NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
May 14, 2013 Brent Hoskins
Executive Director
Business Technology Association
(816) 303-4040
BTA Mid-America to Host
Cruise to Success June 17-18 in Chicago
Dealers can register for one-on-one vendor meetings
to receive up to $210 cash back
Kansas City, MO — On June 17-18, 2013, the Business Technology
Association’s (BTA; www.bta.org) Mid-America district will host Cruise to Success, an
educational and networking event at the DoubleTree by Hilton – Magnificent Mile in
Chicago. The event will feature a keynote presentation by Doug Albregts, president of
Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, four additional educational
sessions presented by industry leaders and a dealer panel focused on turning business
disruption into opportunity.
Dealers will be able to participate in networking events that will allow them to
connect with their peers, including a welcoming reception on June 17, and dinner and a
scenic cruise on Lake Michigan aboard the Spirit of Chicago on June 18. In addition,
there will be time to visit with 30-plus exhibiting sponsors, many of which will hold
drawings for great prizes during the event. Dealer attendees can also enter on site for a
chance to win a $500 American Express gift card from BTA Mid-America.
Cruise to Success begins at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 17, with one-on-one
vendor/dealer meetings that will be held until 3 p.m. These meetings will give dealers
the opportunity to earn $30 for each 15-minute one-on-one meeting attended, up to
$210 per dealership. These meetings have been established to provide dealer
attendees quality time with select vendors and to help defray travel costs. For more
information, visit www.bta.org/15MinMeetings.
At 4 p.m., the event will kick off with opening comments and Albregts’ keynote
presentation, “The Disappearing Channel.” The 2013 BTA Channel’s Choice Awards
will be presented just prior to Monday evening’s welcoming reception, which will be held
from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The reception will give attendees time to network with peers and
visit with exhibiting sponsors.
Breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18, followed by opening
comments, the dealer panel, an educational session and lunch. After lunch, the final
educational sessions, closing comments and prize drawings will be held. On Tuesday
evening, attendees will enjoy the Lake Michigan dinner cruise.
In addition to the keynote presentation, the Cruise to Success educational
sessions will be: “Growing the Business by Building a Strong Team Environment,” with
Larry Coco of Coco Training & Consulting Inc.; “Cruise to Success or Drown in
Legalities,” with Bob Goldberg, BTA general counsel; “What is Wrong With All This Talk
of Transformation,” with Ed McLaughlin of Valderus LLC; and “The Great Mobile
Workforce Debate,” with Terrie Campbell of Ricoh Americas Corp.
The dealer panel, “Turning Business Disruption into a Welcome Opportunity,” will
be moderated by David Ramos of Katun Corp. Panelists include John Kuchta, president
of SolutionOne, Lincoln, Neb.; Chip Miceli, president of Des Plaines Office Equipment,
Elk Grove Village, Ill.; Brian Snow, president of Advanced Business Systems,
Tallahassee, Fla.; and Greg Walker, president of East Texas Copy Systems Inc., Tyler,
Texas.
BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg will also be available during the event to
provide free legal consultations to BTA members.
A post-event workshop will follow Cruise to Success. On June 19, Mitch Morgan
and Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners will present the BTA Managed
Services Workshop. Attendees to this post-event workshop will receive free registration
to Cruise to Success. For more information, visit www.bta.org/MS.
The exhibiting Cruise to Success sponsors: Crawford Thomas, DataVault, Densi,
Digital Gateway, DocuWare, ECi FMAudit, EDA, Esha Corp., ESP Energy Intelligence,
Evolved Office, Frontier Imaging (June 18 Lunch Sponsor), Global Printer Services,
GreatAmerica Financial Services, Hytec Dealer Services, Image Star, InkCycle, Innovolt
(June 18 Breaks Sponsor), Katun, LEAF (June 18 Cruise Co-Sponsor), Memjet, MSE,
Muratec, NA Trading and Technology, OKI (June 18 Cruise Co-Sponsor), Parts Now,
PNC Equipment Finance, Polek & Polek, Printer Essentials, Smart Power Systems,
Square 9, Supplies Network, Toshiba, Universal Laser Systems, West Point Products
and Xerox (June 17 Reception Sponsor).
BTA member dealer registration (with dinner cruise) for Cruise to Success is
$199, which includes the keynote session, educational sessions, dealer panel, Monday
welcoming reception, and Tuesday breakfast and lunch. BTA member dealer
registration without a dinner cruise ticket is $169. BTA member dealers who register at
$199 receive a second free registration (including the dinner cruise) for one of their
dealership’s employees; those who register at $169 will also receive a second free
registration (excluding the dinner cruise). Non-member dealer registration with a dinner
cruise ticket is $249. Non-member dealer registration without a dinner cruise ticket is
$219.
For more information, including full session descriptions, additional pricing
information and the registration form for the event, visit
www.bta.org/BTAMidAmericaEvent.
Founded in 1926, the Business Technology Association serves office technology
dealerships, resellers, manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Its core
members — office technology dealerships — consult, sell and service hardware,
software and supplies with the goal of helping businesses maximize their
investment in devices and technology. Through the association's various
educational programs, information, research, legal services, publications and
guidance, BTA member dealerships are positioned to be the premier source of the
office technology used by businesses throughout the United States every day. For
more information on BTA, visit its Web site at www.bta.org or call (800) 505-2821.
The fax number is (816) 941-4838. You may also write to: BTA, 12411 Wornall Road,
Kansas City, MO 64145.
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