A gorgeous week of weather in Southern California welcomed our 2017 FutuREady Conference as we hosted approximately 200 dealer partners and over 700 attendees to support them and the future of their businesses. The week was capped off with the Blue Angels Foundation Konica Minolta Golf & Tennis Classic, a charitable event that supports our military veterans. The combination of business and charity brings perspective, motivation and additional purpose to an otherwise professional event.
At the conference we discussed how to future-proof business through the lens of People – Spaces – Technology. Fueled by the growth generated from our IT services strategy, dealer partners were witness to a host of cutting-edge technologies and solutions to help them transform their business and generate additional revenue opportunities. There were 14 educational breakout sessions that demonstrated the necessary steps which they could take to effectively grow well into the future. The Technology Expo demonstrated our managed services strategy, IT services offerings, our Workplace of the Future portfolio and the revolutionary Workplace Hub. This amazing two-day event, which took place at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa and the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Carlsbad, CA, gave them an exclusive look at Konica Minolta’s differentiated approach to the market.
A select group of 40 dealers had the opportunity to participate in the Blue Angels Foundation Golf Classic, which Konica Minolta proudly sponsors. The Blue Angels Foundation supports wounded veterans in the areas of transitional housing, counseling, post-traumatic stress resolution, life skills, transportation and employment. According to the Department of Defense, since the horrific events of September 11, 2001:
Here’s a short video about this wonderful organization.
Our President and CEO, Rick Taylor along with Executive Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Sam Errigo, raised $240,000 prior to the event by promoting raffle tickets and auctioning off tickets for post-season major league baseball playoff games to our dealers. In total, the event raised $1.2 million.
This worthwhile cause was accentuated by a group of wounded veterans that participated in the event throughout the weekend.
“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for everything you’ve done for me. This weekend was inspiring and fun,” said Tabitha Nichols, a veteran and Golf Classic attendee. “Although my PTSD tried to get the best of me, I’m so happy I came and was welcomed into a wonderful family. The entire weekend was amazing and more wonderful than I could’ve imagined. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to share my story to help educate and inspire others. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
To date, The Blue Angels has helped more than 19,000 veterans make a successful transformation to civilian life.
It was humbling to see the men and women who had fought for our country and to be reminded of our liberties that we, as a country, hold so dear. Our military veterans help form our dealer community, our Konica Minolta community, and our local communities. They are the lifeblood of our business and our country. We’re honored to support them – and our dealers.
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