HOTEC Design Conference 2013

I’m back from HOTEC 2013! The experience was so amazing I had to blog about my experience at this must see event. HOTEC is a yearly business conference for vendors and buyers that descends upon a beautiful location somewhere in the US.

This year it was hosted at The Ritz Carlton in Tucson, AZ and next year’s conference will be held in Key Largo. Enough about the vacation aspects of this conference. HOTEC is simply put, an exclusive converging of vendors and buyers. It is limited to pre-screened attendees and capped at a number that allows for meaningful interaction between vendors and buyers. After all the years of attending design mega-conventions, HOTEC has promised and delivered more than I thought possible. The format, one-on-one meetings between vendors and buyers is invaluable. Some might describe it as “business speed dating,” and that wouldn’t be far off from the truth. It allows you to discuss products, materials and services with serious industry leaders without the constant interruption of random attendees commonly seen at large conventions. The amount of meaningful contacts made at this event is astonishing. It’s this strict ratio of buyers to suppliers and the exclusivity of the event that is so impactful. Needless to say, I will be attending next year if i am awarded the luxury of an invitation, after all, who doesn’t love a trip to the Florida Keys and expanding your relationships, having truly meaningful meetings with hot vendors all the while being treated like the king or queen you think you are. Mary Malloy who is the goto superstar of the event really really goes out of her way to coordinate your experience and make sure you are paired with the best of the best. Cheers HOTEC and all who attended; the best event ever.

Here’s just one of the many wonderful people I met at HOTEC.

 

Ann Sacks, Queen of Tile & Stone