Got insights on how to future-proof your distribution business at ISA23?

If we didn't get a chance to connect at ISA23, here's a recap of the event by Will Quinn. 

The Industrial Supply Association (ISA23) conference was held from April 17th to April 19th in Phoenix, Arizona. The theme of the conference was networking, networking, and more networking. With an array of pre-conference workshops, keynote speakers, and networking events, the conference offered attendees a valuable opportunity to gain insights, learn from experts, and build connections with industry peers. Infor is a Gold Annual Partner for ISA and Sponsor for ISA23.

On the first day of the conference, April 17th, the Infor team participated in the Charity Golf Outing at Lookout Mountain Golf Club, benefiting Arizona’s Special Olympics. Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Phoenix, AZ, is a nine-time winner of the Golf Digest Four Star Award and has been recognized as one of America’s Best Golf Courses by Zagat. Team Infor won the award for the “most honest” team scoring a plus-eight! Who said those who work in sales aren’t honest?

Following the golf outing, we attended the opening reception to meet and network with other attendees. The reception featured basketball games and air hockey tables, putting greens, and multiple open bar setups with ESPN and live sports streaming!

Tuesday, the conference officially kicked off on April 18th with a Charity 5K Fun Run/Walk. The Opening Keynote, "Competing to Win: Creative Imagination Defeats Stronger Competitors," was delivered by basketball legend, broadcaster, humanitarian, and survivor Bill Walton. Bill gave a fantastic talk about overcoming congenital disabilities and an inability to speak to become a legend and basketball Hall of Famer. His inspirational words motivated and taught important lessons about perseverance despite seemingly insurmountable odds. After the speech, he stayed to talk and take pictures with attendees, something you rarely see from a famous keynote speaker.

The day continued with various sessions, including "Do I Really Need a CRM?" led by Mike Marks, Founding Partner of Indian River Consulting Group, "Resetting and Articulating Distribution's Value in the Channel," led by James Dorn, President/CEO, and J. Schneider, Managing Director, both from Dorn Group. Infor sponsored and introduced the session "Get a Grip: Are You Running Your Business or Is It Running You?" led by Tom Bouwer, Co-Author of "What the Heck is EOS?" and Founder of The Bouwer Group. This session was incredibly insightful, diving into the challenges organizations face when it comes to the day-to-day operations of their business and how to build strategies to overcome these challenges.

In the afternoon, the Exhibit Hall opened, allowing attendees to interact with industry suppliers and learn about the latest products and services available. The Infor Distribution team gave demos, talked to current customers, and provided information to interested prospects about our Industry-Specific ERP solutions and our Infor Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). The day concludes with networking events, including the Women in Industry (WII) Network Reception and the IMR Happy Hour. Conversations at the booth highlighted the crucial need among industrial distributors for technology that can help streamline their operations and manage pricing inventory and value-add services.

On the final day of the conference, April 19th, attendees could revisit the Exhibit Hall to visit the Infor team before the closing keynote, "Navigating Through the Coming Year," delivered by Alan Beaulieu, President of ITR Economics, Chief Economist, Acclaimed Speaker & Author.

If we didn’t get a chance to connect with you at the event, click here to learn more about how Infor serves our customers in the distribution industry.