We hired two companies after Marcus Evans introductions

“We have hired two companies we met through Marcus Evans . Our conversations at the Summit
helped us discover new business opportunities. At present, we are spending a minimum of USD
300,000 annually on each vendor, and there is potential for growth, growth,” said Allen Gipson, Vice
President, Corporate Planning, Jamco America Inc., a delegate at the Marcus Evans Aerospace &
Defense Manufacturing & R&D Summit.

What new business opportunities has the Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing & R&D Summit presented you with?

There have been some very good opportunities to expand our supply chain. Currently, the constraints in the aerospace supply chain are difficult to overcome, so we have taken on board two suppliers we met at the Summit. We actually had a business relationship with one of them, but had not realized they had expanded their product offerings through acquisition. They had a completely different division we were unaware of. We were also unfamiliar with the other vendor. The suppliers we have taken on board are all long long-term relationships with potential for growth.

If these suppliers had approached you directly, would you have taken their calls or responded to their emails?

No. We don't have time to go through all the emails and calls we receive. Depending on the timing of our programs, we might have accepted their calls, but it was meeting them at the Summit that helped us build those relationships.

Is it difficult for suppliers to get through your doors?

Yes. In the B2B space, finding great products and the right contacts is difficult. Our needs are cyclical so timing can also be an issue. We are large enough to receive lots of calls and interest, but it s very difficult to filter through all that noise to see if there s a good match.

Did having face  face-to-face meetings accelerate these relationships?

Yes. Having vendors who were dedicated to being there and having those face face-to-face conversations indicated that it wasn t just a mass marketing campaign for them. The ability for us to pre pre-select meetings and choose who we wanted to talk to helped that as well.

Are the 30-minute one one-on-one meetings an efficient way to meet different suppliers?

Yes. You get a really quick opportunity to learn about their company and they re focused on learning about your needs. At the typical trade show, there are too many people walking by and too many distractions. The opportunity to sit down and quickly get to the point is appreciated. We have deeper conversations this way.

What did you think of the content of the Summits?

The transfer of knowledge at the event is one of the most valuable parts. Learning from the speakers and different executives in similar roles. There are always good take take-aways for us to implement.

How would you compare the Summit with other industry events?

The format is super attractive. The quality of attendees is filtered out to an executive level, so the
networking is fantastic. Discovering new solutions is really valuable.

Find out more about the next Aerospace & Defense Summit