Making Connections Fast and Efficiently

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February 14, 2022

ACCA Launches New ACCA Mix Group® Speed Networking and Reception Program at 2022 Conference

Countless members who participate in ACCA’s MIX Group Program say that it is one of the best things they have done for their business. Many contractors have joined ACCA specifically for the MIX Group Program as it is a top benefit of ACCA membership.

ACCA MIX Groups are the ultimate venue for contractor-to-contractor networking and information exchange. Groups are comprised of non-competing ACCA contractor members. When groups meet, the goal is to help every company improve through honest and frank counsel from your peers. Typically groups meet twice each year at a participant’s location to review and provide feedback on sales, operations, policies, advertising, staff, strategy, facilities etc.

Over the years, ACCA has worked to increase engagement in the program. This year, at ACCA 2022 Conference & Expo, we are deploying the latest in networking technology to ensure you make quality connections in an efficient manner during the ACCA MIX Group Speed Networking and Reception, sponsored by Scorpion.

If you are looking to grow your business by joining an ACCA MIX Group or you’re already in a group and would like to add new members, then this year’s ACCA MIX Group Speed Networking and Reception at ACCA 2022, sponsored by Scorpion, is the place to be:

Date:                  Sunday, March 27, 2022
Time:                  5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location:           Midway Suite 5 at St. Louis Union Station Hotel during ACCA 2022

When you register for ACCA 2022 you will be asked two questions – are you in an ACCA MIX Group? and Do you plan to attend the ACCA MIX Group Speed Networking and Reception event? Be sure to answer both questions.

At the reception, we will be using Speed Networking software to match MIX Group participants and candidates together. Following your registration, you will receive an email. It will provide the information you need to set up your Speed Networking profile and answer several questions relating to:

Markets Served (residential, commercial etc.)
Sales Volume Range
Number of Employees
Union Shop (yes or no)
Market Area

Once you’ve answered these questions, you will be asked to rank the responses to each question as it pertains to those people/companies you would like to meet.

Generally speaking, respond to the questions based on your company or group profile. And rank responses to the questions based on the group or candidate that interests you. For example…

If you are currently in a MIX Group, consider responding to the questions with the overall profile of your group in mind rather than your individual company.

When ranking responses, consider ranking them based on the profile of the companies you would consider a good fit for your group. For example, your group might be predominantly commercial contractors but the some in the group are considering getting into residential. As you rank the questions, you would rank a residential contractor response higher than commercial.

If you are a candidate looking to join a group, answer the questions based on your company profile. When ranking the responses, make those rankings based on the profile of the group that might be a good fit for your business. For instance, your company might have $10M in revenue and you have plans to grow significantly, so being in a group with a higher sales volume might be a better fit. In this scenario, you would rank the higher sales volume ranges higher than similar or lower sales volume.

The entire process to set up your profile and respond to the survey takes less than two minutes. It will be best if you complete your profile and answer the survey before coming to the event.

Once everyone has completed the survey, the Speed Networking software will, based on your responses, match you with companies that closely match your rankings and schedule six-minute meetings. Overall, you will have about eight meetings with three minutes between each meeting.

After the Speed Networking, attendees will have time to mingle informally with other leading contractors and Scorpion representatives.

As you can imagine, meetings are going to be brief, and you can have as many as eight, so be sure to come prepared. Bring your business cards, note pad and a pen. Also, have some questions that are important to you ready and think through a few things about yourself and your business.

Questions Candidates Might Ask:

What does the overall makeup of your group look like?
How often does your group meet?
Reviewing financials is important to me as it is a true measure of success, does your group conduct such a review?
Can others from my company participate in the group?
How long have you been in your MIX Group and what effect has participating in the group had on your business?

Questions Current MIX Group Participants (looking to add members to their group) might ask:

Is your company family owned?
What is your position in the company?
What do you hope to achieve by participating in a MIX Group?
How do you think you can contribute to the group?

Current MIX Groups are encouraged to send several members of your group to this event as it has the potential to provide you with multiple perspectives on candidates. Likewise, candidates can gain better insight into a group by meeting with multiple members from a group.

Did I mention cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served the entire time?

If you have any questions about becoming a member, joining a MIX Group, or about this event, please contact Matt Grizzard at matt.grizzard@acca.org.

Be sure to register for ACCA 2022 now and attend this event, and as a reward for reaching the end of this blog, use promo code AC22MIX for $200 off your conference registration!

See you in St Louis!