GMDC gives first-time attendees advice for successful HBW conference

PHOENIX — First-time attendees of GMDC’s 2015 HBW conference were in good hands Friday evening before all of the real work began as Keith Wypyszynski, VP business development, and Patrick Spear, president and CEO, prepped GMDC’s “newbies” on how to make the most of this meeting.



“It’s important that we calibrate expectations,” Spear said. “Because what we have here in this room is opportunity.” While the CCC meetings have historically stood for “controlled casual conference,” Spear said there are three other “C’s” first-timers should be capitalizing on: “connect, collaborate and create.”



Several GMDC board members joined Wypyszynski and Spear on stage to offer advice for the first timers:

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  “Be prepared. Know who you’re sitting in front of. Don’t waste any time asking someone who they are,” said Mitch Terry, VP sales and merchandising HBC/GM at Associated Grocers of Florida.


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  “If you’re working in tandems, decide who’s going to talk and who’s going to take notes. By the end of the day it’s a blur,” advised Bob Richardson, director sales, customer and industry development at Clorox/Burt’s Bees.


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  “I would encourage you to make friends, develop relationships, get involved. Because those relationships are what lead to business, but also lead to a better life,” said Bruce Worley, Jr., president and COO of Better Sales and Brand Management.


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  “Make no mistake that first and foremost this is a marketplace opportunity. This is an opportunity to make a good impression, to put your best foot forward, to be innovative with your approach, with your products. Make sure that you stand out,” said Dan Colvard, SVP sales at Driveline Retail Merchandising.