The Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative offers our Member and Vendor companies an exclusive opportunity to engage and learn from one another at our annual IWDC Sales and Purchasing Convention. This 3-day event allows our Members and Vendors to network and educate themselves in training workshops and seminars, key speaker presentations, new product displays, and a full-day trade show.
Much of the convention consists of product and program training and workshops. Members and Vendors are invited to put on presentations that demonstrate specific products and services they feel will help the distributor or end user become more efficient and successful in the marketplace. Vendor companies are given the chance to showcase new products or product lines they're introducing to the market, thus giving our Members the first preview and purchase opportunity.
Convention attendees can participate as well in industry-related seminars. They complement our workshops by giving owners and employees of independent Member distributor companies another great educational opportunity: attendees will hear key speakers expound on a variety of topics important to the welding and gases industries.
Of course, we named this the "Sales and Purchasing Convention" for a reason. Aside from the great networking opportunities offered through our training, workshops, and seminars, Members also are able to purchase products right from Vendors during the full-day trade show. Vendors offer attending Members "Show Special" pricing that averages an additional 12% below already-negotiated IWDC pricing. An estimated $14,000,000 in purchasing transactions are conducted during this one-day buying market! Members come ready, with purchase orders in hand, to take advantage of deep discounts, while Vendors are able to increase their sales as they head toward the second half of the year.
To sum it all up: the IWDC offers our Member and Vendor companies this kind of networking opportunity to provide them with a platform that facilitates industry education, sharing, and growth.
If you'd like still more details on our annual Sales and Purchasing Convention, please contact the IWDC.