Moving the Needle at MODEX 2016

Moving the Needle at MODEX 2016

While we always look forward to going to Modex, there was an especially big run-up to the show this year, and it seemed as though there was more buzz surrounding the show than ever. Expectations were high, and hopes were even higher. It’s easy to imagine, then, how cool it was for us to get even more out of the show this year than we had expected. We wrote before the show about how to get the most out of Modex, but didn’t talk as much about what there is to do at the show and how it can help to actually “move the needle” in terms of business operations.

This year, we had some great experiences and have seen some really tangible results from spending a couple of days learning, planning and building relationships at Modex 2016.

MODEX was Networking at its Finest

Modex proved to be an excellent venue for networking with customers, vendors and manufacturers. Over the course of two days, we were able to meet with over 30 different companies by visiting booths, meeting at local food venues and attending networking events. We could finally pair faces with familiar names, met interesting new people, strengthened existing relationships and discussed new business ventures. It would be impossible to meet with this many people in 2 days on an ordinary business trip.

Discovering New Products

By visiting booths, we discovered many new products that we can now offer to our distributors.  For example, we saw and learned about new designs for pallet back stops, solid steel decks and safety guarding.  Now that we have a working knowledge of these products, we can educate our own customers about how they work and offer value in the warehouse.

Would You Like Fries with That? Videos

We had the opportunity to film five new Would You Like Fries with That? videos, covering a variety of new topics that will be highlighted over the next couple of months.  Having the chance to film these videos also taught us about new products and material handling industry highlights. Perhaps most importantly, they’ll enable us to provide more helpful content for our customers and others that are looking to learn more about a wide range of products and some of the lesser-known aspects of pallet rack and material handling.

MHEDA Connections Summit

We participated in MHEDA’s Connections Summit, which reviewed critical impact factors for companies to consider as we move into the future. Linda sat on the Member Panel and discussed topics ranging from technology to social marketing, and from safety to the hiring of skilled team members. The most popular topic we talked about was social marketing, which reinforces the change in selling techniques from face-to-face interactions to primarily internet-based selling.  The panel presentation provided tons of valuable information, and the roundtable discussions fostered helpful back-and-forth conversation.  We met new MHEDA members and connected with current ones.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer a shoutout to our industry friends that made it a great show, like Ridg-U-Rack, Tennsco, UNEX, Wildeck, WEPCO, J&L Wire, Husky, Safety Yellow, DACS and SpaceGuard Products, among others.