Browsing: smc

GAWDA SMC 2026: Where Big Skies, Big Ideas, and Big Connections Happen From May 17-19, 2026, more than 700 members of the gases and welding industry will gather at theOmni Oklahoma City Hotel for the GAWDA Spring Management Conference. This year’s SMC is themed “The Human Advantage in the Digital Age,” a timely topic as distributors continue to navigate rapid technological change, shifting workforce expectations, evolving customer needs, and continued pressure to do more with less. While the tools may be changing, the foundation of this industry remains the same: strong relationships, sound leadership, and practical ideas that can be…

BY ROBERT GERRY AND STEVE GUGLIELMO When sales aren’t growing, the first instinct is usually to look at the sales team. Are they making enough calls? Bringing in new business? Doing what they’re supposed to be doing? It’s a logical place to start. It’s also where a lot of companies get stuck, because in many cases, the issue isn’t the salesperson. It’s everything around them. That’s the starting point for Robert Gerry’s session at this year’s Spring Management Conference in Oklahoma City, “The Independent Edge: How to Punch Above Your PSI and Accelerate Sales Growth.” In his view, sales…

By Manley Feinberg Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about this idea of Exponential Commitment. People want to know what it means, how to build it, and how to help their teams live it every day. Whether you’re trying to lead your organization, grow your business, stay consistent in your personal goals, or simply show up as a better human being, your ability to fully commit, 100% all-in, is a game-changer. After decades of working with leaders and teams from mountain expeditions to executive boardrooms around the world and spending more than a little time hanging off the side of…

BY MICHAELA FALCONER AND STEVE GUGLIELMO For a lot of distributors, the toughest part of the job right now isn’t operations, inventory, or even sales. It’s people. More specifically, it’s the conversations. The quick feedback discussion that doesn’t land the way you expected. The employee who seems disengaged, but you’re not quite sure how to address it. The difference in expectations between two employees that turns a simple situation into something more complicated. Those moments are happening every day. And for many managers, they’re the ones that take the most time and energy. “We have more access to information and…

BY STEVE GUGLIELMO AND BRAD DAVIS In 2023, Brad Davis experienced the kind of safety incident most companies never want to imagine. What could have been catastrophic instead became a turning point. Not just for his team, but for how that team approaches safety, leadership, and accountability. At this year’s Spring Management Conference, Davis will walk attendees through that experience, what went wrong, what changed, and why relying on experience alone is not enough. It’s a candid, and at times uncomfortable, look at the reality of working in an industry where the stakes are high and the margin for error…

BY TERRY SCANLAN AND LUKE MARTIN, GAWDA’S INDUSTRY PARTNERING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS In the high-stakes arena of the GAWDA Spring Management Conference in Oklahoma City, competition for attention is fierce. With more than 100 supplier booths representing every niche—from industrial gases and cutting-edge welding rigs to the latest in safety gear—the Contact Booth Program is more than just a floor plan; it is a tactical battleground for distributor mindshare. As we enter the third year of the “Best in Show” contest, the stakes have evolved. This isn’t just about who has the flashiest backdrop; it’s a rigorous evaluation of how a brand translates its value…

By Anese Cavanaugh This article was originally published at activechoices.com/intentional-leadership-iep  Have you ever walked out of a meeting, a sales call, or a difficult conversation and thought — I did everything right, so why didn’t it land? You had the framework. You had the script. You had the training. And yet… something was off. Here’s what I’ve watched happen over and over again with leaders, teams, and organizations: the skills aren’t the problem. The energy and intention underneath those skills is. That’s the whole premise of the IEP Method® and Intentional Energetic Presence®. And once you see it, you genuinely cannot unsee it. WHAT…

BY GENE MARKS This column originally appeared in Forbes Ask any owner of a small or midsized company about AI and they’ll tell you they’re “interested.” But are they really using it? No, not yet. There’s still a lot of distrust and doubt about AI’s capabilities, reliability and security. In the meantime, most larger corporations have brushed those concerns aside and have spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing their own AI applications, most without success. All the experts tell us that AI will change everything in our lives and in our businesses. But it’s still early days. However, if you’re…

