IDA Universal

I DA U N I V E R S A L J u l y -Au g u s t 2 0 2 0 4 EDITOR'S NOTES Nancy Estes, MBA, CAE Executive Director/Editor I n researching for my article this month, I googled the phrase "Adapt or Die." I found that idea has been written in books and speeches for almost a century. And with each article somewhere it stated, " e Time is Now." So much for coming up with an impactful and thought provoking topic. I guess the lesson is that life is about change. A friend told me this week, "Some sit and watch change, Some make the changes happen and Some wonder what happened" ha! You guys – the members of IDA – have always fallen in the middle category. What a thrill for me to be along with the ride. A long time member recently wrote me " e market has changed a lot, competition in replacement parts has become horrible because of the far east production and the reduction of quality standards among many European and American distributors." Whether this view is the same as yours or not, I am sure each of you have your own diffi culties and challenges. I have listened to those type of comments evolve from you for decades; but, the cool thing is that Adapt or Die you all (as we would say in Texas) 'pull yourselves up by the boot straps, and get back on that horse'. at is exactly what your Board of Directors are doing. Rather than throw up their hands, when the virus forced a convention cancellation, they refused to break the 62 year old tradition. Refused to let an entire year pass without creating a specialized event for "every size and type business who finds a way on a daily basis to impact our heavy equipment industry… whose critical common bond is their independence from the Original Equipment Manufac- turers AND who is committed to providing solutions to customers who are looking for alternatives to the OEM." IDA is in the creative process of making a VIRTUAL TRADE SHOW WEEK as accessible and full of powerful information as possible. We are searching for the best presenters. If you have ideas or speakers that you have really enjoyed at other functions; or especially if you have attended other virtual shows. Please email the offi ce or the President, Paul Bonovich so it can be shared with the convention committee. One such speaker will be Bob DeStefano. As he wrote in his blog recently " For decades, online marketing was an impor- tant part of business success. But, now it's more critical than ever. With the travel restric- tions and canceled face-to-face meetings, your website is now truly the public face of your company. So, it needs to be your best sales asset." Since the internet is available 24-7, the convention committee would like to include speakers from the eastern as well as the western hemisphere. So anyone can open their laptop and listen to presentations with interna- tional perspectives. e trade show will be also available 24/7. Please plan to be an exhibitor. When people from anywhere and everywhere click on your booth on the trade show layout, they will view whatever you provide (a presentation, graphics, a video of your facility, inventory list, or click to go to your website) Wow! Present your company and your products to the world. Totally diff erent from traditional trade shows, however with much less overhead. EXHIBITORS! It is 3 months away. Start coming up with material that will represent your company and your products. Help IDA make this trade week fabulous; be an IDA member "that makes the changes happen." Best regards, Nancy Virtual Seminar

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