NALMCO: Strong Conference; Strong Balance Sheet

The 68th  NALMCO Annual Convention and Trade Show was held this week in Orlando at the Omni Championsgate.  It was the first time your humble editor attended the conference in over a decade, and it was great!  The management team hoped for 100 attendees, and they ended up with 176, which is down from prior years, but everyone I talked to was happy with the turnout. 47% of attendees are first-time attendees.

Chip Lawton said, VP of Sales of Solis Lighting, explained, “I love the insightfulness of the show as it helps me to look for more creative ways to present new opportunities to my clients.”

Chris Frank gave a touching tribute to Jared Johnson  who passed away in August and to Bill Scroll who left us on 3 OCT.   Chris will complete Bill’s term as past president on the Board of Directors.

To keep the show safe, NALMCO offered color badge tags:  Green (handshakes welcome), Yellow (fist bumps are preferred), Red (air fives and waves are preferred.)  In talking about networking, Bernie Erickson, Executive Vice President of FSG, stated, “The ability to get face-to-face again and to interact was awesome.”

Speed dating continues to be a highlight of the show and equally well received by exhibitors and attendees.  Every associate member (exhibitor) has a table, and each general member gets 3 minutes.  If the ‘date’ goes well, the general member will request a 10-minute meeting later in the day at the booth.  One manufacturer told me that it was the single most important event at any tradeshow.

Alan Karen, Senior VP Global Sales, for SATCO NUVO Lighting said, “It was great seeing everyone in person and having the opportunity to network with lighting maintenance contractors to better understand their needs.”

The theme of the agenda focused on how NALMCO members can future-proof their business.  Many of the topics focused on ways to diversify their existing business.  Scott Mendelsohn, NALMCO President explained, “During the board meeting on Saturday there was much discussion about targeting non-lighting companies, such as tool and lift companies as associate members.” He went on to say, we want to look outside of the lighting industry.

Other notes:

  • NALMCO has emerged from the pandemic with a strong balance sheet, and they have reserves to cover several years of operating expenses
  • 15 new members including 3 new professional members and 5 associate members
  • Website attracts 13,000 page views per month
  • 47% of attendees are first-time attendees
  • Moving the LM&M Magazine to a Monthly newsletter

The Spring Event 2022 will be in Orlando and the Fall Annual Meeting will be held 16-19 OCT 2022 in Glendale, AZ