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PRO Group Inc. recently hosted its Group Merchandising Conference in Atlanta, facilitating more than 1,600 meetings between vendors and member distributors.
Conference attendees built new business relationships by discussing new products, taking advantage of conference specials and connecting at networking events, according to PRO Group.
Over the course of the event, which was held June 18-20, distributors met with vendors in private, 30-minute scheduled appointments. These meetings provided opportunities for PRO Group members to develop new business relationships, discuss current programs and meet with prospective buyers from multiple categories.
“The Group Merchandising Conference provides manufacturers with a venue to build relationships or reconnect with buyers from PRO Group member distributors from across the country,” says Shari Kalbach, vice president of PRO Group Inc. “The one-on-one meetings allow time for decision-makers to explore the benefits and features of each supplier’s product offering.”
Manufacturers displayed new product lines and tailored show specials to the distributor buyer audience. Buyers interacted with products and gained a deeper knowledge of the product lines and promotional pricing.
First-time attendee Sean Lorden, president of Rafferty Wholesale in Sterling, Massachusetts, says the conference was valuable for his company.
“The representatives I met from various organizations were very professional and enlightening as to what their companies’ offerings were,” Lorden says. “I truly believe joining PRO Group will open up more business opportunities than I could have imagined.”
In addition to connecting through scheduled meetings, manufacturers and distributors were able to meet informally at networking and farewell receptions.
The conference ended with a PRO Hardware Merchandise Committee Meeting, where distributors shared which programs represented the best opportunities for growth.
“The energy that was felt during this year’s Group Merchandising Conference will hopefully translate into increased sales at the distributors’ fall shows and retailers will have new and exciting products to promote to their customers,” Kalbach says.
PRO Group is an international merchandising and marketing organization headquartered in Denver. Its operating units include PRO Hardware, GardenMaster, Farm Mart and Golden-Link. The group’s combined sales volume exceeds $6 billion through its 79 member distributors and an alliance with the Val-Test Group.
