Paul Keith

This event is held over a three day span and is put on by the Advertising Specialty Institute, an organization that provides news, information, and assistance to the promotional products industry. Included in the show are individual classes on new products and trends, as well as a manufacturer exhibit that included over 1000 companies. The trade show allowed attendees to see first hand the products that are currently or soon will be available. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about the industry and look for new ideas to bring back for our customers. Attending these types of events allows us to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and to spot new trends as they begin.

Best Business Systems toured a manufacturing facility for a company that specializes in commercial printing, flat printing and edge-glued forms. The tour gave us an opportunity to learn more about the process involved in printing the items that we provide. It also gave us the opportunity to learn a little more about the many options we have to offer our customers.

PSDA, formerly DMIA, a trade organization for people in the business forms, printing and promotional product industry, holds smaller trade shows that travel around the country. These shows allow those who might not make it to the bigger show they hold annually to get in touch with new suppliers, learn more about the state of the industry, and just network with their fellow distributors.

PSDA, formerly DMIA, a trade organization for people in the business forms, printing and promotional product industry, holds this conference once per year. Each year Best Business Systems sends a contigent to keep abreast of the new technologies and applications that could help our customers. This year was no exception. In addition to meeting many other in our industries and sharing ideas, we were able to learn in a classroom setting about such things as what type of ink is best for the newer fabrics, building better relationships with our customers through e-commerce, and much more. In addition, we were treated to a special appearance by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gringrich, who spoke on the changing technology and how it will be affecting the economy as a whole and how to best keep up with these changes.

This event has been held in places like Chicago and Dallas. Next year, it will be in Denver. The show is held for the franchises of the national company called Servpro. Individual franchises attend the show looking for ideas and products that will help their business. Because we had a large contingent in our booth, we were able to spend more quality time with each visitor, learning what their needs were, and how we could help.

The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is a not-for-profit trade organization for companies in the promotional products business. Each January they hold their annual show with thousands of attendees from around the country. Included in the show are individual classes on new products and trends, as well as a manufacturer exhibit that included over 1000 companies. Included in the educations sessions that we attended are classes on: Expanding Client Loyalty, Apparel Trends, Electronic Art, Utilizing Creativity, and Effective Time Savers, among others. The trade show allowed attendees to see first hand the products that are currently or soon will be available. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about the industry and look for new ideas to bring back for our customers. Attending these types of events allows us to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and to spot new trends as they begin.

DMIA, a trade organization for people in the business forms, printing and promotional product industry, holds this conference once per year. Each year Best Business Systems sends a contigent to keep abreast of the new technologies and applications that could help our customers. This year was no exception. In addition to meeting many other in our industries and sharing ideas, we were able to learn in a classroom setting about such things as what type of ink is best for the newer fabrics, building better relationships with our customers through e-commerce, and much more. In addition, we were treated to a special appearance by former Speaker of the House, Newt Gringrich, who spoke on the changing technology and how it will be affecting the economy as a whole and how to best keep up with these changes.

Manufacturers from across the country attended the 2006 show in order to show us the most current and new items, as well as introduce to popular products we may have forgotten. Many good connections were made as we all hit the show floor with the thought in our mind to find neat and unique sales tools for our customers.

This event has been held in places like Chicago and Dallas. Next year, it will be in Palms Springs. This year, they held it in our own backyard of Nashville, allowing more of us to attend. The show is held for the franchises of the national company called Servpro. Individual franchises attend the show looking for ideas and products that will help their business. Because we had a large contingent in our booth, we were able to spend more quality time with each visitor, learning what their needs were, and how we could help.

