With 1,850 independent manufacturers’ reps, manufacturers and service providers already registered for the 2023 NEMRA Annual Conference in Las Vegas as of Jan. 10, the stage is set for one of the largest annual meetings for the National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association in quite some time. Jim Johnson, the association’s CEO and president, said NEMRA’s 2020 meeting in Orlando, which celebrated the association’s 50th anniversary, had the highest attendance in recent years, drawing just over 2,000 attendees.
Although mergers and acquisitions of reps and electrical manufacturers have had an impact on NEMRA membership over the past few years, the percent increase in registrations for this year’s conference is still tracking well ahead of the percent decline in membership, which points to an increase in the number of registrants per company attending this year’s meeting.
Johnson believes the strong registration numbers are due in large part to the improvements the association has made in the annual conference such as:
- Moving the one-on-one sessions out of private rooms and pip- and -drape space to a more professional, private modular meeting suite that brings the membership together and inherently improves the flow of the conference while opening more windows for networking throughout the day.
- Developing and including an Emerging Leaders Program into the conference to encourage members to expose this future talent to the relevance and importance of the conference.
- Adjusting the schedule to ensure it can accommodate all the necessary business meetings that are required while still allowing for evening activities and networking.
The NEMRA team is excited about the program for this year’s conference and invites all registered attendees to attend the NEMRA 2023 opening session at 5:30 pm on Jan. 30, which will include a fireside chat featuring Jim Johnson; presentation of the 2022 NEMMY Awards; the recognition of Lutron’s Rick Angel for his contributions to the electrical market with a NEMRA Lifetime Achievement Award; and live jazz networking reception sponsored by Atkore and Service Wire.
Click here to register for this year's NEMRA Conference in Las Vegas