Agenda & Schedule
Monday, November 11th
12:15–12:30
Welcome and Agenda Preview
Conference hosts Ian Heller and Jonathan Bein preview the conference!
12:30–1:15
Sales Productivity in the Age of AI
The traditional distribution role of generalist field sales reps on commissions with some support from inside sales or customer service is well past the best-by date. The advances in technology and AI have already changed the game for distribution innovators. Mike Marks will share specific examples of commercial actions taken by distributors that have significantly reduced both recurring costs and increased revenue. Remember that in industrial distribution the typical customer repurchase rate is well over 80%. This means that over 80% of sales this month are products that your customers have purchased before. Perhaps is was sold the first time, but the repurchases were bought and not sold. The distribution 1.0 model conflated these function as there wasn’t an alternative. That is no longer true.
The jobs to be done to identify and capture a new logo, land and expand the share of wallet, and provide recurring cost-effective support to extend the life of the customer’s revenue stream have already been segregated by the skills required. It has become much easier with new digital technologies.
This massive evolution of the filed sales function is well past early adopters and has now gone mainstream. Mike will also share a few examples of work that some distributors are developing now with synthetic sales agents.
For most distributors the cost of the technology necessary is close to the cost of a fully loaded cost of a long tenured senior field sales rep. The real issue with adoption is executives either aren’t aware of their choices or they are simply owner-operator executives that lack the vision to take on the challenge. Mike will include additional research web links for those who choose to learn more.
1:15–2:00
Reimagining Profitability in Today’s Economy: Defying the Odds with Innovative Strategies
Nostalgic for the era when securing profits seemed effortless? The current economic landscape, marked by soaring interest rates, rising product costs, and escalating labor costs, is putting unprecedented pressure on profit margins. Yet, some businesses are thriving, seemingly immune to these challenges. How? They’re adopting unconventional strategies and perspectives that allow them to navigate and succeed amidst these adversities.
Join Randy MacLean as he explores the root causes of today’s financial pressures and unveils the innovative tactics that successful companies are using to avoid common pitfalls. This session promises to equip you with actionable insights and strategies designed to not only safeguard but significantly enhance your profits and cash flow in these turbulent times.
2:00–2:15
Passing Break
2:15–3:00
Technology Leader Panel
Speakers: Mark Jensen, Product Marketing and Management, Epicor, Dave Pacifico, Co-Founder, Team Engine and Adam Honig, CEO and Founder, Spiro
Explore the future of distribution technology in this exclusive panel led by industry experts. Our panelists will discuss how integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, automation, and cloud solutions are transforming operations, increasing efficiency, and driving sustainable growth. Learn how distributors can harness AI-driven analytics, streamline supply chain management, and improve decision-making with real-time data. Gain insights into optimizing processes and building resilience in a rapidly evolving marketplace, with actionable strategies to take your distribution business to the next level.
3:00–3:30
Navigating B2B Marketplaces: Strategies, Opportunities, and Challenges
Tracy Buelow – VP, Category Management, Zoro
This session explores the dynamic world of B2B marketplaces, with a focus on Zoro.com’s unique business model and partnership approach. We’ll examine the rapid growth of B2B eCommerce, and discuss the benefits that marketplaces bring to buyers. Through the insights shared, attendees will gain a clear understanding of how marketplaces are shaping the B2B landscape, the strategic investments required to build a successful marketplace, and the factors distributors and manufacturers should consider when partnering with marketplaces. We’ll wrap up with Q&A time to discuss Zoro’s unique partnership approach.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand B2B Marketplace Trends
Recognize the trends that make marketplaces an increasingly attractive option for B2B buyers. - Learn What Customers Expect
Learn about how marketplaces create value for customers. - Evaluate Investments in Own Marketplaces
Understand the necessary resources and infrastructure investments required to deploy a B2B marketplace. - Assess Partnering with Marketplaces
Learn what to consider when evaluating a partnership with established marketplaces. - Learn About a Partnership with Zoro
Gain insight into the benefits of partnering with Zoro.
3:30–4:00
Leveraging AI for Profit and Productivity
Mark Jensen, Product Marketing and Management, Epicor
The entire notion of ERP is moving from a system of record to a system of insights and action that is powered by AI Agents. This revolution is poised to drive significant advancements in decision-making, forecasting, customer service, and overall operational efficiency, transforming ERP software into a dynamic tool that transforms supply chains into a new era of technological empowerment.
4:00–4:15
Expo Hall Opening and Beverage Break
4:15–5:00
Distribution Leader Panel: What I Wish I Knew About Driving Profits 20 Years Ago
Join Abhi Singh, Principal, LMS Strategies and Scott Sinning, President, Pricing for Distributors, as they talk about what they wish they knew about driving profits 20 years ago and what they’ve learned since.
