More than 600 members of NACD joined us in November at our first in-person Annual Meeting in two years – a remarkable turnout for any year, and especially outstanding given the current situation with COVID-19.
Of course, this particular event was also special for many other reasons – not least because it marked the association’s 50th anniversary and the 30th year of the Responsible Distribution program.
A lot of planning went into those few days last month and we really focused on attracting our best-ever lineup of speakers. And judging by the post-meeting feedback, it seems we achieved our goal.
Among the many highlights was former President Bush taking to the stage for his informal but insightful conversation with NACD’s President and CEO, Eric Byer. All of us were thoroughly absorbed by his anecdotes about both his time in office and his previous professional life.
A hilarious addition to the agenda was the opening speaker and acclaimed golf analyst David Feherty who brought the importance of enjoying what you do to the fore. He even joined us for our golfing competition that afternoon.
There were, of course, our regulatory session which was abundant with updates, the return of ITR Economics’ Alan Beaulieu, and a deep dive into the ongoing shipping crisis with ACC’s President and CEO Chris Jahn.
Perhaps one of the best decisions we made was moving the reception gala from the final night to Wednesday night so more people could stay and enjoy the evening.
To me, the Annual Meeting is all about times like these and being able to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. That is, after all, what makes this association so special.
We’ve got members representing smaller local distributors, global businesses, and all those in between. And although many of us are competitors, it says something that we’re still able to come together at meetings like this to share experiences, best practices, and address some very challenging issues.
Given everything we’ve been experiencing lately, I think this year’s event seemed particularly special because we’ve missed it all so much.
Understandably, there was initially a little anxiety in the air, but the NACD team and the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort staff did a fantastic job and managed everything brilliantly.
In the run-up to the meeting, a lot of thought went into how best to apply the various COVID-19 protocols and make it as safe as possible for all attendees. Our goal was to allow people to enjoy the event without measures being too restrictive and in the end protocols were established to achieve that goal successfully.
I’m sure everyone there would agree that it was a great experience being together once again, networking and sharing ideas. Such was its success that NACD is completely focused on hosting more live events in 2022.
Plans are already underway for next year’s Annual Meeting when we’ll be heading to the west coast and the Hotel Del Coronado beach resort in San Diego, California. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.
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