One-on-One Meetings
64th Annual AWDA Business & Education Conference
October 30 - November 3, 2011
About AWDA’s One-on-One Meetings
Central to AWDA’s Conference is its unique series of pre-scheduled one-on-one business meetings between distributors and vendors. AWDA pioneered the use of these sessions to enhance members’ Industry Week experience by providing for high-quality business discussions in a personal and confidential environment. Participants are top decision-makers with member companies: both warehouse distributors and vendors. They have the clout to solve problems, find opportunities and forge new alliances. AWDA’s one-on-ones are simply the most efficient way to conduct serious business during Industry Week.
The Computer Scheduling Process
All one-on-one meetings are prescheduled by computer, assuring an impartial matching of appointments. The process, which begins in the spring, allows for distributors to choose in advance those vendors with whom they want to meet. Vendors are given the same opportunity, improving the likelihood of scheduling the most productive meetings possible. A total of nineteen, 40-minute time slots, are available for meetings over two days.
Multiple Meeting Teams
In order to increase the total number of 1-on-1 meetings a company can hold during the 2-day conference, some WDs and vendors field multiple teams. Each team may hold a maximum of nineteen individual meetings. AWDA offers incentives for WDs to field multiple teams.
One-on-One Meeting Suites
All one-on-ones will be held on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31 in private hotel suites located on adjacent floors of The Venetian Hotel. Suite assignments are based on several factors, including number of meetings scheduled, seniority in AWDA and the date when registration is received at headquarters.
AWDA 1-on-1 Information/Hospitality Suite
AWDA will again reserve an Information and Hospitality Suite all day on Sunday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31, on a one-on-one floor at the Venetian. Attendees are encouraged to visit this suite to relax with refreshments, and seek information on one-on-ones or the conference in general.
Scheduling Meetings Online
In 2011, attendees will again have the option of entering 1-on-1 selections online. Our scheduler, Barbara St. Aubin is always available to help with all aspects of the sign-up process. She may be reached by e-mail at sainte@kc.rr.com or phone at 913-345-2811. Look for AWDA 1-on-1 scheduling materials in the late spring of 2011.
Scheduling Meetings with Paper Forms
Distributors and vendors will also be able to schedule their one-on-one meetings using traditional paper selection forms. Picks from these forms are transferred to the computer database and compiled in the final scheduling process. Returning or entering the selection sheets promptly may give your company an advantage in the scheduling process.
Deadlines for 1-on-1s
Click on the “Deadlines” tab for information on when various scheduling steps must be taken. In response to members wishes, we have significantly compressed the scheduling process is 2011. As a result, deadlines become much more critical than in the past.
Note to participants who miss any deadlines: While we will make every effort to assist you, please understand that you will have a more difficult time scheduling meetings and may not be able to maximize conference value. Please contact Barbara St. Aubin to determine what may or may not be possible from a scheduling standpoint.
1-on-1 Meeting Contact:
Barbara St. Aubin
St. Aubin & Associates, LLC
Phone – 913-345-2811
Fax – 913-345-8008
E-mail – sainte@kc.rr.com
www.saintaubinandassociates.com