Mark your calendars for October 31 – November 2, 2023 and make plans to join us at the Sheraton Kansas City hotel at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri for the 2023 Fall Convention.
Material about the 2023 Fall Convention will be available in mid- to late-July, 2023
2022 Fall Convention Highlights (PDF)
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This schedule from the 2022 convention will give you a good idea of what to expect next year in Kansas City.
Beginning with Roundtable Discussions on Tuesday afternoon and ending with the Joint Industry Reception on Thursday evening, EMDA reps and distributors will fill their convention times with member-to-member contact; manufacturer and supplier interviews; and informative and entertaining convention programs.
Meeting and networking opportunities are the main reason attendees and exhibitors participate in the Fall Convention and EMDA strives to provide the most effective structured means to enable such interaction.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Arrival day for most attendees.
Registration Desk & the Communications Center – Be sure to stop by the Registration Desk to pick up your badge. The Communication Center features profile cards for each convention attendee.
EMDA – Gateway to North America – Get a jump on convention networking with this special roundtable session geared toward manufacturers looking to sell product into North America through reps and/or distributors. A panel of EMDA members will be on hand to help manufacturers learn the keys to creating successful partnerships with distributors and reps.
Member Roundtables –Before jumping in to two full days of meetings and networking, this afternoon is devoted to member-to-member interaction. A highlight of the Association’s Spring meetings is now part of the Fall Convention too. Join Mark Tibbitts as he shares insights into General Implement Distributors. General Implement has been wholesaling farm machinery since 1938 and currently represents more than 40 foreign and domestic wholegood lines.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Joint Opening Session & Breakfast – The EMDA and FEMA Joint Opening Session is designed to bring the members together to “kick-off” their conventions with a dynamic presentation that will set the tone for an intensive week of appointments and meetings.
The Joint Opening Session will feature Lt. Col. Kevin Sweeney presenting “Pressure Cooker Confidence” Integrity, Commitment, Enthusiasm: They’re the attributes of great leaders, great team members and great humans. They’re also the attributes that make Lt. Colonel Kevin Sweeney a nationally respected and recognized expert on leadership, the value of being a great teammate, and performance under pressure. He’ll share his unique insights into leadership, teamwork, and putting yourself into position to have superior performance under pressure. Kevin’s real life story describes a combat mission during which the two engines on his left wing were totally ripped off in mid-air, in the darkness of night, while at maximum weight and on a combat mission. It is a compelling story illustrating how your team can overcome any obstacle facing them.
EMDA’s Corporate Annual Meeting will include nominees for election and/or re-election to the Board, recognition of member milestones, and and updates on Association programs and future events.
Once the business portion of the meeting is done, we’re pleased to have Kim Schmidt, Executive Editor of Lessiter Media’s Ag Division, join us and give her perspectives on the industry.
Lessiter Media is well known as THE news source for the farm equipment industry. You won’t want to miss Kim as she shares her insights from Lessiter Media’s events, like the Dealership Minds Summit and their On The Record podcast, about the state of the industry, grower sentiment and their intentions to make large equipment purchases as well as dealers’ sales outlook for 2022 and 2023.
Since joining the company in June 2012, Kim has served as a writer and editor for Farm Equipment, Ag Equipment Intelligence and Rural Lifestyle Dealer, along with writing, hosting and helping produce the twice-monthly webcast On the Record. In that time, she has since advanced her role into Executive Editor of Farm Equipment. She also helps proofread for No-Till Farmer and Precision Farming Dealer and serves as the intern coordinator. Kim has now moved into a slightly different role and is currently the Executive Editor for the entire ag division, which includes supervising Lessiter Media’s grower titles as well (No-Till Farmer, Strip-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies).
EMDA Contact Session – EMDA’s Contact Session is designed to provide manufacturers an opportunity for a quick introductory interview with individual EMDA member reps and distributors. The Contact Session is a “scheduling” event specifically designed to allow manufacturers to make initial contact with EMDA member reps and distributors to establish structured times for appointments during the convention week. New this year – The first 30-minutes of the Contact Session is open to EMDA Associate members only.
Audit your Website: 10 things to improve — Too many times little mistakes keep Google from giving your website credit or other site elements prevent your visitors from finding the right information. EMDA Associate member Spindustry will be available to review your website and give you details on things you need to check and fix on your e-commerce site; most are easy to fix! While walk ins are allowed, if you would like to email Spindustry in advance, they can set a specific time and provide you even more information. Send an email to Ashley Weaver (aweaver@spindustry.com) or Michael Bird, (mbird@spindustry.com), to set a specific time and provide even more information on your site.
The EMDA Partners Party – Wednesday concludes with a fun tradition, the EMDA Partners Party bringing reps and distributors together with the manufacturers that they do business with. The party is a “Thank You” to the manufacturers who understand the value that the EMDA network of distributors and reps provides in bringing their products to the marketplace.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Joint Industry Breakfast Buffet – When you don’t need to schedule a full-blown private appointment, but still need to make contact with certain suppliers – why not meet for breakfast at the Joint Breakfast Buffet.
EMDA’s 2022 Industry Showcase – EMDA’s annual Industry Showcase is a highlight of the Fall Convention, bringing suppliers, distributors, reps and vendors together in almost 100 booths which feature products and services of interest to all. EMDA’s Industry Showcase is the gathering place for the industry at convention time to inform potential customers about products and services. You can grab lunch during the Showcase too. If you’re interested in exhibiting in the Showcase, you’ll find registration information here.
Joint Industry Reception – Thursday concludes with the Joint Industry Reception. Meet your friends for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at this party sponsored by the two associations party – a celebration of great meeting completed – and the perfect time to get in some last minute face-to face with attendees from both FEMA and EMDA.
Joint Farewell Outing – NEW this year – Join us for one final joint networking event. FEMA and EMDA staffs are working out final details for a fun, off-site “farewell” outing. Shuttle buses will run from 6:45p to 9:15p.
Friday, October 28, 2022
Main departure day to head home from Orlando. Or take advantage of group rate at hotel and extend your stay for the weekend.