NEMRA ’25 Sharing the Future

Attending NEMRA ’25? This year’s theme, “It Starts With Us” is emblematic of the role that manufacturers and manufacturer representatives play in the channel.

Without manufacturers there are no products to sell.

Without manufacturer representatives (and lighting agents), many manufacturers would be challenged to efficiently and profitably

1. Generate visibility and gain access to distribution, thereby enabling their products to be sold by distributors.
2. Present their products to contractors and end-users to serve create preference for their brand.

It’s about production and sales. “It Starts With Us.”

The NEMRA Annual Conference will bring together close to 2000 independent manufacturer representatives and manufacturers for three days of learning and planning.

As part of the learning and planning, Channel Marketing Group is presenting two workshops.

• Manufacturer of the Future. In September, we released a research initiative that we conducted for NEMRA that shares insights from manufacturers on what they are seeking from manufacturer representatives looking forward. It’s a roadmap for representatives. Some manufacturers and representatives are already embarking on this future. For others it can be the start of a journey.
• Representative of the Future. In 2020 we researched our first Rep of the Future study for NEMRA which helped establish the 5 Pillars of an agency. Now we’re releasing the draft findings of the 2025 Rep of the Future which is governed by feedback from interviews with over 75 representatives and manufacturers during the past year and will be enhanced with empirical insights shortly. This REP ONLY session will share insights on the accelerated expectations that the Rep of the Future faces as they navigate the success of their business.

A caveat … there is no magic bullet. No “one size fits all” as each path is singular based upon ownership / management’s goals and vision. There are opportunities for all in a rapidly changing market.

1. The Manufacturer of the Future presentation is Monday, February 3, at 10:00 am. I recommend obtaining a copy of the rep in advance (or in lieu of if you cannot attend. It is free to anyone whose company is a NEMRA member (manufacturer or manufacturer representative) by contacting NEMRA or Sue Todd. And if you are not a member and want an Executive Summary to get a sense, email me. I have also made this presentation to NEMRA rep networking groups and to manufacturer channel and sales meetings.
2. The Manufacturer of the Future Report | NEMRA | Get Your Copy presentation is Monday, February 3 at 3:00 pm. This is a REP ONLY session. A manufacturer session will be held later in the month and the report will be available shortly, for free, to NEMRA manufacturer representatives and manufacturers.

If you are attending NEMRA ’25 and plan to attend either of these sessions we would appreciate you registering so we can reserve enough seats.

Neither presentation is being recorded. A copy of the slides will be made available, albeit without notes, upon request by qualifying NEMRA reps and manufacturers.

See you in Orlando next week.