By Georgia H. Foley
STAFDA CEO

Georgia H. Foley

In this election year, we’re bombarded with conflicting messages from politicians at the local, state, and national level. They mud sling back and forth and voters are left with the decision of who has the most meaningful and effective message. Consistent messaging is what voters want.

Since 1977, STAFDA has been delivering a consistent message to its members and that message centers around quality educational programs, fostering connections to enhance professional and personal success and advance the industry’s growth. STAFDA has never waivered from these three core tenets.

All three are most visible at STAFDA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show. Held in Q4 each year, it allows distributors to source new lines at the Trade Show while providing exhibiting manufacturers the opportunity to debut new products and incentivize distributors with show-only specials or preferred terms. It’s a win-win and STAFDA’s 250 independent rep agent members benefit as well by meeting with current or potential vendors and catching up with their distributor customers.

Sunday morning’s workshops focus on key business topics and for a second year, we’ve added a special luncheon for Women in Distribution along with an Emerging Leaders Forum for rising company stars. College students majoring in distribution, the supply chain, or a related field are back for members to interview.

The students will begin their Nashville experience with a Supply Chain Competition where they’re tasked with turning around a fictitious manufacturer who is struggling with sales, operations, distribution, finance, and logistics. The students compete against their peers from other attending colleges with the top three teams advancing to an international supply chain competition! These students are selected by their school’s faculty and are the cream of the crop. Don’t pass up the opportunity to meet them!

You can’t go to Nashville and not do something musically related! STAFDA’s done a buy-out of the Country Music Hall of Fame for a two hour party Sunday night. With Nashville’s nightlife only two blocks away, the STAFDA Country Bash will get attendees primed for the night that lies ahead! There will be top entertainment on all four levels of the Hall of Fame and plenty of food and beverage for the evening.

STAFDA’s Trade Show floor plan had to be reconfigured three times over the summer to accommodate more 20 by 20 islands and keep up with exhibitor demand. The Power Aisle showcasing new products has been expanded, and new for Nashville, is a STAFDA Theater where exhibitors can give a larger, targeted audience a more detailed product demonstration.

STAFDA continues to evolve with the times but one thing will never change: Consistent Messaging: quality education; making the right connections and advancing industry growth.

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2024 issue of Contractor Supply magazine. Copyright, 2024 Direct Business Media.

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CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE

The October/November 2024 of Contractor Supply magazine is here!

Our cover story, A Rewarding Passion - Dale Hahs II, third-generation of Denver's AIS Industrial & Construction Supply, is STAFDA's incoming 2025 president.

A Special STAFDA section featuring a welcome address, an agenda, session previewss by presenters and much more. Also in this issue are our Industry Updates on: Lifting, Moving and Material Handling; Lasers, Levels and Measurement; Hand Tools; Cordless Power Tools; Drill Bits and Cutting Tools; and Toolboxes, Bags and Belts.

This digital edition, sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc., is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!