GRAPEVINE, Texas – Nearly 1000 attendees from AD’s three Electrical divisions in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico gathered in Grapevine, Texas for the 2023 North American Meeting – a week of collaboration and new partnerships.
AD’s 2023-2024 meeting season features the theme “Be Different” – a celebration of how independent distributors, supplier partners, and service providers in the AD community embrace their unique strengths to succeed in business and enrich their lives, both personally and professionally.
The three AD Electrical divisions held Member Business Meetings to discuss financial performance in 2023, focus areas for the upcoming year, and spent time celebrating success. AD suppliers also participated in Supplier Business Meetings to share overall performance results, connect with AD leaders and discuss future strategies focused on growth.
“Cross-divisional and multi-country collaboration at the North American Meeting offers so many opportunities for our members, suppliers and service providers in attendance,” said Marisol Fernandez, President of AD’s Electrical & Industrial Business Unit. “The AD team and our community of best-in-class companies helps us host these incredible meetings year after year – thank you for your continued support.”
Best practices, growth-oriented discussions and new industry connections
AD conducted Member and Supplier Business meeting updates outlining performance, industry trends, priorities and growth initiatives for the coming year.
Networking Meetings during the week brought together leaders from AD Electrical member companies to share best practices, discuss common challenges and gain valuable insights in a non-competitive environment.
Industry-leading suppliers held Strategic Partner Briefings to showcase plans for members and suppliers to grow together, growth projections and market trends. The sessions are opportunities for members to learn about key priorities and ways they can win together.
Conference Booth Appointments allowed for members and suppliers to come together in structured, timed sessions to discuss opportunities to grow existing partnerships and form potential new ones.
The AD Women’s Community came together for a Network Reception attended by many women and men to celebrate and elevate women in the Electrical industry. Christy Tilton, VP of US Professional Trade Sales for Signify, spoke at the event and shared inspiring and personal experiences as a leader in the electrical channel.
“When we gather together each year, discuss our businesses, our performance, industry trends and we share professional experiences, the AD community continues to grow and learn what it takes to remain leaders in the markets we serve,” said Karen Baker, President of AD’s Electrical – U.S. Division. “Each year, the North American Meeting is a celebration of what makes AD such a special group of leaders.”
AD Electrical – Canada and Mexico members and suppliers also participated in the North American meeting with record attendance. Juan Carlos Zacarias, Vice President of AD Mexico commented, “The continuous growth in attendance from Mexico and seeing member and supplier leaders engage in so many meaningful conversations inspires prosperous growth for all.”
Canada hosted a reception, “AD Canada Night,” for networking, reconnecting with partners and forming new connections. The event celebrates the close business relationships and success of AD’s industry-leading Electrical community north of the border. “AD Canada Night gives our community a night to have fun and get to know more industry leaders,” said Rob Dewar, President of AD’s Canada Business Unit.
AD Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg led a keynote presentation about the meaning of “Be Different” and how the theme applies to the AD community.
“‘Be Different’” for the AD community means taking a good look at your company, determining your unique strengths, and figuring out how to elevate those strengths to stand out from the competition,” said Weisberg. “We have a community of over 850 independent distributors – and no two of those companies have exactly the same history or mission – which is a beautiful thing and makes our industry so fulfilling.”
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