AGC Group’s Post

Let’s face it: success looks a whole lot different today than it did 20 years ago. Success is no longer only defined by the size of your shop or the horsepower of your machines. For most manufacturers, the real competitive edge comes from something less tangible but immeasurably powerful: a robust manufacturing network. Your network is where you’ll find new ideas, fresh perspectives, and answers to challenges you can’t solve alone. And one of the best ways to grow that network is to get out of the shop and attend industry events, such as Engage 2025, this year’s large-scale NTMA conference. Read more: https://bit.ly/48lAmzx #ManufacturingNetwork #ManufacturingEvent #NTMACommunity

I’m still surprised, but I get why so many planners still pre-print their badges… And then carry or ship them to the conference… Lay them out in boxes all over the check-in area… maybe even sorted alphabetically. Rally their volunteers to greet attendees, only to frantically dig for the right badge… then run back to cross names off a printed Excel sheet! If someone registered late, they grab a marker and handwrite the name. Oh, and let’s not forget the night before the event: the legendary plastic envelope packing game. WE’RE CHANGING THAT. Affordable: Large events can save thousands, while small & mid-sized events that never thought onsite badge printing was possible can finally upgrade the check-in experience. Fully Wireless: No data cables. No power cords. Place your kiosks wherever they create the best attendee experience—not just where the outlets are. Easy & Creative: Design your badge in minutes. Print multiple labels for badges, name cards, drink tickets, and more—all in one run. Oh so much fun. Got an event coming up? Our team will help you design, print, and handle the hardware onsite. Packages start at just $2K for small events (software, hardware, badges, and the best team you’ll work with).

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁: 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 Last week, the European Alliance Summit took place—a fascinating gathering of alliance managers and ecosystem thinkers. Thomas Kirste, Director at Bosch Management Consulting, and I held a session “Ecosys@Bosch – Empowering New Ways of External Collaboration” together, and here are my top takeaways from the event: 1️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 Alliance management has deep roots in pharma and healthcare, where companies collaborate early in R&D to create life-changing products. There’s a huge opportunity to bring this structured approach to business ecosystems—helping companies leverage long-standing partnership expertise to explore new markets and business models. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 The most successful ecosystems are built around domains, not industries. Whether it’s mobility, well-being, or digital services, companies need to look beyond their core and ask: Where can we solve real human problems across industries? 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 AI is already streamlining alliance processes - partner search, contract management, efficiency gains, but its potential for discovering new business opportunities, white spots, and untapped offerings is only beginning to be realized. Two days of conversations, insights, and inspiring talks with people like Thomas Kirste, Dr. Michael Haschke, Jochen Schreiber, Katherine Kendrick, CSAP, Rob de Graaf, Sofia Ohnell and many more. Soon I will share the key takeaways from our session with Thomas Kirste, and also insight from Katherine Kendrick, CSAP, so stay tuned! Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals #EuropeanAllianceSummit #BusinessEcosystems #AllianceManagement #ASAPEUSummit

Today and tomorrow I’m at the Nordic Business Forum — a space where thousands of leaders come together not just to exchange business cards, but to exchange ideas, energy, and vision. One thought I’ve been reflecting on during these days: The best sales lessons also apply to how we “sell” ourselves as people. Not in a transactional way, but in how we connect, build trust, and create opportunities for collaboration. Here are 7 timeless sales principles — reframed for human connection: 1. Focus on the other, not yourself 2. Build trust before seeking commitment 3. Know your value, but stay humble 4. Handle disagreements with curiosity 5. Stay present and consistent 6. Use storytelling to connect 7. Know when to let go Because whether in business or in life, authenticity replaces persuasion, empathy replaces pressure, and shared values replace features and benefits. I’m curious: when you meet new people at events like #NBF2025, what’s your go-to way to connect? #NordicBusinessForum #Sales #Networking