Paul Keith attended the 2006 Manufacturer and Supplier Print Conference in Philadelphia. There is a detailed write-up in the July issue of <a href="http://www.printsolutionsmag.com/" target="_blank">Print Solutions</a> magazine. Below are some excerpts from the article: <blockquote> <h5>Rebates and Snagging Distributors</h5> <p> One roundtable discussion focused on the touchy subject of offering rebates to distributors. Panel members included a manufacturer, Casey Campbell, president and CEO of <a href="http://www.printegra.com/" target="_blank">Printegra</a>, Peachtree City, Ga., and two distributors, Paul Keith, former president of <a href="http://www.ibasonline.com" target="_blank">International Business Solutions Alliance</a> and current president and CEO of <a href="http://www.bestbusinesssystems.com">Best Business Systems</a>, Bowling Green, Ky., and Graham McClean, co-founder of <a href="http://www.gdxinc.com/" target="_blank">Global DocuGraphix</a>.</p> </blockquote> <p><a style='font-style: italic; font-size: small' href='http://www.bestbusinesssystems.com/images/supplier_conf_pic.jpg' target='_blank' onCLick=" window.open('http://www.bestbusinesssystems.com/images/supplier_conf_pic.jpg','pic_frame','status=no,location=no,toolbar=no,width=500,height=250'); return false;">Click here to see a picture</a></p>

This meeting of industry suppliers was designed to allow people in the same business to learn from the experience of others. At this event, our own President, Paul Keith, was a presenter on the subject of Rebates and Snagging Customers.

Paul Keith attended DMIA's 2006 Spring Management Conference at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, Florida. From DMIA's website: <blockquote> Last week, 162 attendees gathered ... to discuss business strategies, develop partnerships and exchange ideas... Many left with a lot more. </p> <p> Sales and sales team management were among the most popular topics at the educational retreat held April 26-29, and most attendees mentioned a sales tip or revelation they planned to implement. </p> </blockquote> <p>You can <a href="http://www.dmia.org/em/plan_conf.html" target="_blank">read more here</a>.</p>

Spring Management is a once a year opportunity for people in the printing, forms, and promotional products industry to get together in a setting more intimate than the larger conference in October. Discussions were held on a number of subjects ranging from the needs of Healthcare clients to the newest technologies such as RFID labels.

This conference, sponsored by DMIA, is held to allow growing distributors to gather and share information and learn from each other. Topics included Customer Service, Graphics, Promotional Material, Integrated Products, Disaster Recovery, and much more. "We came away with a lot of new information and were able to help others that are in a similar position as we are," said James.

The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is a not-for-profit trade organization for companies in the promotional products business. Each January they hold their annual show with thousands of attendees from around the country. Included in the show are individual classes on new products and trends, as well as a manufacturer exhibit that included over 1000 companies. Included in the educations sessions that we attended are classes on: Expanding Client Loyalty, Apparel Trends, Electronic Art, Utilizing Creativity, and Effective Time Savers, among others. The trade show allowed attendees to see first hand the products that are currently or soon will be available. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about the industry and look for new ideas to bring back for our customers. Attending these types of events allows us to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and to spot new trends as they begin.

The Document Management Industry Association (DMIA) is a trade organization of companies in the business forms and printing industry. Each year, they hold their annual trade show called Print Solutions. Covering a 4 day span, this event includes the industry’s largest trade show, allowing hundreds of manufacturers to connect with hundreds of distributors in a face to face meeting. A trade show such as this is an opportunity for us to find new suppliers that could help us improve service, turnaround time, or our ability to provide competitive pricing. In addition to the trade show, there are dozens of education sessions covering a wide range of topics. <p> This year, we attended sessions on E-Commerce, RFID Technology, Website Marketing, Determining Return on Investment, Business Process Improvement, Marketing and Marketing Tools, Variable Data Printing, Web-to-Print, and Solutions based selling. In addition, we enjoyed 2 separate receptions including music from a Beach Boys cover band and our own version of Survivor. We also were able to hear a speech from two printing industry veterans who also happened to have participating on the reality show 'Amazing Race.'

