On the table now
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21% of Event Attendees Have Used AI to Find Events. 55% Check the Exhibitor List Before They Go.
Freeman’s latest Trends Report says one in five attendees and a quarter of exhibitors have used AI to find professional events. Exhibitors go mainly for brand awareness (70%) and new leads (64%); only 16% say events explain their ROI well.
Editor’s picks
A 21-Store Caterpillar Dealer Opens a Separate Store for Small Contractors
Source: Equipment World
Topics
Buyer behavior · AI & search · Channel & distribution · Pricing · Trade shows & brand · Budgets & benchmarks · Leadership
The week at the table · Video
Five stories from the week, in about a minute.
Marta, our AI journalist, walks through October 19–23: Fastenal’s largest customer sites, Hirose Electric Americas’ Mark Kojak on tariffs, Wajax’s two presidents, four leaders on labelling AI-made marketing and 15 CMOs on their priorities for 2027.
Marta is an AI avatar.
Latest
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Lion Plumbing Supply Marked 70 Years With Its First South Florida Trade Show: 54 Vendors, More Than 150 Guests
Lion Plumbing Supply, a one-location Miami wholesaler, marked its 70th year with its first trade show for the South Florida market: 54 vendors and more than 150 contractors, customers and guests.
Source: The WholesalerRead →: Lion Plumbing Supply Marked 70 Years With Its First South Florida Trade Show: 54 Vendors, More Than 150 Guests -
Two-Thirds of B2B Providers Will Lose Deals Because Buyers Cannot Verify Their Claims, Forrester Predicts
Forrester’s 2027 predictions say B2B buyers will hand more of the buying process to AI agents, then double their human contacts to check what the agents told them. Two-thirds of providers will lose deals because buyers cannot verify their claims.
Source: ForresterRead →: Two-Thirds of B2B Providers Will Lose Deals Because Buyers Cannot Verify Their Claims, Forrester Predicts -
Harley-Davidson Took Its New Brand to Employees First, Then Dealers, Then Riders
Harley-Davidson has built its new global brand platform on one word: Ride. It took the platform to its own people first, then to its dealers, and only then to consumers.
Source: Chief MarketerRead →: Harley-Davidson Took Its New Brand to Employees First, Then Dealers, Then Riders -
Fastenal Says AI Can Cut Quoting at Some Branches From Five or Six Days to About 15 Minutes
Fastenal says AI can cut sourcing and quoting at some of its branches from five or six days to about 15 minutes. Its CEO gave it as a branch example, not a company average.
Source: Distribution Strategy GroupRead →: Fastenal Says AI Can Cut Quoting at Some Branches From Five or Six Days to About 15 Minutes -
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply Replaced Its Product Brochures With Bimonthly Guides Built Around Contractor Problems
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply replaced its product brochures with themed, bimonthly Solution Guides built around contractor challenges and seasonal needs. tED Magazine lists the guides among this year’s Best of the Best winners for selling tools.
Source: tED MagazineRead →: Atlantic Coast Electric Supply Replaced Its Product Brochures With Bimonthly Guides Built Around Contractor Problems -
72% of B2B Marketing Teams Are No Bigger Than Two Years Ago. Half Say Their Company Is Outsourcing Less.
72% of B2B marketing teams are the same size or smaller than they were two years ago, and 70% of marketers say their timelines are shorter. Demandbase released the survey at its GO conference; B2BMX Insights (formerly Demand Gen Report)…
Source: Demand Gen ReportRead →: 72% of B2B Marketing Teams Are No Bigger Than Two Years Ago. Half Say Their Company Is Outsourcing Less.
Channel & distribution
Distributors, dealers and how industrial companies go to market.
