Upfront: Dealers deserve plenty of praise for successful debut of Dealer Day

By Steve Noe

I would like to extend kudos to all of you dealers who took time out of your busy schedules to attend the first-ever Dealer Day on the opening day of the 2012 Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO). You certainly made an impressive showing!

Stihl Inc. President Fred Whyte, right, and Brad Sorgen, left, event marketing specialist at Stihl Inc, present a $5,000 check to Mary Alice Gibson of Roanoke, Va., for winning Stihl’s Oktoberfest drawing at the company’s GIE+EXPO Dealer Preview Event on Dealer Day.Although I didn’t receive official attendance figures for Dealer Day, show planners, attendees and exhibitors were pleased with the attendance that day, and total attendance for the entire show was up 6 percent. On Dealer Day, the Dealer Resource Pavilion was open all day, and I was told that the education sessions taking place there were filled to capacity. The show floor was open 3-7 p.m., allowing dealers/distributors to hold face-to-face meetings with exhibitors. Many exhibitors — including Stihl Inc. and Ariens Company — also hosted events in their booths during a festive welcome reception from 5 to 7 p.m.

“Dealer Day was a home run,” said Todd Teske, president, chair and CEO of Briggs & Stratton Corporation. “Everybody we talked to thought it was a tremendous success. It gave me, personally, an opportunity to talk directly with dealers, which I love.”

Teske’s sentiments were echoed by many people, including Mike Williams, vice president, government relations, North American Dealers Association (NAEDA). “If you’re a dealer looking for new products and education, the new Dealer Day was your ideal opportunity,” said Williams. “We expected 150 people at the first dealership owners’ and managers’ class, and more than 300 showed up. The room was filled to capacity. We are already making plans for expansion and improvement next year.”

Yes, thanks to your strong showing, Dealer Day will be back by popular demand on the opening day of GIE+EXPO 2013, which will return to Louisville’s Kentucky Exposition Center on Wednesday, Oct. 23, through Friday, Oct. 25.

“By the end of the first day, we had exhibitors asking for expanded booth space for 2013,” said Show Director Warren Sellers. “It looks like we have a success on our hands.”

For additional coverage of GIE+EXPO 2012, please see the “GIE+EXPO 2012 recap,” starting on page 15, as well as at www.outdoorpowerequipment.com.


OPE Editor Steve Noe
snoe@m2media360.com