STAFDA Reveals Workshop Hosts for Phoenix Convention
A variety of workshops will be available for attendees of the Specialty Tools & Fasteners Distributors Association Convention and Trade Show in Phoenix this fall.
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| A diverse line of educational workshops will be featured at the STAFDA Phoenix Convention and Trade Show. |
Set for November 9-11 at the Phoenix Convention Center, the event will include a diverse mix of educational opportunities.
Whether distributors, manufacturers, reps, newcomers or well-established leaders, attendees will be able to set their own agenda to meet their individual goals by participating in the programs being offered.
Here’s a look at some of what will be available:
Sunday, November 9
As exhibitors are setting up for the trade show, four concurrent workshops will be going to kick-off the learning experience. The four programs run concurrently from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and then repeat again from 10:30 a.m. to noon, allowing attendees to participate in the two that interest them the most.
- The Self-Empowerment Cycle, Dirk Beveridge: Success in today’s world isn’t just about leadership titles, it’s about taking ownership of your growth, influence, and future. The Self-Empowerment Cycle is a transformative workshop designed to help attendees break through barriers, take bold action, and unlock their full potential, whether in their career, leadership, or personal life.
- Value-Added Selling with CoachVAS.ai, Paul Reilly
This workshop will focus on the customer-oriented philosophy to add value, not cost; sell value, not price. Value-added salespeople are more focused on making a difference than just making a deal. They know that a cheap price is not the only way to compete, rather they compete with their total value-added solution. Discover how to use tech, including AI, to help add value without losing personal touch. Introducing CoachVAS.ai, an interactive AI tool crafted from the principles, strategies, and tactics of Value-Added Selling
- How to Be an Influencer in Any Market, Mike Staver
Markets change. People change. Circumstances change. There are certain successful principles that are market resistant and if you apply those principles consistently you will be an influencer in any market. Learn the principles necessary to navigate and understand the conditions that lead to being influential. -
Finding Your Why: Creating a Compelling Brand Story, Steve Yastrow
Why do customers buy from your company? Why would they be loyal to you? The answers to those questions can unlock a company’s potential for success and differentiate it from the competition. Every company has a purpose, a foundational reason to exist. Under Steve Yastrow guidance, business leaders will be guided in find the why and unify that with their brand and customer experience. Yastrow’s approach to branding transforms how leadership, employees, and customers think about and interact with companies.
Noon-1:30 p.m. Women in Distribution Luncheon
- Women in a Male-Dominated Field, Megan Greenwood
This year’s Women in Distribution session will be led by Greenwood Brewing founder and owner Megan Greenwood at the brewery’s outdoor beer garden. Founded in 2017, Greenwood Brewing is a local woman-owned, women-inspired brewery. Greenwood started her brewery when she began to contract brew with a local brewer to get her product into the hands of consumers. In an industry largely dominated by men, women sometimes feel intimidated or underrepresented in the craft beer scene. Her goal was to create a beer allowing women to feel welcome in the industry, something women in STAFDA can relate to.
1:30-3:30 p.m.: Emerging Leaders Forum
- The Art of Storytelling, Don Yaeger
Called “one of our generation’s best storytellers” by many of today’s great business and thought leaders, Don Yaeger is a 12-time New York Times bestselling author who has spent a lifetime studying the most effective elements of a well-told story. From that experience, he’ll teach attendees how to apply those elements to tell their own stories. It is an opportunity to fine tune your ability to share great stories with the next generation of leaders at your company. When you use the power of storytelling to influence others, you unlock the ability to convert your thoughts, experiences, goals, sales pitches, or presentations for greater impact and deeper connections.
Monday, November 10
9-11 a.m. General Session
- State-of-the-Industry Address
Dale Hahs II, 2025 STAFDA president and Georgia Foley, STAFDA CEO, will offer insight on the state of the distribution industry. - Keynote Address
Conservationist, geophysicist, and adventurer Pasquale Scaturro is set to offer the keynote address. The focus of Scaturro’s general session presentation and Q/A will be his historic 114-day, 3,260-mile Nile First Descent Expedition. It was the first complete descent of the Blue Nile from its source high in the mountains of Ethiopia down the full length of the Nile River to its mouth at the Mediterranean Sea.
Tuesday, November 11
8-9:30 a.m. Economic Update, Alex Chausovsky
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The U.S. macro economy finished 2024 on a strong note, with the consumer acting as the main growth driver. However, the industrial (B2B) sector faced substantial headwinds as aggressive interest rate policy decisions by the Fed mostly stamped out inflation but also raised borrowing costs and stifled capital investment. Now that the rate cutting cycle has begun, the Fed is looking to strike a balance between keeping a lid on inflation while preventing the economy and the job market from deteriorating. However, for 2025, President Trump’s agenda, particularly his tax cut, immigration, and tariff policies, are bound to have a substantial impact. What does this mean for the economy and your business? This workshop will deliver practical and actionable advice designed to help attendees plan for future economic conditions and continuously improve their company’s strategic planning initiatives.
Alex Chausovsky
Registration for STAFDA’s Phoenix Convention & Trade Show opens Monday, June 23, at 8 a.m. CST from the members-only section of its website, stafda.org.
STAFDA’s host hotels, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown and Renaissance Phoenix Downtown, will also begin accepting reservations within STAFDA’s room block on June 23.
For more information on the STAFDA Convention & Trade Show or membership, please contact Catherine Usher, cusher@stafda.org, 262-784-4774 or 800-352-2981.
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