The DCKAP Round-Up 2024 Offered Manufacturers and Distributors an Opportunity to Raise a Glass and Celebrate Together!
The DCKAP Round-Up 2024: Gathering for Manufacturers and Distributors took place on the evening of August 27, 2024, at the Adler Planetarium, in Chicago, Illinois. This event was the third of its kind, and a culmination of everything DCKAP stands for, with our steadfast focus on supporting the distribution and manufacturing communities in full force.
Our DCKAP Round-Up events are a unique opportunity for manufacturers, distributors, leaders and industry experts from every corner to get together for an evening to celebrate, network, and share important insights.
The evening kicked off with cocktails and appetizers, allowing our guests the chance to mingle, cheers, and network with friends and acquaintances, mixing together with all the folks across various fields in their industries that came together at this one of a kind event.
Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP – Welcoming & Keynote
“Because of the way you run your business, you need many systems. And these systems need to talk to each other.”
After the initial hour of networking, our sessions began. It started with a welcome note and keynote address by Karthik Chidambaram, Founder & CEO of DCKAP. During his keynote, Karthik highlighted the important role that software plays in businesses, and how companies rely on many different systems in order to run their business.
He touched upon the importance of reliable integration and how pivotal it is in aiding success and future growth. Additionally, he reiterated DCKAP’s commitment to produce great products and value-based content specifically for the manufacturing and distribution industries.
Daniel Josephs, CEO of Spruce Industries – Leveraging Technology For Continued Success
“Having everything be able to communicate together has made [our sales team] so much more in tune with their accounts.”
The keynote was then followed by a conversation with Daniel Josephs, CEO of Spruce Industries. Karthik and Daniel sat down to discuss the story of Spruce Industries, how they navigated and climbed to their current success, and how they drove innovation within the company and their sector. Their integration success story is one that showcases just how important it is for future growth.
Daniel also highlighted their driving principles of dedication to the customer, with world-class service, creative collaboration, and good old family values. When talking more about this, Daniel explained, “Our purpose, if I really had to boil it down, is that we are a family-run business that is striving everyday to make the lives of everybody better by providing a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone to work, live and travel.”
Tom Gale, CEO of MDM – Business Model Innovation and AI In Distribution
“It’s about leveraging technology in very practical ways to help create closer customer relationships.”
Next up was the featured speaker for the event – Tom Gale, CEO of Modern Distribution Management, which was recently acquired by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW). He highlighted the increased importance that distributors were placing on business model innovation and the role AI can and will be playing in helping businesses succeed in the near future.
“The real power here is that AI can take that ability to personalize and engage customers. And I think over the next couple of years, that’s where we’ll see the focus of AI go,” Tom said. Emphasizing how this would play in the world of distribution, he further stated, “It’s not about spending gazillions of dollars to have technology in place. It’s about leveraging technology in very practical ways to help create closer customer relationships.”
Mark Brohan, Senior VP of B2B and Market Research at Digital Commerce 360 – The Growth of B2B in a Digitally Driven World
“These digitally driven buyers have a user experience that they want to pay off with what their organization requires.”
Mark Brohan, Senior Vice President of B2B and Market Research at Digital Commerce 360, took to the stage next to talk about the rapid growth of B2B e-commerce. He spoke in depth about how the buyer behavior is shifting from single buyers towards a more team-based, omni-channel procurement, and the increased importance of a strong, digitally-driven, user interface.
Talking about B2B buyers online, Mark explained, “where a lot of companies today are choosing to focus on, and need to focus on, is that digitally-driven buyer team is looking for a digitally-driven experience, across not just one, not just three — as many as five to seven to eleven different channels.”
After assembling everyone for a group photo, the event closed with a final time for networking and sharing a last drink together, and a chance for our attendees to witness one of Adler Planetarium’s award-winning Sky Shows – Welcome to the Universe. It was an out of this world experience, and a perfect way to close out the night.
A very special ‘thank you’ to all of our amazing speakers for their contribution to the sessions, and our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended the event. We look forward to continuing to be a resource of education and networking, as we strive to continue building a strong community for the manufacturing and distribution industry!
Watch the Highlight Reel of the Event Here –
And you can find all the sessions from the event here: DCKAP Round-Up 2024
For more details about all our events, visit the DCKAP Events portal. To learn about the benefits of successful ERP integration, check out the DCKAP Distributor Blog. & Be sure to subscribe to the Driven by DCKAP Podcast for compelling interviews with leaders and experts in the industry!
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