More than 230 attendees gathered in Dallas this past weekend at the 14th annual NSCA Business & Leadership Conference to discuss management strategies, social media tactics, accounting processes, and real issues affecting the industry such as the changing distribution models and the incorporation of new technologies and applications. The hub of these conversations focused on providing systems integrators with information to build better businesses.
Setting a new attendance record of systems integrators, the conference hosted companies who brought not only key decision-makers, but also service, HR, and accounting managers to the most successful conference yet.
“What struck us was that most of the attendees were small business owners like ourselves,” says Buffy MacLelland of Applied Video Technology. “We feel that exposing our children and future managers to the BLC and all that comes with it gives them a foundation they can’t get from a vendor training or trade show. The BLC is a one of a kind event.”
Highlights of the conference included a session on connecting with customers through social media presented by Scott Klososky, a tour of Cowboys Stadium, and keynote speaker Cameron Herold, who addressed the management styles and strategies that can be used to motivate your employees.
The NSCA Education Foundation kicked off the event with a successful golf tournament sponsored by AMX, and hole sponsors Chief, and Cisco.
The event, focused on more than just education, includes the best networking offered in any industry event. Many attendees discussed the business opportunities that have come about because of the partnerships developed at this conference.
Partnerships established at the Business & Leadership Conference between Altel Systems and SVT created more than $25 million in business. WAVE and RPAV created a winning strategy that helped RPAV win an NSCA Excellence in Business Award.
”My participation in this event helped me create strategic partnerships due to my business location in New York City,” says Todd Margolis, Daymar Communications president. “It has proven to be very beneficial to my company, and getting jobs I would not otherwise be able to secure. This event goes above and beyond my expectations.”
NSCA thanks the record number of sponsors at this year’s event, including Atlas Sound/IED (host sponsor); Systems Contractor News (media sponsor); AMX; BIAMP Systems; Bosch Communications Systems; Bose Corporation; Chief; Cisco; Cooper Notification; FSR, Inc.; Herman Procurement & Logistics; InfoComm International; Kramer Electronics; Listen Technologies Corporation; Magenta Research; Meyer Sound; Rauland-Borg Corporation; Shure Incorporated; Solutions360; Stealth Acoustics; SurgeX; Synnex Professional AV; Tannoy; and West Penn Wire. The conference is also endorsed by PSA Security Network and USAV Group.
”Being the fifth consecutive year West Penn Wire has sponsored this event, it is important to be around the industry’s leading integrators,” notes Andy Oswald, West Penn Wire national sales manager. “Additionally, for our own organization, I take away information that I can go back and implement on Monday morning.”
A BLC Alumni Reception will be hosted in the NSCA Zone, Booth C11536 on Wednesday, June 13 from 3-4 pm during InfoComm 2012. Early-bird registrations and discounts for the 2013 conference will be available during this time only.
For more information, go to www.nsca.org/blc.