2024 McKEON Bi-Annual Sales & Marketing Conference
Forty-six attendees representing twenty-four distributor partners from the US and Canada gathered in Bellport, New York on November 7th & 8th. The agenda was a fully-loaded day-and-a-half sales and marketing conference at the McKEON Corporate Training Facility.
The event was kicked off the evening before with a meet & greet catered dinner in the nearby hotel hospitality meeting space. The next morning everyone congregated at the McKEON training facility for a full day of instruction, camaraderie and great food!
Understanding the role building codes play in the successful placement of proprietary products is a critical part of the McKEON business model. A unique agenda item called for a mock building code development hearing. With a prepared (mock) code change, David Dodge and Doug Zachary appointed a code change committee, moderator, and code change proponents and opponents. The stage was set for the committee as they were seated in front of the group.
Each of the speakers had been coached as either a proponent or an opponent of the code change. They were invited to form a line and, when called forward, to present their opinions in the allotted time, just as if they were in a real code change hearing. The remaining audience members had familiarized themselves with the code change. They were invited to speak extemporaneously either in favor of or opposed to the change when the scripted members of the role-play took their positions and spoke. Doug Zachary filled the role of moderator and kept the event moving well.
This unique teaching style was fun and extremely instructional. Literally everyone took part at some level and all enjoyed the input, opinions and discussions. Ultimately the code change failed in the final vote from the committee. After the vote, all engaged in a discussion of the whys and hows of the code development process, its importance to all stake holders in our industry, and why it is important to know the codes!
Other agenda items included critical information regarding our newest line of products. Significant time was spent seeking input from our valued distributor network regarding these product innovations and their applications in the marketplace:
- McKEON Model BL6000 – Blast Resistant Assemblies
- McKEON Model BT1000 & BT3000 – Bullet Resistant Assemblies
- McKEON Model FE6000 – Forced Entry Resistance Assemblies
- Use of the diverse McKEON product line in multiple security applications
The McKEON hat is off to the exceptional distributor network with whom we are fortunate to partner. This event was truly an educational and insightful experience for both the distributor and the manufacturer. We look forward to another great conference in 2026!!