Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced this week that it is taking precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants by postponing its Dealer Summit. Originally scheduled for Aug. 23–25, the event was intended to help dealer partners focus on growth opportunities amid an evolving business landscape by building and enhancing their digital transformation (DX) offerings. Educational sessions were planned to address current marketplace disruptions while serving to motivate and reinvigorate dealers’ business strategy across multiple areas.
The decision was predicated on recently updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for fully vaccinated people. The CDC is now recommending that everyone wear a mask in indoor public settings in areas of substantial and high transmission, regardless of vaccination status.
“While we are disappointed to have to postpone this event, ensuring the health and safety of our dealers, press and employees is, of course, our top priority,” said Sam Errigo, COO, Konica Minolta. “We remain committed to reinvigorating the channel, and will continue our ongoing dialogue with dealer partners, providing strategies to diversify their offerings and ensure success.”
In line with the CDC’s recommendations, Konica Minolta has also updated its plans to return to the office, encouraging employees who can work remotely to do so through September, and mandating masks in the office, during contact with customers and at work-related events. The company has been steadfast since the start of the pandemic, tracking and tracing employees and taking necessary measures to ensure the cleanliness of its facilities, and will continue to do so.
Konica Minolta will maintain the robust support it has provided its dealer partners remotely to respond to dynamic market changes, optimize their business relevancy and safeguard future revenue. This includes the adoption of IT Services through All Covered, workflow automation, workplace technologies and production print. Dealers should continue to leverage Konica Minolta’s Client Experience Center (CEC) and can request a virtual or in-person demo online. Through daily live and recorded virtual demos from this 18,000 square foot production print product showroom, the CEC created a new selling model last year – deals were closed on new units sight unseen – a trend the company expects to continue.
“Everyone at Konica Minolta was looking forward to reuniting in person and virtually with our dealers to share new ideas and just spend overdue time together,” said Laura Blackmer, senior vice president, dealer sales. “We will reschedule as soon as we can do so without concerns for health or safety. Until then, we will continue to support our dealers in every way we can.”
Konica Minolta will continue to monitor advice from the CDC and reschedule its Dealer Summit event when appropriate based on its guidelines.
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for 14 consecutive years and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society.
