2025 Post-Conference: Session Descriptions, Files & Audio Recordings
Below are presentations, handout materials and audio recording files for sessions at the 2025 ERA Conference. This page is for 2025 Conference Attendees only. Please do not share this page with non-attendees.
Please note: only sessions that took place in the main ballroom have audio recording files available. These include: the keynote session presentation, all four general sessions and the breakout sessions that were hosted in the main ballroom. Also provided are Walter Tobin’s ERA Update and all awards presentations.
ERA Awards Presentation — Audio Recording
ERA Update, by Walter Tobin, ERA CEO — Audio Recording
KEYNOTE SESSION — Digital Leadership: Future Proofing You and Your Business from Innovation to AI
Presented by: Erik Qualman, Technology Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Futurist
Digital leaders are made—not born. With the massive virtual shift that has occurred these last few years, the key is understanding & never forgetting the powerful harmony between the offline and online. With the potential for AI to transform the way you operate and innovate, it’s essential that businesses start preparing now for this exciting technological revolution. Knowing that technology changes every second, but human nature never does, learn the habits that allow you to always be a year ahead of your competition but never a year ahead of your customers and partners. In short, all digital leaders understand that focusing on relationships is at the core of energizing any transformation.
GENERAL SESSION — From Tariffs to Taiwan: Key Economic & Geopolitical Challenges Shaping Our Industry
Presented by: Melissa Dailey Fairbanks, Vice President – Equity Research, Raymond James
Melissa Dailey Fairbanks is vice president of equity research at Raymond James, and a financial analyst covering the semiconductor and IT supply chain sectors. She graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
In her general session, she will speak to issues that directly impact the electronics components industry, such as tariffs, inventory, sales trends and specific geopolitical issues in China, Taiwan and Europe.
GENERAL SESSION — Facing our Futures: How Foresight, Futures Design and Strategy Creates Prosperity and Growth
Presented by: Nikolas Badminton, Futurist Speaker, Advisor and Best-Selling Author
In this session, “Facing our Futures: Looking to 2030 and Beyond,” Badminton will teach us how to embrace “futures thinking” to understand and anticipate the trends challenging our world. Attendees will learn how to supercharge strategic thinking through signals and trends identification, and unlock growth by shifting our mindset from “what is” to
“what if.”
The session will also touch on: Global and domestic megatrends such as population growth, renewable energy shifts, metals and minerals, microchips and waste; the impacts and effects of AI/GenAI and data center growth; how smart cities and offices, smart homes and consumer electronics adoption are changing industries and consumer behavior; and how sustainability practices—reduce, reuse and recycle—will build a burgeoning new economy and change how we design products
GENERAL SESSION — FutureNomics: Navigating Economic Trends and Strategic Leadership for the Electronics Industry
Presented by Dr. Mary Kelly, Ph.D., CSP, CDR, US Navy (Ret.), CPAE
This dynamic program will provide a comprehensive overview of macro and microeconomic trends shaping the global electronics market, including supply chains, trade policies and emerging technology. Dr. Kelly will break down complex economic concepts into actionable insights, empowering participants to anticipate changes and adapt effectively. Beyond economics, FutureNomics emphasizes strategic leadership tailored to the unique challenges of the electronics industry.
GENERAL SESSION — Growth is a Choice: Amplifying Marketing Effectiveness to Elevate Your Personal Brand, Dominate Sales and Expand Your Influence
Presented by: Kaplan Mobray, Best-Selling Author / Motivational Speaker / Founder of Kaplan Mobray Leadership Institute
Kaplan Mobray presents “Growth is a Choice” at Tuesday afternoon’s general session. This session will dive into the critical marketing strategies and tools designed to help you elevate sales growth, build trusted customer relationships and enhance brand reputation. Attendees will be inspired to shift their mindset to be more intentional about shaping the connection between your personal brand, industry credibility and business results. Kaplan will share insights on how to leverage emerging trends, digital platforms and client-focused marketing strategies to nurture leads effectively and close high-value contracts. The presentation offers practical insights and actionable steps for boosting marketing effectiveness in our fast-changing industry.
Breakout Sessions
AI Digital Tools and Implementation at the Rep Level
Speakers: Alan Ahern, President, Crowley Associates; Rob Brunson, VP Sales and Marketing, Wallace Electronic Sales; Mike Swenson, President, The Mel Foster Group
A panel of reps will share how AI tools can be used to manage your existing business, drive new revenue and help with new customer acquisition and improve efficiencies.
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Customer Experience Excellence: Building Lasting Brand Recognition and Long-Term Customer Loyalty
Speaker: Christopher Lins, Founder and Head Coach, The Lins Company
Our customers are always depositing or withdrawing from their customer bank with us. How can we make our interactions with them a wholly positive experience? How can we calibrate our interactions with them? This presentation will explore proven strategies and innovative techniques to delight customers at every touchpoint, building loyalty and driving business growth.
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Economic Update: Electronics Components Industry
Speaker: Dennis Reed, Senior Analyst, Edgewater Research
Dennis Reed of Edgewater Research will update us on economic trends in this industry, the various financial markets that guide his insights, and what it all means for the immediate future and 2025.