5:00–5:45
Value Based Pricing across the Profit Waterfall
In the distribution industry, value-based pricing is often overlooked in favor of cost-plus strategies or the assumption that a single “market price” positions distributors as mere price takers. However, before discussing price, it is essential to define “value” — a concept that is often more complex and nuanced in buy-resell businesses. We believe that ignoring value-based pricing represents a missed opportunity. Join William Humsi, Partner with Simon-Kucher as he provides insights into what value-based pricing truly means across the profit waterfall in distribution, how to effectively define it for distributors and their services, and the significant advantages it brings to EBITDA improvement.
5:45–7:00
Welcome Reception
Join Sponsors and Attendees for drinks and hors d’oeuvre in the Expo Hall
7:00–8:30
VIP Dinner with Speakers
Join conference hosts and speakers for a lively discussion before the conference kicks off. Space is limited. Sign up soon!
Tuesday, November 12th
7:00–8:00
All-Attendee Breakfast
8:00–8:15
What We Learned on Day 1 / Preview of Day 2
8:15–9:00
A Distribution Treasure Hunt: Unlock Cash from Your Business
Janet Zelenka, currently CFO and CIO of Stericycle [NASDAQ: SRCL] is one of the most awarded executives anywhere and has years of experience is distribution and logistics. She’ll walk you through three “treasure maps”: your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement to help you discover key levers of profitability; highlight where money hides in a distribution business and offer pragmatic suggestions to improve cash generation.
9:00–9:30
Unlock Profitable Growth Through Smarter Returns Management
In this fast-paced session, distributors will learn how optimizing their returns management process can reduce operational costs associated with returns, warranties and repairs. We’ll dive into three key areas where an effective returns management strategy can drive financial results: recovering missed vendor credits, automating labor-intensive processes, and improving customer satisfaction for long-term retention. Join Alex Witcpalek, CEO and Founder of Continuum to explore how redirecting tied-up resources in these areas can help distributors accelerate profitable growth.
9:30–10:00
Pricing – An Evolving Discipline
Let’s explore the evolution of big pricing ideas and their impact on profitability. Attendees will learn how B2B buyer expectations are shifting toward personalized, real-time, and transparent pricing. Join Joshua Bardell, Pricing Principal at PROS who will cover essential pricing capabilities like AI-driven strategies and faster processes to help organizations stay competitive and improve customer experiences.
Key Takeaways: Critical pricing capabilities for success today, Important trends in pricing and profitability, Changing B2B buyer expectations
10:00–10:15
Beverage Break in the Expo Hall
10:15–11:00
How Distributors Can Buy Better to Optimize Costs, Rebates and Marketing Co-op
Join Gregory Smith, CEO, G Group Holdings, in centralizing purchasing to putting in Strategic Buying Agreements to learning how to ensure you’re getting the most from your rebate and co-op opportunities, achieving world-class purchasing techniques can make a major impact on your profitability. There are many best practices applicable to this function, but it’s often under optimized by distributors who are more focused on individual purchase transactions instead of strategic procurement.
11:00–11:30
RIP, CRM: A New Era for Customer Relationship Management
Adam Honig, Chief Executive, Spiro
Adam Honig hates CRM—and yet, he’s the CEO and founder of Spiro, an AI-powered CRM reshaping customer relationships for distributors and manufacturers. Curious? Join Adam as he unveils how Spiro eliminates the costly inefficiencies of traditional CRMs, automating data entry, providing powerful customer insights, and recommending proactive actions. Learn how Spiro’s AI-driven platform drives productivity gains that directly impact your bottom line, helping you stay competitive and profitable in today’s fast-paced market.
11:30–1:00
All Attendee Lunch in Expo Hall
1:00–1:45
Technology Leader Panel
Speakers: Chandra Subramanian, Managing Partner of ORS Group, ORS Group
Kristen Thom, SVP of Customer Experience, White Cup
Josh Bardell, Pricing Principal, PROS
Join us for an exclusive Tech Leader Panel featuring pioneering executives who are revolutionizing profit-driving technologies in distribution. These innovators, at the forefront of AI-powered analytics, pricing optimization, and customer intelligence, will share insights from cutting-edge solutions that have significantly boosted distributor profits in 2024. Learn firsthand about real-world successes, common pitfalls, and strategies to avoid missed opportunities. Discover how leveraging data-driven decision-making, intelligent pricing strategies, and enhanced customer engagement can drive your company’s success in today’s competitive landscape.”
