NAPM-San Fernando Valley Supplier Night 2012 Really Was A Blast!

Michelle Moore of Inland Empire Components, Inc. at NAPM Supplier Night 2012

Once of our favorite customers sent us an invitation to attend the NAPM-San Fernando Valley 2012. The email subject line said “Supplier Night Will Be A Blast”.   Michelle Moore and I packed up our business cards and gathered a few back scratchers for the trip from Lake Elsinore to Granada Hills.   Michelle and I have had many adventures over the years including flying to New York and staying in Manhattan for a massive supplier event.

I put my expectations aside because if you’ve been around as long as we have you learn to enjoy the ride.

If you listen to John and Ken on KFI talk radio for any length of time you would think that California businesses have all packed up and moved to surrounding states.  The media would have you believing that it’s impossible to own a business in the Golden State.  One of the benefits of attending an event like the NAPM-San Fernando Valley 2012 is the reinforcement that California business people ROCK.

…yes, John and Ken have a point about retirement abuses and our village idiot government…but that’s another post. I’ve made a decision to turn the radio off and replace the negative with positive messages.

Michelle and I know how to have a good time.  We talked and laughed all the way to Granada Hills.  I mentioned to my partner and husband, Ron Jiron, about driving my Honda Odyssey up the windy road to the Odyssey Restaurant.  He told me when he was a young boy he lived near that street and would ride his bike down that road!

The stage was set for a magical night.

Our daily business activity includes cell phones, crummy VOIP phones, emails, faxes and computer screens.  Heck, the front door of our business is usually locked to avoid the wandering solicitor trying to unload some bad-smelling perfume and tasteless chocolate.

NAPM-San Fernando Valley 2012 Supplier Night began with booths for suppliers to share their capabilities and refreshments in the corner of the room.  The turn out was truly inspiring.

Check out the slide show of the event by clicking here.

People prefer to do business with people they like, trust and know.  Anytime I get out of the office and attend an event of like-minded people, this fact is always reinforced.  When we started our business in 1989, we didn’t have all the technological tools. While technology is convenient, it’s the human interaction that counts.

On the surface you would think the agenda for the evening was to buy and sell products and services.  The fact is, most of the people in the room have already mastered the art of business transactions.  What I experienced was a focused effort to support the NAPM-San Fernando Valley Scholarship Program designed to assist a deserving student with education expenses.

The evening was a microcosm of everything that is great about business.  The gathering demonstrated the power of professionals being able to execute an event on behalf of the community.  Our communities always benefit when we assist in lifting up the intelligent ambitious children longing for an education.

NAPM-San Fernando Valley organized a truly successful event. It appeared to me that the dinner room was packed.

As a former board member of The Professional Women’s Roundtable , Temecula, I was involved in organizing an event that include Erin Brockovich as the key-note speaker.  Organizing and executing the event was a challenging experience.  Not everyone on the planning committee saw eye to eye.  Coordinating such an event took focus, diplomacy and sheer sweat equity.

It takes a tremendous amount of effort and volunteerism to put events together.

I tip my hat to the board and organizers of NAPM-San Fernando Valley Supplier Night 2012.