Kansas City, MO (Feb. 13, 2019) — The Business Technology Association (BTA) will hold its 2019 BTA National Conference, hosted by BTA Southeast, March 22-23 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in Orlando, FL. The hotel discount deadline is Feb. 25, so register today to reserve your room.
Open to office technology dealers from across the country, the event will feature a keynote address led by retired 1st Sgt. Matt Eversmann, hero of Black Hawk Down and the Battle of Mogadishu; two dealer panel discussions; four additional educational sessions led by industry leaders; time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors, including during a welcoming reception and breaks; an evening at Epcot for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth laser and fireworks show; and a ticket to a Disney theme park of your choice.
The 2019 BTA National Conference will begin at 7:15 a.m. on March 22, with breakfast. Welcoming comments will begin at 8:15 a.m., followed by the keynote address, “Strategic Shock: Surviving the Inevitable Crisis,” presented by Eversmann and sponsored by Lexmark. During the keynote, you will learn what Eversmann has to say about how to survive extreme circumstances — what he refers to as “strategic shock” — the kind of events that many organizations do not plan for or even talk about. A break, giving attendees time to visit with peers and exhibiting sponsors, will follow. Breaks between sessions on both days will also give attendees additional networking time.
Following the break, two educational sessions will be held: “Security in the Digital Office of the Future,” led by Dr. Alissa Abdullah of Xerox; and “Dealer Channel Evolution (A Blueprint for Growth),” led by Sammy Kinlaw of Lexmark. Lunch will follow the morning sessions until 1:30 p.m.
After lunch, Mitch Morgan of Growth Achievement Partners (GAP) and John Eckstrom of Carolina Business Equipment Inc. will present “Leading & Managing in an Era of Disruptive Change: A Practical Guide.” A break and the first dealer panel, “Ensuring Your Business Survives a Natural Disaster,” will follow until 4:15 p.m. Moderated by BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg, the panelists will include: Debra Dennis of CopyPro Inc., Greenville, NC; Bob Evans of Function4, Sugar Land, TX; and Bill James of River Ridge, LA.
A cocktail reception will be held from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. at the hotel. At 7:15 p.m., attendees will travel to Epcot for a dessert party and the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth laser and fireworks show.
The second day of the conference will begin at 7:15 a.m. on March 23, with breakfast, followed by opening comments and the final educational session, “How to ‘Capture’ More Customers With Digital Transformation,” led by Mark Hart of ACDI. A break and the second dealer panel, “Succession Planning in a Multigenerational Business,” will follow. Moderated by Todd Lee of Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, the panelists will include: Johnathan Garlow of Ford Business Machines Inc., Connellsville, PA; Michael Hicks of Electronic Business Machines Inc., Lexington, KY; and Tim, Blake and Brice Renegar of Kelly Office Solutions, Winston-Salem, NC.
After the panel, closing comments and prize drawings will wrap up the conference at 11:30 a.m. That afternoon, each attendee can visit the Disney theme park of his (or her) choice, thanks to a ticket provided with conference registration.
The 2019 BTA National Conference exhibiting sponsors: ACDI, Agent Dealer, ARLINGTON, Balboa Capital, BEI Services, Brother, Clover Imaging Group, Compass Sales Solutions, Crawford Thomas, Datablaze, DCS, Demand, DLL, Epson, ESP AMETEK, FP Mailing Solutions, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Hyland, Hytec, Image Star, Imaging Solutions Direct, Innovolt, ITC Systems, Katun, Keypoint Intelligence, Laserfiche, LD Products, LEAF, Lexmark (keynote sponsor), Liberty Laser Solutions, LMI, Mars International, Midwest Copier Exchange, Miracle Service, Muratec, NA Trading and Technology, No Sales Guys, OKI, Panasonic, PCS VoIP, PerformIT, Polek & Polek, Print-Rite, RISO, SalesChain, Scanshare, Sentryfile, Supplies Network, Supplies Wholesalers, Technology Assurance Group (breaks sponsor), TIAA Bank, Tigerpaw (breakfast sponsor), TonerCycle/InkCycle, Toshiba, Unitone, Wells Fargo and Xerox (lunch sponsor).
BTA member dealers receive 2-for-1 registration to the 2019 BTA National Conference. BTA member dealer registration is $199, which includes the Friday and Saturday educational sessions; Friday breakfast, lunch and welcoming reception; Friday dessert party and IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth laser and fireworks show at Epcot; Saturday breakfast; and a Disney theme park ticket to use Saturday afternoon. BTA members may apply their $150 or $250 educational discount received with their membership toward this event, making 2-for-1 registration only $49. Non-member dealer registration is $249.
Click here to learn more about the 2019 BTA National Conference, including full session descriptions, or to register.
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About the Business Technology Association
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.