Sponsored by: 
1:45–2:30
How AI is Driving More Profits for Distributors
With an extensive background working with artificial intelligence, distributors and pricing software, Brooks Hamilton, Founder, Hamilton AI Strategy Advisors, understands how AI can supercharge legacy tools and bring whole new capabilities to the challenge of holding down costs while improving margins. In this talk, Brooks will provide use case examples of how AI is (and can be) used to drive revenue & margin growth as well as improve the customer journey. Don’t miss this look at existing tools, reusable assets, and coming tech trends that can drive more profits (agents, robotics and more).
2:30–2:45
Passing Break
2:45–3:15
The Science of Incentives: Transforming Behaviour Into Dollars
Mark Gilham, VP, Rebate Strategy, Enable
In this exciting presentation, you’ll learn all about how rebates and incentives impact business behaviour, focusing on their role as tools to drive change and align interests. Enable’s Mark Gilham will help you understand how incentives motivate actions, how to overcome the so-called “great rebate rush,” ways to work with different generations and their expectations, aligning behaviours to outcomes, and more. By the end, you’ll understand how to redefine incentives as key elements of strong partnerships that foster a more collaborative commercial environment.
3:15–3:30
Get Ready for Speed Networking!
3:30–5:30
Speed Networking with Technology Leaders
7:00
Sponsored Dinners – Directed by our event Sponsors
Wednesday, November 13th
7:00–8:00
All-Attendee Breakfast
8:00–8:45
Pricing Best Practices that Drive Profitability
Industry veteran Greg Smith will show you the latest thinking and best practices for maximizing margins without losing sales. He’ll discuss how to use sales COGS to incorporate a “puffing factor” to enhance pricing strategies; why you should switch from “cost plus” to “list down,” how to implement special pricing agreements and dimension pricing and how to drive sales team adoption for your strategy. Greg will also discuss the “pricing curve,” effective KPIs, and discuss how to implement successful price increases.”
8:45–9:15
Unlocking Hidden Profits: How AI Automation Drives Distributor Success
Ajay Kamble, CEO and Co-Founder, Revalgo
In today’s competitive distribution landscape, efficiency alone is not enough. This session dives into how Revalgo’s AI-powered solutions—Sales Order Automation, Purchasing Automation, and Bid Automation—are transforming the distribution sector by automating over 80% of complex, time-consuming tasks. Learn how our current customers are streamlining operations, realizing faster cash cycles, and increasing profitability.
Join us to discover how these tools do more than optimize processes; they drive revenue growth, enhance customer satisfaction, and empower distributors to focus on strategic initiatives. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on leveraging AI to maximize both profit and productivity, turning operational efficiency into a powerful revenue generator.
9:15–9:45
Smarter Profit Tactics for Modern Distribution
Chris Van Ittersum, CEO, SupplyMover
This session explores practical strategies for boosting distribution performance and profitability through clear goal-setting, optimized pricing, and increasing share of wallet. We’ll discuss real-time sales tracking, data-driven coaching, and robust pricing structures. Learn to identify high-value customers, streamline information access, and prepare for AI-driven insights to stay competitive and drive sustainable growth.
9:45–10:00
Passing Break
10:00–10:30
Placeholder into Profit Driver: Re-thinking the approach to Product Data in Distribution
Jason Hein, Founder, Acumental B2B
After 25 years of e-commerce slowly transitioning from “experiment” to “expectation” in B2B, companies have struggled to expand their thinking about customer experience to the digital realm. We’ve spent big budgets to “clean up our data”, but with the data constantly updating as selection evolves and grows, a multi-year cleanup project to “fix” data will degrade quickly, in as little as 2-3 years. Product data projects are seen as “cost centers” that generate no ROI, and leadership is now skeptical about the ability of content to make money and drive profits.
But that’s because you’re doing it wrong. In this session, we’ll break down the idea of “product content” into more specific elements – each of which is tied to specific purposes and give you a new way to approach content that helps your e-commerce site deliver revenue that increases in both amount and profitability while using fewer resources to generate better results.
10:30–11:15
The Three Great Myths of Profits
Distributor profitability luminary Dr. Al Bates takes the stage for his thought-provoking and insightful talk on three myths distributors often believe will lead to improved profits but don’t. Using his vast experience working with distributors for decades, Dr. Bates will address these myths and tell you how to avoid them and give you ideas you can take home to drive real profits: 1. Sales solves almost all problems. 2. Technology (like AI) will lower payroll costs. 3. Lowering Inventory and Accounts Receivable is key to profit. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the world’s most knowledgeable distribution profit gurus.