The PTDA Industry Summit recently gathered the power transmission/motion control industry to network, share solutions and build business. Held on October 18-20, 2012 in Dallas, Texas, more than 700 participants convened for two-and-a-half days jam packed with information, formal and informal networking opportunities and some good old-fashioned Texas-style fun.

The Industry Summit always provides the industry’s top executives with an opportunity to meet with their peers and partners—and this year was no exception. The 2012 Industry Summit fulfilled these general expectations, with an added emphasis on delivering big, bold ideas participants could use right away to make a difference in their business.

The Industry Summit kicked off with a Motion Control Showcase featuring 18 exhibitors showcasing their products to existing and potential customers. Immediately following the Showcase was the Big as Texas Welcome Reception, where attendees rekindled existing business relationships and forged new ones.
 
The first night of the conference also featured a First-Timer Event, which gave seasoned experts the chance to offer Industry Summit newcomers advice and tips for making the most of the conference. Also on the conference’s opening night, a Next Gen After Party offered attendees age 40 and under the opportunity to catch up with peers and participate in a mixology competition.

Attendees also had the chance to network across the channel with fellow power transmission/motion control colleagues during networking lunches both days of the conference.

To better promote peer-to-peer networking, the Industry Summit featured a Distributor Forum and a Manufacturer Forum. In each of these forums, distributors and manufacturers separately tackled issues that affect the distributor-manufacturer relationship. Each forum addressed four identical questions; a fifth unique question was addressed separately by distributors and manufacturers.  The resulting discussions will be published in future PTDA publications.
 
Nearly 120 manufacturers exhibited at MD-IDEX (Manufacturer-Distributor Idea Exchange), where supply chain partners met face to face in over 600 scheduled and open appointments and engaged in focused, one-on-one group discussions about how to work together.

The conference came to a close with an unmatched experience unique to the Dallas location.  As part of their registration fee, every delegate had the opportunity to see Cowboys Stadium from a viewpoint usually reserved for the NFL players—from the field.  Attendees began their evening by entering the stadium through the Miller Lite Club, the same way the Cowboys enter the stadium on game day.  A reception was held right on top of the Cowboys star at the 50-yard line, and sponsor logos lit up the enormous DiamondVision. Attendees showed off their team pride by wearing jerseys from their favorite team.  Admittedly, not all of the jerseys were from the NFL but team rivalries were most evident—including Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions fans facing off in mid-field in anticipation of the upcoming Monday Night Football match-up!

Dinner featured outstanding Texas barbecue items and was served right on the field.  During and after dinner, two Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders posed for photos with attendees and their guests.  Those who weren't waiting to see the cheerleaders had an opportunity to show off their skills by running an agility drill, throwing footballs or kicking one through the uprights.

PTDA’s 2013 Industry Summit is scheduled for October 3-5, 2013, at the J.W. Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, Calif.

PTDA 2012 Industry Summit at a Glance:

• Themed “Big Ideas to Steer Your Business.”
• Total attendance was 715, which included 570 industry delegates.
• Overall delegate participation was up 9 percent over 2012 attendance. Additionally distributor attendance showed an increase over last year of 12 percent for individual delegates and 10 percent for companies represented, compared to 2011 numbers.
• International delegates from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom attended.

Industry Summit Highlights:

• Opening keynote address by Scott Klososky, “Trends, Technology & Taking the Lead”
• Second keynote address by Alan Beaulieu of the Institute for Trend Research, “The Beaulieu Report”
• Workshop: “The Changing Sales Model” by Scott Klososky
• Workshop: “Knowledge Transfer & The Emerging Generations” by Bob Wendover of The Center for Generational Studies