President and CEO Mark Seitz unveils strategic rebranding initiative
With a new venue at Nashville’s state-of-the-art Music City Center, the tempo of the 2014 NDC International Exhibition was upbeat, according to show organizers. For the first time, NDC University (NDCU) – a two-day sales training event – ran concurrently with the meeting, bringing together the largest graduating class of students and over 800 exhibition attendees for two full days of “Rockin’ the Country – Independents Topping the Charts.”
Sing a song
The opening session, sponsored by the Midmark Corporation and Smith & Nephew, featured the Grammy-nominated songwriters of KidBilly Music, which facilitates team-building through song. NDC distributors and manufacturers composed a song to illustrate the power of creative brainstorming, a critical skill for success in today’s increasingly complex business environment. The session culminated with the audience taking the stage and performing the song:
(chorus)
Serving our customers, independents do it better
There’s a lot of change and we have to work together
We sell the good stuff with the help of our vendors
Working hand-in-hand, independents do it better
We live our lives with the lives we save
We’re there when you need us, every night and day
We’re part of the community of the people we serve
We’re right down the road, so we’re ahead of the curve
The power of partnership
This “working hand-in-hand” attitude set the tone for the rest of the exhibition, according to organizers. A variety of educational and networking activities ensued, providing attendees the time and format to connect with business partners and industry colleagues. The Premier Vendor Exchange, allowed for semi-private meetings between NDC Premier Vendors and key distributor personnel.
Tuesday’s educational sessions were well-attended and provided participants with relevant training and take-aways to innovate and improve their businesses. Distributors learned of opportunities to maximize the benefits of their NDC membership. Standing-room-only attendees at the GPO Strategy Session and Contracting Workshop received insight into working with NDC to gain a competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging market.
Rebranding initiative
NDC President & CEO Mark Seitz opened Tuesday’s Awards Lunch by unveiling a new corporate logo, the first piece of a strategic rebranding initiative. Seitz also announced an NDC tagline: “Delivering efficiency to healthcare.”
“This rebranding embodies NDC’s renewed commitment to our business partners –distributors, manufacturers and GPOs alike,” said Seitz. “It is more than just a logo. It is a reflection of how NDC will do business moving forward; how we will increase our already high standards, and provide an even better customer experience.”
Through investments in people, technology and customers, NDC intends to move forward as a healthcare supply chain solution, continuing to provide customers a competitive advantage through creative solutions, Seitz said. This summer, NDC will launch a new corporate website, serving as the foundation for a future single portal for all customers. By expanding the NDC customer base to include enhanced services for manufacturers and GPOs, independents can build a stronger network, move more products through more channels and, ultimately, increase their relevance in the industry, he said.
Rockin’ the industry
More than 150 vendors exhibited at the trade show. Aggressive show specials were designed to stimulate on-site purchase orders, resulting in millions of dollars in transactions on the show floor. After the trade show, exhibition attendees enjoyed a private concert at the Wildhorse Saloon by the country/rock group Parmalee, sponsored by Innovative Healthcare Corp. and Roche Diagnostics.
As NDC distributors and manufacturers forge ahead, they will continue to adapt and emerge as innovators within the industry, said Seitz. The partnerships of NDC with all its customers – distributors, manufacturers, and GPOs – have been the foundation for past success, and will be just as critical moving forward. Touch points such as this exhibition allow all of those within the NDC network to strengthen, expand, and work together to deliver efficiency to healthcare, he added
The NDC International Exhibition will return in 2015 to the Nashville Music City Center and the Omni Nashville. Dates are booked for March 29-31.
NDC award winners
- Member Sales Representative of the Year: Chris Lord, Claflin Company.
- Member of the Year: AllMed Medical Supply.
- Vendor Sales Representative of the Year: Wayne Shen, Dukal Corp.
- Vendor of the Year: Dukal Corp.
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