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Prysmian Puts Its Prysmian, Encore Wire and Atkore Lines Under One Rep Network: 19 Agencies, 21 Territories
Prysmian will take the Prysmian, Encore Wire and Atkore lines to U.S. industrial and construction customers through one rep network: 19 agencies covering 21 territories. Electrical Wholesaling reports the network,…
Source: Electrical WholesalingRead →: Prysmian Puts Its Prysmian, Encore Wire and Atkore Lines Under One Rep Network: 19 Agencies, 21 Territories -
Wajax Puts Its 104 Branches Under Two Presidents, Each With a Category-Focused Sales Vice President
Wajax will put its 104 branches under two presidents, one for industrial products and repair services and one for equipment, parts and service, each with a category-focused sales vice president.…
Source: Modern Distribution ManagementRead →: Wajax Puts Its 104 Branches Under Two Presidents, Each With a Category-Focused Sales Vice President -
Siemens Takes Its Automation Portfolio to IT Buyers Through TD Synnex, a Distributor in More Than 100 Countries
Siemens will take its automation and infrastructure portfolio to market through TD Synnex, an IT distributor that operates in more than 100 countries. Digital Commerce 360’s Brian Warmoth reports the…
Source: Digital Commerce 360Read →: Siemens Takes Its Automation Portfolio to IT Buyers Through TD Synnex, a Distributor in More Than 100 Countries
Trade shows & brand
Campaigns, rebrands, launches and what companies did with a show.
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Lion Plumbing Supply Marked 70 Years With Its First South Florida Trade Show: 54 Vendors, More Than 150 Guests
Lion Plumbing Supply, a one-location Miami wholesaler, marked its 70th year with its first trade show for the South Florida market: 54 vendors and more than 150 contractors, customers and…
Source: The WholesalerRead →: Lion Plumbing Supply Marked 70 Years With Its First South Florida Trade Show: 54 Vendors, More Than 150 Guests -
Harley-Davidson Took Its New Brand to Employees First, Then Dealers, Then Riders
Harley-Davidson has built its new global brand platform on one word: Ride. It took the platform to its own people first, then to its dealers, and only then to consumers.
Source: Chief MarketerRead →: Harley-Davidson Took Its New Brand to Employees First, Then Dealers, Then Riders -
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply Replaced Its Product Brochures With Bimonthly Guides Built Around Contractor Problems
Atlantic Coast Electric Supply replaced its product brochures with themed, bimonthly Solution Guides built around contractor challenges and seasonal needs. tED Magazine lists the guides among this year’s Best of…
Source: tED MagazineRead →: Atlantic Coast Electric Supply Replaced Its Product Brochures With Bimonthly Guides Built Around Contractor Problems
AI & search
How industrial companies use AI to sell, and how buyers find suppliers.
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Two-Thirds of B2B Providers Will Lose Deals Because Buyers Cannot Verify Their Claims, Forrester Predicts
Forrester’s 2027 predictions say B2B buyers will hand more of the buying process to AI agents, then double their human contacts to check what the agents told them. Two-thirds of…
Source: ForresterRead →: Two-Thirds of B2B Providers Will Lose Deals Because Buyers Cannot Verify Their Claims, Forrester Predicts -
Fastenal Says AI Can Cut Quoting at Some Branches From Five or Six Days to About 15 Minutes
Fastenal says AI can cut sourcing and quoting at some of its branches from five or six days to about 15 minutes. Its CEO gave it as a branch example,…
Source: Distribution Strategy GroupRead →: Fastenal Says AI Can Cut Quoting at Some Branches From Five or Six Days to About 15 Minutes -
One Question, Four Leaders: Three Would Disclose AI-Made Marketing, One Says the Label Would Erode Trust
Read →: One Question, Four Leaders: Three Would Disclose AI-Made Marketing, One Says the Label Would Erode TrustThe AI label has gone from a policy footnote to an argument about trust. In August, Anthropic began embedding invisible watermarks in what Claude writes, a move tied to new…
The week at the table
The week’s articles in one email, every Friday.
Everything we shared that week, with the numbers and the links. One email a week and nothing else.