I was talking with a business owner recently who told me he wasn’t too concerned about planning for the future. He said, “If I die, they’ll figure it out.” I stopped him right there. I said, “If you die? I didn’t know we had a choice in that.” It got a laugh, but the point is serious. Transition is not something you can put off and deal with later. Death comes for us all, whether you plan for it or not. I’ve written before about the stages most family businesses go through, and how important it is to recognize where…

The last day of SMC began with GAWDA Announcements including the introduction of the new Technology Committee, the recognition of the inaugural Best in Show Winner and the introduction of the GAWDA Gives Back Recipient for the 2024 Annual Convention in Phoenix, HopeKids. Visit https://www.gawda.org/about/gawda-gives-back/ to learn more. Then Gary turned the stage over to GAWDA First Past President Robert Anders to introduce the 2024 GAWDA Scholarship Recipients and Donors. Thank you to all of those companies who made this year’s scholarships possible. Congratulations to the following students for for winning this year’s 2024 GAWDA Scholarship: Avery Abke Kaden Abke…

As has become tradition since the Nashville SMC, this year saw the return of the Educational Sessions. Following the morning’s two mainstage presentations, attendees had the option to attend two of six Educational Sessions. First, attendees had the option to attend presentations on Mega Gas Trends with Scott Rummans and Jeff Holyoak; Leadership with Dave Lambert; or Employee Retention with Ryan Craven. In the second session, attendees got to choose between sessions on AI & Cybersecurity with Allison Earlbeck, Tony Hopkins, and Aaron Turner; Building an Effective Compensation Strategy with Alex Chausovsky; and “Kickin Gas,” an interactive presentation from Bryan…

GAWDA Main Stage veteran Dirk Beveridge kicked off the educational portion of the SMC with a presentation about company culture. Dirk has traversed the United States over the past three summers, meeting with distributor companies who make up the “back bone of America.” And he was able to share lessons learned from the high-performing cultures of these companies practicing the noble art of distribution. Following Dirk’s presentation, GAWDA First Vice President Allison Earlbeck introduced ECI Software Solutions’ Dave Bent and Dr. Jonathan Bein, an author and AI Solutions Speaker who spoke about the important and hot-button issue of Artificial Intelligence.…

The WGW Committee hosted its bi-annual networking Meet & Greet before the Newcomers Reception. The Meet & Greet allows GAWDA’s women attendees to meet like-minded professionals before the conference officially kicks off. This year’s Meet & Greet had more than 40 women registered! It was the perfect way to get acclimated to the SMC before the Newcomers and Welcome Reception. The WGW also toasted the upcoming retirement of its co-chair Sue Reiter. Sue, thank you so much for your time and effort in spearheading WGW’s committee. We wish you well in your upcoming retirement!

The YP Committee hosted a Lunch and Learn and invited GAWDA President Gary Halter to speak to the more than 70 participants about bridging the gap between different generations of employees, not only within GAWDA, but also within our member companies. Gary’s presentation, was, of course, chock full of great Gary-isms as he related how his career has progressed and how much he has gleaned from his mentors along the way. Following the insightful presentation, the Young Professionals hosted what has become an annual event at the SMC, its Scavenger Hunt. This year’s Hunt featured a twist, as the Young…

The Booze Brothers (and Sisters) welcomed all GAWDA Distributors to their private Customer Appreciation Happy Hour at Margaritaville in beautiful San Antonio, TX after the Contact Booth Program.  The event was held on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at Margaritaville in San Antonio, TX. This is an annual tradition held by Equigas, Direct Wire, Flame Tech, Steelmax, Norris Cylinder, Cryogenic Industrial Solutions, Superior Products, Cryostar, Blue Demon Welding Products & Weldcoa to combine forces to foster one big networking hospitality.

Former GAWDA Presidents Share Advice on Getting the Most out of Convention and SMC Networking is one of the greatest benefits of being a GAWDA member. And the two national meetings each year provide the best opportunity to combine networking and education. However, attending these national meetings means time away from your business. It means paying for hotels and flights. 2021 GAWDA President Abydee Butler Moore stressed the importance of bringing real take-home value home from each meeting that would justify the time and money invested in the trip. We had the opportunity to speak with five former GAWDA Presidents…