachusetts. These deeper connections are truly special, and we urge you to dig deeper next time you’re in a networking environment.
Attending these industry events that include networking, education, and new product introductions is very important to keeping BPM at the head of the class when it comes to comprehensive marketing solutions. Rest assured, the BPM team will always strive to bring new ideas and perspectives to all our partners.
Need help sharpening your tactical tools for trade shows? The team at Baer Performance Marketing is here to help. With a focus on boosting brand awareness and attracting leads, our designers, marketing experts, and product solutions team stand at the ready to help you maximize the ROI of your next event. Reach out to set up a consultation today!
