Review: Industry

INDUSTRY WEEK ’22 POWERED BY ISG REVIEW

IDC shines brightly in Vegas

Much of the US business supplies sector gathered under the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip in November as Industry Week, powered by ISG, took up residency at Caesars Palace.

The second outing for Industry Week offered a similar format to last year’s inaugural show in Orlando – with a few tweaks. One key difference was apparent early on as AOPD members were invited to join the one-on-one meetings with vendors which dominated the first couple of days on 7-8 November.

As the event progressed, it widened to include all of ISG’s membership, kicking off with a panel discussion on direct buying – a recurring theme – led by ISG’s EVP of Marketing Charles Forman and VP of Merchandising Jill O’Neill.

Day three also saw the start of the education programme which offered a selection of 12 seminars on a range of prevalent topics hosted by both ISG staffers and external industry experts.

WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE

The general session after lunch began with a welcome by ISG CEO Mike Gentile. Next up was a keynote delivered by Phil Kirschner, a senior expert at McKinsey & Company, who spoke about the workplace of the future and what ‘office’ spaces might look like going forward post-pandemic.

Far from work being constrained to either the office or the home, Kirschner referred to “third places” where colleagues will meet and exchange ideas, such as bars, conference areas, hotels and leisure centres.

Also on a workplace note, Kirschner’s illuminating keynote was followed by a series of fascinating one-on-one interviews conducted

MARK THE DATE

An exuberant Mike Gentile announced Industry Week ’23. The date is 8-11 October 2023 and the venues the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and the Ernest N Morial Convention Center by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard. These featured experts from four distinct sectors of the business products industry: cleaning, furniture, breakroom and technology.

Part of the general session was also given over to the 2022 North American Office Products Awards (NAOPA), presented by OPI’s Director Janet Bell (see page 60 for a full NAOPA review). The day concluded with another round of seminar sessions before some much appreciated evening networking and relaxation.

It was back to business the next day with a broad schedule, including updates from trade organisations such as the Business Solutions Association and the Independent Office Products and Furniture Dealers Association as well as several awards presentations.

WHOLESALER UPDATE

The morning further included an Essendant general session hosted by President/CEO Harry Dochelli, who spoke of the challenges the industry is facing and what Essendant is doing to help its dealers tackle them.

In the afternoon, attention turned to the trade show with a real buzz of excitement on the exhibition floor – booths were busy and orders were written.

Industry Week ’22, naturally, concluded with a party. The famous OMNIA Nightclub in Caesars Palace was taken over by ISG with cocktails, delicious food, eclectic music and plenty of dancing. The end – though not quite for some hardcore revellers – of another successful event.

Said Gentile: “The atmosphere was all about the spirit of being independent and genuine entrepreneurship. The members of ISG are truly resilient and ISG will continue to strive to be a progressive force in our industry.”