BrandSource president hit the road to meet with members across the U.S.
By Janet Weyandt, YSN
Next time you get to make a wish, you might want to wish for Tom Bennett’s frequent flier miles.
The BrandSource president was on the road for most of the spring and early summer this year to attend region meetings from Georgia to Nevada and everywhere in between.
“Being face to face with our members and vendors is truly priceless,” he said, no worse for wear. “I greatly appreciate their taking time away from their businesses and families to attend our region meetings and events.”
Full Agenda
During his travels, Bennett gave multiple welcome addresses, led double-digit town hall discussions and did fun things like dinner cruises and museum tours.
And at every single stop, he made the benefits of BrandSource membership visible, tangible and accessible.
“The members were very engaged,” he said. “There’s an atmosphere and culture of sharing and caring. Taking time to share best practices and work on your business with experts from among vendors and fellow members is priceless.”
Vendor Vibes
Indeed, vendors are a huge part of region meetings, and Bennett said those manufacturers and suppliers who participated in this summer’s get-togethers raised the bar.
“Vendors showed up in full force,” he said. “They’re supportive, and the vendor roundtables were a hit.”
And no BrandSource function is complete without some digital marketing talk, which remains a vitally important topic for independent retailers, Bennett said.
“AVB Marketing solutions are key to their success,” he said. “They must advertise and promote to win.”
While Bennett’s longest trip was to Scotland with family, his visits to BrandSource region meetings come close. His stopovers as president have included:
- Iowa
- North Carolina
- Arizona
- Nevada
- California
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Illinois
- Georgia
- Texas
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Minnesota
- Michigan
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
So keep on the lookout for Tom Bennett; you never know where he might turn up next.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
