CONFERENCE 51 PRINTITRESELLER.UK 29 Integra’s National Conference is firmly established in the calendar as a must-attend event in the industry. Year on year members feedback on the invaluable opportunity to come together under one roof, to network with like-minded business owners, share ideas in a non-competitive environment, and take best practice back into their businesses. The Supplier Exhibition remains a key component of the event, with members and suppliers alike valuing the opportunity to meet in person, to discuss sales strategies, promotions, and get a first look at new product launches for the coming year. Opening address The agenda included a series of highly topical and informative keynote presentations. Integra CEO Aidan McDonough opened the proceedings, reflecting back on some of the changes in the industry over the past thirty years and applauding members for continuing to adapt and evolve to address everchanging market demands. He pointed out that Integra is the members’ business, on a one member, Integra Elevate Your Business 2024 National Conference one share basis, reported the Group is financially sound with a strong balance sheet and provided a recap on adjacent cash-generative solutions including Catalyst, the Initiative brand and the Integra Creative studio. Sustainability was also another topic he covered, urging members to take advantage of the opportunities to sell more eco-friendly products and to take steps now to develop a net zero strategy with the group’s Green Initiative platform and partnership with the Planet Mark there to help them. Is the office still relevant? Nathan Budd, Consulting Director at IDC provided a comprehensive data set that clearly demonstrated that today’s office is no longer a fixed static place, and that the future of work will be a flexible and hybrid model. After setting the scene and illustrating the point that after pay, the working environment is the main reason people leave their jobs, Budd discussed the purpose of an office. He referenced the advantages of being present in the office to build people’s skills through shadowing and mentoring for example, and spoke about the impact of AI, stating that widespread adoption of the technology will augment how people work, in terms of automating mundane, repetitive tasks, thus freeing up people to make decisions. “AI is the most dramatic change in the workplace,” he said, adding: “However, providing a competitive advantage will only come from people, not machines.” Moving on to explore best practice, Budd stressed the importance of companies adopting a digital-first infrastructure, focusing on security, and flexible space management, the use of sensors to track movement and measure Integra hosted over 200 members, guests, and representatives from 49 key partners, at the 2024 ‘Elevate Your Business’ National Conference, which took place at The Hilton, St George’s Park, Burton Upon Trent, on March 6 how the space is being used, as well as ensuring the user experience is seamless. “Organisations will need to define what an office looks like based on what they need and the ability to manage, predict and pre-empt the office environment as critical factors for success. It will be key to make the workspace work for people and organisations, if we are to encourage people to come back in,” he concluded. AI and managed content In this highly informative session, Patrick Donnelly, Business Unit Leader at ES Tech Group tabled a number of practical ways in which members can elevate their business using AI and managed content. He focused on four key areas that need to be aligned: Commerce – via a best-in-class B2B platform; Content – product content that sells; Connectivity – integration with ERP platforms; and Communication – personalisation and customer segmentation to drive engagement and conversion. Donnelly explored some of the challenges around not deploying the four ‘Cs’ effectively, citing the pandemic which saw e-commerce become the top strategy for survival, with 34% of small businesses attempting it and poor execution leading to low success rates. In terms of best practice, Donnelly urged members to partner with vendors with a track record of innovation and investment, and to use data and analytics to drive decision-making. Speaking about AI, he said: “AI is going to turn the world upside down.” The future of B2B sales is hybrid According to Gordon Christiansen, Partner at Highlands, the future of B2B sales is hybrid – involving a combination of digital and in-person continued... Aidan McDonough Nathan Budd Gordon Christiansen
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