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Level Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Speakers: Emma Gaedeke, and Danielle Gaglioti, Partners, G&G Creative NYC
Improve and modernize your digital marketing toolbox. Presenters from G&G Creative NYC will review modernizing your firm’s website, creating a multi-channel strategy, measuring digital marketing ROI, digital ads and more.
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Leverage Technology to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Speakers: Steve Turner, CEO and Founder, Turner Time Management
Combining advanced time management with technology makes for a powerful combination to achieve more success. Laptops, smartphones, tablets and apps can be powerful tools for sales professionals, but they can also be a time-wasting distraction; Steve will show you how to use them all more effectively to save time and improve your sales results.
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Marketing to Engineers in an Increasingly Complex Buying Environment
Speakers: Kerry McClenahan, Chief Strategy Officer, President, Publitek
The buying decision making process has grown increasingly complex. Most modern buying teams consist of six to ten members, each with unique information needs and preferred channels for consuming content. These individuals often avoid direct engagement with salespeople, opting instead to conduct nearly 70% of their buying process independently. Alarmingly, 81% of buyers have already chosen a preferred vendor before contacting any potential suppliers.
This new reality poses a significant challenge: how can you reach each buying team member with the right information, in the format and channel they prefer, at every stage of their decision-making journey?
In this panel session, we will share actionable strategies to effectively market to engineers, ensuring you engage them with the right content at the right time—and influence their decision-making process.
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Master Your World: 10 Leadership Tactics for Productivity, Profits and Communication
Speaker: Dr. Mary Kelly, Ph.D., CSP, CDR, US Navy (Ret.), CPAE – Author, Speaker
In this fun and focused breakout session, Mary Kelly will share transformational leadership tactics to elevate productivity, drive profits and enhance communication. Tailored for the fast-paced demands of the electronics industry, this session equips leaders with practical tools to create high-performing teams and build a culture of success. Key actionable insights will include: 1) Reward good behavior – Foster a culture of accountability and motivation by recognizing and reinforcing actions that align with your team’s goals and values. 2) Don’t reward bad behavior – Eliminate inefficiencies and frustration by addressing challenges and ensuring consequences match actions. 3) Be consistent – Build trust, clarity and stability by setting and maintaining clear expectations for your team.
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Own The Space in Today’s Crowded Marketing World
Speakers: Jordan Yates, Marketing Engineer and Content Creator, and Ian Ord, CEO and Founder, The Fifth Ring
The sales and marketing approach has changed for 2025….. Has your approach changed?
Challenges: 1.) It’s become hard to reach people in the office due to working from home. 2.) Relationship selling is no longer the only solution. AI has changed everything. 3.) The buying process has become more complicated; there are multiple stakeholders involved in buying decisions. (C-suite, procurement, end users) 4.) AI tools mixed with traditional marketing have made an impact.
New tools and innovation have been developed to handle these challenges. Jordan Yates and Ian Ord will be discussing how to integrate sales and marketing and use the tools of the trade to overcome the new challenges. You will learn how to leverage content marketing, AI tools and a personalized approach to speak to each stakeholder.
Want to achieve a more predictive revenue model? Embrace the change!
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Securing the Supply Chain in a Digital Age
Speakers: Ricky Allen, VP of Cybersolutions, CyberOne Security
With the growing digitization of supply chain operations, cybersecurity has become a top priority for many organizations. To protect against increasing cyber threats, companies are investing heavily in securing their physical and digital assets, including implementing rigorous vetting processes for suppliers and ensuring strict compliance with comprehensive security standards. As supply chains become more interconnected and reliant on digital tools, the need for state-of-the-art cybersecurity systems and practices will continue to grow.
An expert on cybersecurity will present an overview of the cybersecurity challenges our industry is facing today and how companies of all sizes can protect themselves against these threats.
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The CHIPS Act and its Effect at The University of Texas-Austin
Speakers: Alex Gabbi, Assistant Professor, Business, Government & Society, Marketing, at UT-Austin
During this session, Alex Gabbi, lecturer at UT in Austin, will update us on the Texas Institute for Electronics that was formed in partnership with University of Texas as a result of the CHIPS Act. In addition, Alex will show our attendees the latest technologies that can be used to be onboard new employees.
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The Ever-Changing World of AI
Speakers: Sam Richter, CEO and Founder, SBR Worldwide
The world of AI is new and changing rapidly. Join us for a captivating exploration of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on sales and marketing. Learn how to harness the power of AI to gain a competitive edge, enhance customer experiences and drive revenue growth.
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TRUE Strategic Partnerships
Speaker: Bryan Shirley, CPMR, Consultant
The term “partner” is often overused, leading to varying opinions and perceptions of its meaning. This highly interactive session will explore practical strategies for fostering genuine strategic partnerships among manufacturers, distributors, representatives and even customers. Topics will include aligning mission and vision, simplifying strategic planning, establishing effective representative councils and addressing conflict resolution—particularly in scenarios involving product line overlap, mergers and acquisitions and equitable contract negotiations. At its core, the session emphasizes the importance of culture– clear communication, aligned expectations, and a commitment to transparency, honesty and trust.
