Press Release:

Fastener Fair Stuttgart 2021:

Registration Open for the
International Fastener Expo 2020 

LAS VEGAS, NV - June 24, 2020 - Registration is open at www.fastenershows.com for the International Fastener Expo (IFE) 2020. IFE 2020 will continue to take place as scheduled on Sept. 28-30 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Halls C & D, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The expo is North America’s most extensive business-to-business tradeshow of its kind for all types of fasteners, machinery & tooling, and other industrial products. 

This September, IFE will host a robust conference schedule with highlights on technology, leadership and business management, and current market challenges and best practices - all in environment that places the health & safety of IFE’s customers and staff as its top priority. IFE, which is owned by Emerald, will be implementing the Company’s Preparedness, Prevention and Response Plan, which outlines the specific protocols being implemented both during the event-planning phase and onsite at IFE. For further information, please click here or visit the show website. 

“This year, more than ever, an event such as IFE is crucial in connecting professionals in the industry. Attendance at IFE allows buyers to connect with their existing suppliers and develop new relationships too. Our team is working hard to ensure an environment that is safe for all those in attendance and has put together a plan detailing on-site protocols,” said Morgan Wilson, show manager, International Fastener Expo. 

Leading industry experts will speak on product standards and materials, quality issues and more. In addition, attendees at IFE can expect to see the latest that is on offer in the industry and stay informed on everything happening in import and export law, trade regulations, and so on through conference sessions at the show. 

Each year, IFE brings together thousands of attendees, buyers, and sellers from across the entire supply chain. These include manufacturers, distributors & master distributors, and OEMs. VIP attendees at IFE are consistently included in Industrial Distribution’s Big 50 List and exhibitors are among the top international and domestic manufacturers, material suppliers, tooling and machinery providers and ancillary services. 

Attendees to the show are encouraged to register early in order to take advantage of early-bird pricing at only $50. Pricing will increase to $75 after June 30, and the on-site fee will be $85. 

To register, visit https://www.fastenershows.com/attendees/register-to-attend/. For more information on IFE, visit www.fastenershows.com.  

About International Fastener Expo
The International Fastener Expo (IFE) is the largest and most diverse gathering of fastener and industrial professionals in North America. Founded in 1981 it serves all reaches of the supply chain, from manufacturer to distributor to OEMs, and features nearly 70 product categories. With over 850 vendors and more than 5,000 attendees from 30+ nations, the International Fastener Expo delivers industry‐leading content and facilitates vital industry connections at their annual three‐day show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the entertainment and trade show capital of North America. International Fastener Expo is owned and produced by Emerald. . 

About Emerald Expositions 
Emerald is a leader in building dynamic, market-driven business-to-business platforms that integrate live events with a broad array of industry insights, digital tools, and data-focused solutions to create uniquely rich experiences. As true partners, we at Emerald strive to build our customers’ businesses by creating opportunities that inspire, amaze, and deliver breakthrough results. With over 140 events each year, our teams are creators and connectors who are thoroughly immersed in the industries we serve and committed to supporting the communities in which we operate. For more information, please visit http://www.emeraldx.com 

IFE Media Contact: 
Karishma Lulla
[email protected]

NAW is pleased to introduce the new NAW Podcast Series: INNOVATE TO DOMINATE, sponsored by PROS.

In our first episode, “An Introduction to the Innovate to Dominate Podcast Series,” you’ll learn about INNOVATE TO DOMINATE and what it means for you in the context of COVID-19. Watch or listen to this podcast – Check it out!

After careful consideration and due to the escalation of COVID-19 in the United States, Reed Exhibitions has announced May 8, 2020 that the next edition of Fastener Fair USA will now take place March 23-25, 2021 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Initially optimistic that the event could be held in late July, as the pandemic has continued to escalate and the challenges it has brought to the industry, it is clear that July is no longer a viable option.

From the NAW Blog

Coronavirus has thoroughly disrupted the sales processes for distributors. Not only have customer demands changed, but the process of selling has also been transformed. Social distancing has forced an accelerated digitization upon distributors. Suddenly, businesses that relied heavily on personal interactions and skilled outside sales reps are unarmed. Meanwhile, inside sales, customer service and e-commerce have become key channels. In this post, I’ll explain how distributors can accelerate the digitization of their sales channels to meet the demands of this new market.

From the NAW Blog

“Technology is capable of doing great things. But it doesn’t want to do great things. It doesn’t want anything. That part takes all of us.” — Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

FASTENER FAIR FRANCE
THE SECOND EDITION SHOWCASING RECENT INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

On 27 and 28 May 2020, industrial fastener and fixing professionals will converge on Fastener Fair France for a second edition packed full of innovations and trends. This international exhibition is the only one in France devoted to fastener and fixing technologies.

From the NAW Blog

Are you ready to participate in a digital value chain driven by customer demands for the virtual ordering of products and services, which provides for instant transparency and ever-increasing benefits while at the same time lowering costs?

From the NAW Blog

Many distributors think they need to look like Amazon to compete in today’s market. After all, more than 197 million people visit Amazon every month to shop the more than 12 million products available, according to BigCommerce. But just because Amazon is a household name doesn’t mean that distributors need to emulate its every move to be competitive in the digital distribution game.