<p> This workshop was designed to help Best Business Systems employees improve in their ability to “Stick To It”. The workshop was created by Lee J. Cohan and distributed by the CornerStone Leader Institute. The main theme of this education session was how to more consistently execute our plans. Details of the workshop were aimed at improve our Focus on what we want to do as a company and what our core Values are. In addition, we learned techniques on how to improve on the follow through of our initiatives and how, as a company, we could improve our internal processes and our external image. </p> <p> To see pictures taken at this workshop, <a href='http://www.bestbusinesssystems.com/workshop.asp'>click here</a>. </p>

<p> Put on by DMIA, a trade organizations for professionals in the business forms and printing industry, this event was a mini-trade show that travels to different cities around the country. Close to 30 different manufacturers exhibit their products for attendees.</p>

The Spring Management Conference is held each year in a different location and offers a wide variety of education opportunities for attendees. At the most recent event, our attendees sat in on classes that focused on improving our knowledge of emerging products such as direct mail, commercial printing, and promotional products, as well as more focused classes on trade show marketing and sales training. In addition, this conference is designed to bring together professionals from around the country who share the common bond of being in the same business. By spending time with other attendees, we learn a great deal about what is happening in our industry from like-minded people in the field.

This event was held to provide educational information specific to the healthcare industry. Fresh off of landing a national account that includes hospitals and clinics throughout the country, IBSA held several certifications such as these in order to provide training specific to a complex market, healthcare. Information provided included information on contact points within a hospital, specific needs of specific departments within a facility, products that are unique to this market, and the differences between the needs of a hospital versus a clinic versus a doctor’s office. In addition, we learned additional information about how regulations such as HIPAA and JHACO drive the purchasing requirements of this market and how we can assist our healthcare customers in compliance

This event was held to provide educational information specific to the healthcare industry. Fresh off of landing a national account that includes hospitals and clinics throughout the country, IBSA held several certifications such as these in order to provide training specific to a complex market, healthcare. Information provided included information on contact points within a hospital, specific needs of specific departments within a facility, products that are unique to this market, and the differences between the needs of a hospital versus a clinic versus a doctor’s office. In addition, we learned additional information about how regulations such as HIPAA and JHACO drive the purchasing requirements of this market and how we can assist our healthcare customers in compliance.

This event was held to provide educational information specific to the healthcare industry. Fresh off of landing a national account that includes hospitals and clinics throughout the country, IBSA held several certifications such as these in order to provide training specific to a complex market, healthcare. Information provided included information on contact points within a hospital, specific needs of specific departments within a facility, products that are unique to this market, and the differences between the needs of a hospital versus a clinic versus a doctor’s office. In addition, we learned additional information about how regulations such as HIPAA and JHACO drive the purchasing requirements of this market and how we can assist our healthcare customers in compliance.

The Document Management Industry Association (DMIA) is a trade organization of companies in the business forms and printing industry. Each year, they hold their annual trade show called Print Solutions. Covering a 4 day span, this event includes the industry’s largest trade show, allowing hundreds of manufacturers to connect with hundreds of distributors in a face to face meeting. A trade show such as this is an opportunity for us to find new suppliers that could help us improve service, turnaround time, or our ability to provide competitive pricing. In addition to the trade show, there are dozens of education sessions covering a wide range of topics. The topics could be a simple session on what commercial printing is and who potential customers are for it, or as complex as discussion of a new technology solution such as RFID labels and tags and how they will affect the industry. Also, the sessions can cover marketing topics such as how to develop your website and market it to generate traffic, or how to approach a particular market segment.

This event was held to provide educational information specific to the healthcare industry. Fresh off of landing a national account that includes hospitals and clinics throughout the country, IBSA held several certifications such as these in order to provide training specific to a complex market, healthcare. Information provided included information on contact points within a hospital, specific needs of specific departments within a facility, products that are unique to this market, and the differences between the needs of a hospital versus a clinic versus a doctor’s office. In addition, we learned additional information about how regulations such as HIPAA and JHACO drive the purchasing requirements of this market and how we can assist our healthcare customers in compliance.

