‘Super Region’ Meeting Will be Twice as Nice

The Pac Rim and Rocky Mountain regions will converge at the Hilton Irvine on June 5.

Pac Rim, Rocky Mountain join forces for upsized event in June

By Andy Kriege, YSN

The Rocky Mountain and Pacific Rim Regions are teaming up for a “super region” meeting next month.

The dual-region gathering, to be held June 5-8 at the Hilton Irvine in Irvine, Calif., will be packed with top-flight speakers, a host of national vendors, multiple best practice sessions and a tour of BSH’s Experience & Design Center.

The notion of a combined super meeting was hatched over a few drinks at a recent national BrandSource show. “We were talking to several manufacturers who suggested they could better support our region meeting if we would entertain the idea of a multi-region meeting,” said Rocky Mountain Region President and Nampa Appliance owner Jackie King. “One conversation led to another and here we are, just a couple weeks away from the event becoming a reality.”

Related: King Crowned at Convention

“From the perspective of the vendors, it is all about scale,” she said. “They understand the advantage of multi-region meetings from an attendance perspective; they get to see more people face to face in less time. In addition, their travel expenses are minimized.” 

Conversely, the super meeting will also offer dealers more opportunities to network with more fellow members than an individual region meeting could afford. As Pac Rim President and Bedroom Express principal Ira Fruitman noted, “We go to our own regional meeting and see the same people, the same vendors and talk about the same things. When you combine different regions, you get a chance to talk to new people and forge new friendships. We all face the same challenges and speak the same language of retail. We can laugh or cry with others who know exactly what our days are like.”

What’s more, region meetings, by their very nature, are distinct from national shows. “At a national meeting the bulk of the content is focused on the group at large,” Fruitman said. “This event is tailored to focus the attention on each individual dealer.”

Attendees will visit the nearby BSH Experience & Design Center for culinary demos and cocktails.

In addition to peer-to-peer networking, attendees will also get to rub elbows with the senior management of several vendors, and will benefit from the deeper deck of speakers and presentations that the combined region concept allows. The latter includes sessions by industry veteran Joe Higgins, who will provide an economic update; HRSource’s Daniel Abramson, who will offer tips on recruiting top-notch employees; and AVB’s own John White, who will share the latest advances in digital marketing tools.

Other meeting highlights include a tour and a cocktail reception at the nearby BSH Design & Experience Center, one of only three corporate showcases for the company’s Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau brands.

“BrandSource members will see an impressive display of BSH products in a live and interactive presentation,” said Mary Weston, national sales manager for buying groups at Bosch Home Appliances. “They will tour three separate wings in our showroom, representing the Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau brands. It is an extraordinary representation of the BSH product portfolio that reflects current design trends. We are looking forward to hosting this event.”

Capping off the dual-region meeting is an optional all-day visit to Disneyland on June 8.

As an added bonus, members who attend the combined meeting and the 2023 Convention this August will receive “a huge added cash incentive from their region,” said Mark Pardini, principal of Pardini Appliance and himself a longtime Pac Rim Region president. 

“It is a win-win for the members and the vendors who have stepped up their game to help make this super meeting happen,” he said. “I would add that both region presidents, Jackie and Ira, have worked extremely hard to make this combined meeting a reality. I would really encourage any of our members who have not registered to find a way to attend this event.”

For more information, contact Region Managers Brian Lawrence (Rocky Mountain) at brian.lawrence@brandsource.com or Steve Wynstock (Pac Rim) at steve.wynstock@brandsource.com.

YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.

Upcoming Events