From the NAW Blog

Distributors are in a strong position to enable the future of business for customers, and they can build on their reputation for customer service and support, including product advice, training and ad hoc recommendations for improving customer operations. But much more is needed. Distributors must have in-depth knowledge of the customer’s market dynamics and competitive challenges, and they must offer foresight about what the future holds. Commitment starts at the top, and leaders must establish new processes for working with customers and metrics that are about achieving customer success measured in terms that are relevant for customers. Successful distributors will build a culture that goes beyond responding to customer requests. They will suggest innovations, line up resources for execution and work to implement plans.

From the NAW Blog

Distributors need to collect data fast. If distributors can compile lots of data quickly, they’ll be able to provide AI-enhanced customer service and draw customers away from competitors. However, if distributors are slow to aggregate data, the competition (i.e. other distributors, or online-only players like Amazon) will claim their customers first.

From the NAW Blog:

It’s 2019 and more than 197 million people visit Amazon each month to browse more than 12 million products, according to BigCommerce. The numbers go up every day. But distributors don’t need to be afraid of Amazon. They need to innovate and sell to customers the way today’s customers want to buy. It’s that simple.

NAW’s archive of past webinars provides you with the best content from distribution's leading business and supply chain experts! 

Discover these two on-demand webinars that feature first looks at NAW's brand-new study:
Innovate to Dominate: The 12th Edition in the Facing the Forces of Change® Series

Welcome to the Age of B2B Innovation

NORWALK, CT - Fastener Fair USA, North America’s fastest-growing exposition for the fastener industry, will hold its third annual trade show and conference in May in Charlotte, NC, a major manufacturing hub. The event for the entire fastener supply chain runs May 18-20, 2020 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

NAW has just sent letters to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting that their agencies open an investigation into the General Services Administration’s (GSA) proposed e-Marketplace platform (Section 846) and Amazon’s unfair and anti-competitive practices and processes.

NAW believes that GSA should be fostering maximum competition at this stage of Section 846’s implementation.  Even though GSA identified three credible e-commerce purchasing channels, GSA’s latest Request for Proposal (RFP), Commercial e-Marketplace Acquisition (October 1, 2019), confines its pilot test to only one model, that of the e-marketplace portal, the Amazon platform.  All other e-commerce models have been excluded.

Effectively representing your interests in Washington is an ongoing, daily process involving many varied steps and actions. It is not always easy to see the full scope of this unless you are actually here in Washington. So, we list below some of the key legislative coalitions which NAW leads or helps manage, and actions the coalitions and/or NAW specifically have taken on those key issues. We also provide a sampling of the meetings in which we participate, regularly or for specific purposes, as part of our continuing effort to fight for the wholesale distribution industry in Congress and the regulatory agencies – in this case from May through September 2019. If you would like to see additional information on the issues mentioned below, please go to: www.naw.org

TAXES:

A memorial service for Pleas Ronald (Ron) Manley, 66, of Auburn, Alabama will be Monday, October 14, 2019 at 1:00pm, at Church of the Highlands (Auburn East Campus, 2001 East Samford Avenue, Auburn, AL). Pastor Wren Aaron will officiate the service. A reception will be held immediately following the service at Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church (1100 North College Street, Auburn, AL).

Mr. Manley, died Wednesday, October 10, 2019 at Bethany House in Auburn, Alabama. He was born January 16, 1953 in Gadsden, Alabama to the late Pleas Miller and Mattie Lou Manley. Ron graduated from Auburn University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He married the love of his life, Pennie Wood, on June 22, 1974.

(October 10, 2019, Washington, DC) — The NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence is pleased to announce its newest, groundbreaking research study, Optimizing Channel Profitability: A Playbook to Align Manufacturer–Distributor–Customer Relationships, based on a consortium conducted by Texas A&M University’s Global Supply Chain Laboratory. Please go to www.naw.org/ocp or call 202.872.0885 to learn more and to order copies.  Quantity discounts of 15–50% apply when ordering two or more copies.

As manufacturers face new competitive challenges, distributors alter their capabilities, and customers change their requirements, the path forward keeps shifting.

Many manufacturers have not updated their channel policies in a decade, while wholesaler distributors have undergone significant changes in terms of online disruptions by non-traditional competitors, multi-generational workforce dynamics, digital transformation challenges, evolving salesforce structure, and so forth.

SANTA CLARITA, CA (Oct. 3, 2019) – Fastener Training Week, an advanced technical training program, is scheduled Dec. 2-6 in La Miranda, CA. This LA area training is for fastener distributors and manufacturers, end users and original equipment manufacturers. The course is offered by The Fastener Training Institute, a leading non-profit organization that provides training on fastener products and standards, in partnership with the Industrial Fasteners Institute.

Instead of seven separate one-day classes, Fastener Training Week offers five intensive days of education and plant tours as part of the acclaimed FTI Certified Fastener Specialist™ (CFS) advanced technical training program. After completing this invaluable industry training in a small group environment and passing a final exam, attendees are eligible for the Certified Fastener Specialist™ (CFS) designation.