Best Business Systems was a charter member of IBSA, with Paul Keith founding the organization in 2002. This conference held at the Sloane Convention Center in Bowling Green was its first annual conference, featuring a trade show, educational sessions, and an awards ceremony. Coordinated by Paul Keith and James Burchett, the event brought together over 250 people from around the country. Educational sessions included information on direct mail, 1 to 1 marketing, promotional products, product information for the healthcare market, and numerous other sessions that were specific to the IBSA organization model. It also offered the opportunity to network and “talk shop” with representatives of similar businesses from as far away as California, New York, and Hawaii.

Xetex Xebra is a software program specific to the business forms, printing, and promotional products industry. The software allows for order entry that is geared towards our specific product types, accounting activities, and inventory and distribution functions. Best Business Systems switched to using the Xetex software in 2002 in an effort to update our software to provide the latest tools to our employees, as well as streamline the process to improve service and turnaround time to our customers. Each year, Xetex holds a users conference for their customers across the country to come and learn what is new with the software. Each session at the conference is designed to cover the past, present, and future of the software. Individual sessions included higher end training on particular segments of the program, such as inventory or accounting.

The Spring Management Conference is held each year in a different location and offers a wide variety of education opportunities for attendees. At the most recent event, our attendees sat in on classes that focused on improving our knowledge of emerging products such as direct mail, commercial printing, and promotional products, as well as more focused classes on trade show marketing and sales training. In addition, this conference is designed to bring together professionals from around the country who share the common bond of being in the same business. By spending time with other attendees, we learn a great deal about what is happening in our industry from like-minded people in the field.

International Business Solutions Alliance (IBSA) is an organization on independent distributors, such as Best Business Systems, that joined together in order to go after national account customers that a local distributor could not assist on their own. The Fast Growth Conference was held in the early stages of the organization and was designed to further educate its members on what IBSA was trying to accomplish and how they could assist.

The Document Management Industry Association (DMIA) is a trade organization of companies in the business forms and printing industry. Each year, they hold their annual trade show called Print Solutions. Covering a 4 day span, this event includes the industry’s largest trade show, allowing hundreds of manufacturers to connect with hundreds of distributors in a face to face meeting. A trade show such as this is an opportunity for us to find new suppliers that could help us improve service, turnaround time, or our ability to provide competitive pricing. In addition to the trade show, there are dozens of education sessions covering a wide range of topics. The topics could be a simple session on what commercial printing is and who potential customers are for it, or as complex as discussion of a new technology solution such as RFID labels and tags and how they will affect the industry. Also, the sessions can cover marketing topics such as how to develop your website and market it to generate traffic, or how to approach a particular market segment.

Xetex Xebra is a software program specific to the business forms, printing, and promotional products industry. The software allows for order entry that is geared towards our specific product types, accounting activities, and inventory and distribution functions. Best Business Systems switched to using the Xetex software in 2002 in an effort to update our software to provide the latest tools to our employees, as well as streamline the process to improve service and turnaround time to our customers. Each year, Xetex holds a users conference for their customers across the country to come and learn what is new with the software. Each session at the conference is designed to cover the past, present, and future of the software. Individual sessions included higher end training on particular segments of the program, such as inventory or accounting.

Specific to our industry of business forms and printing, a DMIA Round Table is a smaller gathering of distributor members (approximately 25-50) who gather for the purpose of discussion in an open forum the latest trends in our industry. While there are topics of discussion on the agenda, the conversation is allowed to develop without the constraints that a larger, education session might impose.

Professional Records & Information Services Management (PRISM) International is a not-for-profit trade organization of records management and media vault service providers from around the world. This annual event brings those professionals together for an opportunity to share notes and to attend education and training sessions. Some of the educational opportunities included sessions on employee retention, emerging technologies, proven sales techniques, and in depth analysis of key vertical markets. Attending this kind of event allows us to stay on top of what is current within our industry and what issues have arisen for other companies and their customers that we might be able to learn from. In addition to the education sessions, there is a trade show with suppliers exhibiting their products, including the latest bar code technologies, shelving options, and software solutions.