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Blind Vendors Head To Nashville For Music City BLAST Conference Sept 12-15

NASHVILLE, TN The National Association of Blind Merchants is putting finishing touches on plans for its Music City BLAST conference. BLAST, or Business Leadership and Superior Training, will take place Sept. 12-15 at the Nashville Airport Marriott Hotel here. Educational sessions begin on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with Mark Manney of Loss Prevention Results (Wake Forest, NC) who will address theft deterrence through effective hiring practices. John Pirtle of Tennessee's Department of Human Services will offer...

August 1, 2017

NASHVILLE, TN – The National Association of Blind Merchants is putting finishing touches on plans for its Music City BLAST conference. BLAST, or Business Leadership and Superior Training, will take place Sept. 12-15 at the Nashville Airport Marriott Hotel here.

Educational sessions begin on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with Mark Manney of Loss Prevention Results (Wake Forest, NC) who will address theft deterrence through effective hiring practices. John Pirtle of Tennessee's Department of Human Services will offer tips on writing effective business plans. He will host a second session titled "The Customer is Always No. 2."

Additionally, Scott Cass of the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired will discuss profit and loss issues for blind entrepreneurs. And John Murn of RSA Management Group (Farmingdale, NY) will discuss how blind vending operators can maximize their profits through rebates. 

A representative from Vend Engine, will explain how blind vendors can expand their business by serving inmate commissaries. Vend Engine supplies a vending management and electronic payment platform for the corrections industry.

Additional sessions in the works will examine opportunities in micromarkets and office coffee services available to blind vendors.

The BLAST trade show will follow Wednesday's educational sessions. 

On Thursday, the National Automatic Merchandising Association will present a half-day session through its Michigan State University executive leadership program. MSU professor of communication Bonnie Knutson will provide training to help blind vending operators improve communication, customer service, creativity and the bottom line.

Click here for the full schedule and to register.