AAILA Celebrates 2nd Anniversary at LEDucation
The American Association of Independent Lighting Agents (AAILA) held its second annual membership event prior to LEDucation 2023 in New York City last week.
Officially launched in December 2021 by lighting industry veterans Billy Hodges and Jay Andrews, who each operate their own agencies – Hodges’ Digital Filaments in Pennsylvania and Andrews’ Next Generation Lighting in Georgia – AAILA has been gaining traction among independent lighting agencies due to its highly targeted benefits and network.
Gathering on Monday afternoon allowed members to focus their attention on educational presentations specific to lighting agents, including the opportunity to schedule complimentary 30-minute counseling sessions with featured speaker Daniel Beederman, an attorney with 40+ years of experience counseling independent sales representatives on legal and business issues.
The pre-LEDucation event kicked off with an official Welcome message, followed by a presentation by AAILA’s Gold Sponsor Casambi on how wireless controls solutions can enhance their upcoming projects.
Legal expert Daniel Beederman shared key insights on contract agreements and succession planning in a two-part educational session. Members were able to meet with Beederman on Tuesday for one-on-one counseling appointments at no charge.
The AAILA event concluded that evening with a networking reception that brought together 75+ attendees representing 30+ member companies and introducing AAILA’s first Board of Directors.
“AAILA appreciates all the support of LEDucation and was grateful for the opportunity to host an exhibit table right across from their registration desk,” notes Sarah Hagy, CAE, Executive Director of AAILA as well as Executive Director & CEO of the Electrical Association of Philadelphia. “Traffic was constant as various members of the lighting industry made their way between three sold-out exhibit halls and a wide variety of education sessions.”
One of the most popular webinars offered by AAILA is the Agency 101 Series, developed in partnership with The Lighting Exchange, which lays the groundwork for onboarding employees new to the industry. AAILA members also receive a discount off an annual subscription to OrdrTrak, a one-of-a kind platform designed to connect companies involved in B2B transactions who routinely use portals exclusive to the manufacturer or email communication to get order status information.
To learn more about AAILA benefits, click here
