Advantage Business Conference 2004: Building Bridges to Long -Term Success

Office World News, May/Jun 2004

This year's S.P. Richards' Advanlage Business Conference is moving from the East Coast to the West Coast and will be held at the brand new Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco on July 21-25. HP, Brother, Fellowes, ACCO, 3M, and a host of other manufacturers will showcase the hottest new trends and products available to increase the business supplies market.

"The show's goal is to provide a richly, rewarding experience that will serve to advance our position in the market," said James F. O' Brien, vice president of dealer development for S.P. Richards. "Our program features new seminar tracks as we have added sure-fire winners such as Leadship Labs, ESOPs, Revving Up the Troops, and Strategic Thinking and Planning. We will also offer "how-to" courses that will deal with some of S.P. Richards' newer marketing innovations, which include SPARC, Matrix, SP and more."

"In response Io your feedback, we have also expanded the dealer roundlable forums. In our "Broadway" to "Bridges" transition, we will still zero in on the fundamentals and promise that there will be something meaningful for all attendees, " O'Brien continued. "One oi the most significant learning opportunities is the Office Products Expo and we have expanded the show floor by over 50 percent for 2004."

Dealers can choose between 37 seminars, forums and roundtables divided into seven categories, including Connecting with Customers, Team Building, Personal Development, Business Management, and Furniture Tactics. Classes include The Seven Marketing Mistakes Every Business Makes and How To Fix Them; Hiring Right, and Why Most People Don' I; Food For Thought: Nutrition For Mental Energy, Balance and Memory; Financial Planning and Management For Dealers; and Space Planning and Design Services.

A Technology Users Forum will focus on the high lech products that dealers use to help grow their businesses. Networking roundtables and peer- to- peer discussion groups on Creative Marketing Ideas and How to Drive More Business Through Your Web Site are divided into three revenue categories to address the specific challenges oi different sized businesses.

S.P. Richards has also planned some exciting events to coincide with the conference including the "Streets of San Francisco" reception and "The Beat of the Bay" gala dinner. Dealers can also do some sightseeing by signing up for any of the six tours that S.P. Richards has prearranged. Dealers can choose to tour San Francisco's most recognizable sites, visit Marin County's redwoods, take a dinner cruise on the hay, walk around Chinatown, or head to wine country for a tasty treat.