Our industry will soon descend on Las Vegas, Nevada, for the 78th AWDA Annual Business Conference taking place Nov. 2-3 at the Venetian Resort. While many view this event as a lead-up to the AAPEX Show, anyone who has participated in past conferences will attest that these two days are an invaluable part of the Industry Week experience. By now, the registrations have all taken place, the attendees have made their travel and hotel arrangements, and the only thing left for most is to hope they get an upgrade on the flight into Harry Reid International Airport. However, the most important steps in preparation happen in the days and weeks leading up to the AWDA Conference, and I want to help with some pitfalls to avoid and offer some advice to make this AWDA Conference your best ever.

The return to in-person meetings

As the industry emerged from the pandemic, virtual meetings became the norm. Platforms like Teams, Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet became the standard for meetings between suppliers and distributors. COVID-19 and travel restrictions made face-to-face meetings nearly impossible, so our industry did what it always did and adapted. Companies everywhere found themselves in a position where they could seemingly generate as much revenue without the expense of participating in the many in-person events that are standard on the aftermarket calendar. As we look at a calendar winding down on 2025 and turning to 2026, the last couple of years have taught us that companies are now swinging the pendulum the other direction and getting back to in-person meetings.

Why face-to-face matters

Whether "squeaky wheel gets the grease" or "out of sight, out of mind" is the operative saying, the reality is that collaboration between suppliers and distributors suffered to varying degrees during the years following the pandemic. In today's virtual world, we are most likely sitting in an office with two screens, or a monitor and a laptop screen, or any type of setup where one can easily navigate back and forth from productivity software, spreadsheets, email platforms and web-based content. What we do not see in a virtual meeting is what the person on the other side of the screen is doing or even looking at. While you may see a nodding head looking back at you, the person you are talking to may not be hearing a word you are saying. They may be looking at or responding to an email, or looking to finish that Excel file before the deadline; regardless, this age of multitasking opens the door for many things to fall through proverbial cracks. The foolproof counter to inevitable distractions during virtual meetings is to meet in person. The common phrase in today's lexicon is "be where your feet are," and nowhere is this more on display than at AWDA meetings. You will not find people going through their phones or dealing with other distractions when you are sitting directly across from them. Meeting participants are locked in — locked in on the content, locked in on the people, and locked in on the challenges and opportunities identified in these meetings that lead to more efficiency, a better-performing top line and bottom line, or simply a better relationship with more open lines of communication and shared commitment to mutual success.

Preparation is key

Advanced preparation is the No. 1 key to making the most out of each one-on-one meeting you participate in. By now, companies representing both suppliers and distributors have finalized their rankings, and hopefully you or your company took time to identify the key meetings desired based on volume of current business, the volume of business opportunities, as well as those participants that have some level of fracture in the relationship and are looking to get better. Regardless of where you or your counterparts were ranked and what meetings aligned for you in the system, every meeting has the potential to deliver a win.

Before getting to Las Vegas and the start of the conference, representatives from both sides should reach out to each other to identify any potential topics of discussion for the upcoming meeting. This may seem like a lot of effort, especially if you have a full slate of meetings, but it is at most 20 meetings, and this preparation can be the difference in maximizing success.

Every meeting should have notes prepared in advance with vital information, like sales figures compared to the same period from at least the previous year, where applicable. It's advised to go back several years, as this is where trends can be identified and acted upon. Part of the notes assembled in advance should also include the participants and who will be attending the meeting. Nothing is worse than having a full meeting preparation for a person or people who are not in the meeting.

Details matter

Part of preparation is in the details. As a supplier hosting the meeting, the room should be filled with marketing and promotional materials backing up the messages being communicated. Take-home folders or collateral are not necessarily optimal, as they may be a burden to carry throughout the day. Product samples, particularly any new products to discuss, should be on-site and available to pick up and demonstrate where applicable. One additional detail that shows a willingness to go the extra mile is to have refreshments in the room — anything from breath mints or gum, which make the experience better for everyone around you, to coffee or soft drinks. It is the desert, and a full day of talking dries out throats, and we still have a long week ahead.

Don't forget follow-up

Opposite of preparation, but still a key to success, is follow-up. Both suppliers and distributors will have new discoveries to note, documents to follow up with and action items to pursue; if these are not done, then the meeting may have been for nothing. Follow-up is one of the most basic, but most often overlooked, elements of a meeting.

Please feel free to reach out and share other tips and tricks to make your AWDA one-on-one meetings successful, and who knows, the meeting you had the lowest expectations for may be the biggest home run of the week! See you in Las Vegas!  

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