The 27th annual Tool & Equipment Distributors Associates (TEDA) Vendor Advisory Meeting was held June 6-9 in Ellicott City, Md. With 130 pre-registered attendees and 55 exhibiting vendors, this year’s meeting honored its tradition of support and relationship building between its members and vendors.
TEDA is an incorporated marketing organization consisting of tool and equipment warehouse distributors who serve key markets in the U.S. and Canada and who focus on the automotive industry. The organization is committed to creative and innovative marketing of professional tool and equipment products, primarily through “two-step” (warehouse distributor/mobile distribution) channel of distribution.
“This event provides an excellent opportunity [for member and vendors] to formulate ideas and strategies to jumpstart new product offerings, get direct feedback on perspective market products, and in general, what can we do together to achieve targeted goals,” said Chairman of the Board Bob Neu of Neu Tool.
The four-day conference featured its annual highly-anticipated golf outing, a networking cocktail reception, and a two-day exhibit show. Throughout the conference, vendors also had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with TEDA warehouse distributor members. This year, there were 300 scheduled private meetings, marking an all-time high.
Before the exhibit show, TEDA President Glen Pratt gave a brief presentation on the group’s yearly performance, background, objectives and goals, and formally welcomed its 23 first-time attendees.
“As we entered the uncertainties of the pandemic years, there was concerns, however the group achieved double-digit increases both years,” Pratt said.
Looking at 2021 and 2022 performance by product category, 2022 Q2 is already showing an increase in most categories, he noted. For instance, AC tools and equipment is up 50 percent and battery service and power is up 47 percent.
“During the 2021 program year, TEDA group had an outstanding year finish with 20 percent increase and 2022 is off to a great start – up by 24 percent,” Pratt said.
During the exhibit show, each member was given seven minutes to visit with each vendor to view and learn about new and upcoming products as well as fall promotions.
“The exhibit show affords our vendors an opportunity to review key products, introduce new items, and present fall promotions to a targeted audience of tool and equipment principals plus key sales, purchasing, and marketing personnel,” Pratt said.
As the event wrapped up, Pratt noted the distributor members were “extremely pleased with this year’s event” and that everything ran smooth, attitudes were upbeat, and the vendors introduced many exciting new products.
The 2023 TEDA Vendor Advisory Meeting is scheduled for June 12-15 in Ellicott City, Md.
View more photos from the event here.
