a word from MERA
Celebrate Your Success! K
CHRIS COOK, PRESIDENT
nowledgeFest 2013 is set to be another great educational event complete with plenty of networking opportunities, manufacturer training and an exhibit
floor packed with your favorite suppliers ready to help you prepare for the all-important fourth quarter holiday shopping season. With that said, I still hear the same question from retailers across this nation: Why should I attend KnowledgeFest and be a part of MERA? Looking back, KnowledgeFest had some humble beginnings. It was started by retailers seeking to make their stores look better and to build an event for preferred customers. The concept worked, and those same retailers and their reps sought to share this information with other retailers. This peer-to-peer sharing eventually produced the first KnowledgeFest in 1995 with more than 150 retailers in attendance. KnowledgeFest has evolved over the years and
reflects the many changes of our industry. What has not changed is the concept of learning from each other’s great ideas. This share factor has grown to include great retailers and suppliers that take the time to provide the latest tips and techniques to help grow the industry and thus your retail business. KnowledgeFest has become a must-attend event for successful retailers looking to learn better ways to conduct business. Why do I say successful retailers? Simple. Those that look for ways to grow their businesses and learn from others’ success and failure are apt to create a more successful business. This year at KnowledgeFest 2013, we are going to celebrate that success with a top-notch education experience. This year will bring nearly 40 hours of great ideas that are sure to make your business grow. In addition, mobile electronics suppliers will provide hours of product-specific education to sharpen your presentation for the category. It’s great that we have places like Facebook and industry blogs to share information. But nothing beats good old face-to-face networking. KnowledgeFest is the best place to connect with the best of the best in mobile electronics. Networking is always a focus, and this year will be no different. Whether it’s an after-hours get together with your suppliers and other retailers, or just enjoying a great meal with others from across the nation, KnowledgeFest brings us all
together. And this year one of the best places to get together and celebrate our success will be the Mobile Electronics Industry awards held on Monday evening, Aug. 19, during the event. We are stepping it up again and having the awards celebration at the Glass Cactus at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. If that were all there was to see, it might be enough. But that’s not all. One of the top reasons to attend is the exhibitors. Past events have brought more than 70 exhibitors providing an experience that is unequaled in our industry. The exhibit experience provides you with top players in the space bringing their “A game” and their “A players.” Hey, we all love CES and SEMA. It’s Vegas! But if you are looking for quality time with your suppliers with room for meeting some new ones too, KnowledgeFest delivers! KnowledgeFest delivers the tools to make your business succeed. The learning experience provides effective strategies to grow your business and unlocks the keys to proven and successful strategies. Take a couple of days out of the year and out of your store and bring your staff as well. You and your staff will learn, connect and experience the mobile electronics industry in a way that I promise will set your business on a course of continuous achievement. Hey, you don’t need to take my word for it, ask others who have attended over the past several years what they think. They will tell you stories that are sure to compel you to be part of KnowledgeFest and MERA. Why should you be a part of MERA? Simple.
MERA provides great benefits to help you make and save money. Benefits like significant savings on your shipping via PartnerShip®, extended service protection that pays for removal and replacement of product, and great software solutions for point-of-sale and vehicle wiring and fit guides. If that weren’t enough, members also get their first registration free for this year’s KnowledgeFest as well as discounts throughout the hotel. This year, MERA members will get free self-parking, 10% discounts on food and beverage, and VIP treatment at all KnowledgeFest events. So take a moment and join an organization with a mission to grow our industry! This year we invite you to come join MERA and the industry at KnowledgeFest to “Celebrate our Success”! You will be glad you did.
66 Mobile Electronics May—June 2013
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