2014 ALA Annual Conference - What's in it for

Manufacturers' Representatives

The 2014 ALA Annual Conference is Sept. 14-16, 2014, at the Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. This year's event boasts incredible networking opportunities, along with seminars specifically tailored to manufacturers' reps, and chances to earn credits towards your Certified Lighting Manufacturers' Representative (CLMR) accreditation.

Unique Networking

At the 2014 ALA Annual Conference, you will meet fellow manufacturers' representatives with whom you can discuss challenges and successes. Additionally, you will have a rare opportunity to gain face-to-face exposure to over 70 major manufacturers CEOs and national sales manufacturers. What better way to set the stage for future representation opportunities?

Conference Seminars Tailored to Manufacturers' Representatives

The below seminars are specifically tailored towards manufacturers' reps and are worth 2 CLC credit hours. These seminars are a great way to work towards your CLMR accreditation while networking and learning from fellow reps.

Understanding Your Manufacturer

This seminar, led by Scott Lindberg, director of sales and marketing for Quell Corporation, will focus on building long-term relationships with your manufacturers. Through his work as a consultant for both manufacturers and reps, Lindberg has learned what really makes manufacturers tick and what they are truly looking for from a representative.

Maximizing Your Potential as a Manufacturers' Sales Representative

"My favorite thing about conference is the networking...discussing all things lighting with showrooms, manufacturers and fellow reps. It's such a great opportunity to have all three of these in one place!

-Elise Severson, CLC, CLMR, partner at Lytestyles

Richard Alan, CLMR, owner of Richard Alan & Associates, LLC, will host an open forum session, during which he will lead discussions focused on helping you grow and improve as a rep. Alan will provide insight into best practices for reps from the perspective of manufacturers, distributors and rep agencies. He will also discuss how reps can differentiate themselves and become more well-rounded.

Building a Sales Culture

Tom Black, of the Tom Black Center for Excellence, has been called "America's Greatest Sales Trainer." In his seminar, he will highlight some of the most innovative ideas that led him to unprecedented business success. During Black's seminar, you will learn how to improve the value of your prospects, how and why to improve the quality of your presentation, and the key to increasing your number of sales calls.

Meet the Players

Watch the Video Here

The ALA Annual Conference is a great place to meet showrooms, key manufacturer executives, fellow manufacturers' representatives, and others with whom you want to do business. Recently, Karen Lang of Hinsdale Lighting, along with Stacy Mair and Susan Swan of Active Electrical Supply and Fox Lighting Galleries, sat down with ALA to discuss their personal experiences with the event.

The three highlighted the ALA Annual Conference as a one-of-a-kind place for you to grow your business as a manufacturers' rep; as Lang so perfectly put it, "this is where the players meet." To view the full video, click the link to the right.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click Here to Register for the 2014 ALA Annual Conference

ALA Certified Lighting Manufacturers' Representative (CLMR)

The CLMR designation is designed to recognize the important role manufacturers' representatives play in the lighting industry, as well as provide training to those new to the industry. To learn more about the designation, click here.

The Manufacturers' Representative Education Research Foundation (MRERF)

Need help with policies and procedures, HR matters, tax deduction questions, litigation considerations, business plans, and more? Through ALA's membership in MRERF, you can order the MRERF Operations Manual for Manufacturers' Representative Firms - the definitive how-to book for managing your agency ($10 downloadable version, $59.95 print and bound version).