🌆 This week, our very own Rich Vallaster III, CEM, QAS, AAiP joined industry leaders at Skift Meetings in New York City to explore what’s shaping the future of events. He came back with 5 key takeaways every #EventProf should know: 1️⃣ Experiences > exhibits — attendees want memorable, immersive interactions. 2️⃣ Tech should spark connection, not replace it. 3️⃣ Data is the compass for smarter decisions. 4️⃣ Flexibility and adaptability are now table stakes. 5️⃣ The human touch still matters most. 🎥 Catch Rich’s full recap here: https://lnkd.in/g5R29Sse We’re excited to see how these insights will continue to elevate exhibitor and attendee experiences across the industry. #SkiftMeetings #EventInnovation #ExhibitorExperience #A2ZEvents #EventTech

We’re proud to share that our CEO, Brian Benson, took the main stage at the inaugural Dscoop Latin America Summit in Medellin, Colombia with a keynote on The Power of Diversification. Brian shared Benson’s journey from a single-service print shop to a diversified, multi-million-dollar marketing solutions company and why diversification is far more than just “adding more products.” His session revealed how to: ✔ Build growth by playing to your company’s true strengths ✔ Bundle offerings to increase client value and reduce costs ✔ Leverage efficiency and automation to scale faster It was an inspiring look at how reinvention fuels resilience and why strategic diversification is the growth engine of the future. 👉 Read the full story here: https://hubs.li/Q03KxB_Y0

The event industry in the Middle East is rapidly evolving, and we're at the forefront of the change! At 𝗘𝗖𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, we sat down with Mirsad Selimovic , 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 Techman Solutions W.L.L. , to talk about the future of events in the region. In this must-watch interview, we discuss: ✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁'𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁. ✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀. ✅ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗻.𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Don't miss out on these expert insights! Watch the full interview and see how we're redefining event management. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d5ariEiq #runevents #TechmanSolutions #ECS2025 #EventIndustry #MiddleEast

Earlier this month at the EMO-TRANS Global Network Meeting 2025 (4–9 Sept, Hamburg, Germany), I had the privilege of presenting before 190 distinguished international agents from across the globe. My talk: “The Dominican Republic as an Industrial and Logistics Hub”. With only a few minutes on stage, I condensed a wide range of key data and insights into a short, impactful presentation. Beyond our beaches and resorts, the DR is strategically positioned at the heart of the Caribbean, with competitive free zones, world-class connectivity, and expanding opportunities in nearshore manufacturing and global supply chains. I’m sharing the full presentation here — I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Dominican Republic’s role in international logistics.

MBB Consulting Group and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) have announced a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening support for exhibition professionals worldwide. Through this collaboration, IAEE members will gain exclusive access to MBB’s global expertise in consulting, research, and growth strategies, while MBB extends its presence in the U.S. market. #events #eventprofs #businessevents #iaee #mbbconsulting #exhibitionworld Exhibition World Matthias Tesi Baur Marsha Flanagan, M.Ed., CEM #consulting #partnership

Expo: Competition of Words or Commitment to Progress? At many industry Expos, a familiar trend emerges: - Competitors attempting to outshine each other in speeches. - Grand promises, futuristic visions, and statements that often sound larger than life—sometimes even more impressive than what AI could generate. - An atmosphere where words captivate, but actions remain ambiguous. As the event concludes, one crucial question lingers: - How much of what was said is documented, tracked, or implemented? - Who ensures these commitments extend beyond Expo halls into genuine accountability? True excellence is not about verbal competition. It is about creating value that enhances safety, compliance, innovation, and sustainability across the sector. What should truly arise from these gatherings is a unified agenda—a shared roadmap by industry leaders and specialists for the betterment of the entire industry. Instead of merely competing in presentations, let’s align on commitments that elevate everyone: regulators, organizations, teams, and ultimately, society. Thought to reflect: “Expos should not end with applause—they should begin with a shared agenda for action.” #DiwakarThoughts #EXPOs