The 2022 NAUMD Convention & Exposition was held this month at the Hyatt Regency Reston from May 22 to 24, 2022. There were 300 registered attendees, representing 151 companies, 62 exhibitors, and 8 countries. There were speakers on a range of topics including innovation, systems integrations, and motivating our teams.

Pablos Holman inspired the industry (well, he actually kicked our butts) to do better on sustainability and to work harder on automation and technology.
Avedis H. Seferian gave us tremendous incite on the current trends in the social compliance landscape.
There was a tremendous sustainability panel of six speakers from Cintas, Aramark, Martex, Hohenstein, debrand, and Kariwala.
Another set of ten speakers helped round out our education on public safety uniforms, logistics, supply chain, marketing, technology, and virtual sizing.

Rick Levine, the NAUMD’s Executive Director,
offered these words at the opening of the convention.

“A young man is going through his father’s closest, who just passed away the week before. He pulls out and tries on a beautiful, classic dress coat. In the pocket, he discovers a receipt from Royal Shoe Repair. The receipt is 25 years old. He knows that repair shop though, having passed it while walking to the train. He decides to take the receipt in, maybe the proprietor will have a story for him about his father. He goes to the counter and hands the elderly man the receipt.  The man looks at him, grimaces a bit, and walks to the back room without speaking.  He comes back out, approaches the young man, and says ‘be ready Tuesday.’

So, what is funny about that joke?

It’s funny imagining the shoes being fixed in a backroom with tools, chemicals and supplies from decades, perhaps centuries, ago.
We need to make products that are sustainable by having a longer life cycle.
We need to offer appropriate upcycling and recycling solutions to our m  at a product’s end of life.
We need to create better tools, use eco-friendly chemicals and supplies.

We need to innovate.
It’s funny how a paper ticket receipt is an insufficient way to stay in communication with a customer.
We need to continue investing in systems that talk to each other, and to all stakeholders in our operations.
We need to have your data silo talk to my data silo, and they need to help each other make decisions.
We need to have technology improve decision making, production, logistics, customer service, training, and more.

We need to integrate.
It’s funny that the customer service representative reported a 25-year-old order was not ready yet and did not appear interested in helping.
We need to subscribe to stakeholder capitalism, where everyone connected to your company is accounted for, cared for, and motivated.
We need to be leaders who share what we believe, not just what we are asking others to do.
We need to be life long learners, embracing change, and encouraging those around us to do the same.
We need to motivate.

Welcome to the 2022 NAUMD Convention and Exhibition.
Innovate, Integrate and Motivate.
We hope you find our education sessions all reflect upon these ideas.

We are thrilled you are here.
While you are here also please go to TheUniformNetwork.com, create an account, and join the conversation.
TheUniformNetwork.com is where you can share ideas, join a group, post your materials, connect with network members and more.
We just launched the website this week. Join us.

We are the Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors.
We are a network.
The best way to utilize the NAUMD is to set aside being shy and avoid sitting and waiting for an opportunity to walk up to you. Start a conversation with everyone you find yourself next to for the next two days.
Walk across the aisle and talk to the people there as well. 

Every member of the NAUMD network is here to build new and stronger trading relationships, to find allied professionals who share their pain, their triumphs, and their quest for the best practices to improve themselves and their business. 

Because you know what? 

The future is going to be amazing.
Yes, I am a glass-half full guy.
I believe we can solve many current issues with technology, with innovation, by pushing the evolution of our industry along.