One of the many MHEDA workshops

Nearly 600 distributors and manufacturers attended MHEDA's 62nd annual convention in Salt Lake City, Utah for four days of networking, education and inspiration.  

Highlights included presentations by Alan Beaulieu from ITR Economics, who provided tips on how to navigate through future economic cycles and demographic trends; Scott Stratton, author of Un-Marketing on how missteps in digital marketing can make or break a brand; and Jason Hewlett, who closed the convention with a presentation about identifying and sharing personal gifts.  

Workshop speakers shared insights into trends such as workforce development, blending generations in the workplace and leadership tips, and there were panel presentations on materials handling trends and stakeholder engagement.

Big Joe Forklifts celebrated its 66th anniversary during the show and chief marketing officer Bill Pedriana was able to catch up with 20 dealers as well as over 10 key vendors that provide programs to the dealer network in the areas of finance, consulting and extended warranty programs.  

"The mood was noticeably positive, with the majority of attendees noting much better performance during the first four months of the year than many had forecast for our industry," he notes.

Pedriana says Big Joe was one of the few companies to bring equipment to the show. "While this show is mostly about building relationships within the industry, it was a good opportunity for us to get some of our new product in front of our dealer principals to give them some hands-on time."

Bill Moriarty, vice president of sales and service, Motive Power, Americas with platinum sponsor EnerSys, was impressed with the calibre of the attendees. "Many of these who attend are dealer principals (owners), so the seniority level is very high," he notes. 

Moriarty describes the mood at the event as 'excellent', saying the audience "came away with all very positive signs moving forward".

MHEDA's 2018 convention will be held at the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida from May 5-9.

MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association) is the trade association dedicated to serving the materials handling business community, with members spanning more than 600 distributor and manufacturer companies worldwide.