MITS EXCHANGE
User Forum | October 13 - 15 | Seattle
Join us for MITS Exchange
I am excited to invite you to attend MITS Exchange, our second user conference for
MITS’ customers taking place October 13 – 15, 2015 in Seattle.
Our mission since 1996 has been to help you use data to make better business
decisions. The only way we can meet that mission is by partnering with you to understand
your business and goals, and to do everything we can to help you maximize the use of
our reporting and analytics platform. That is what MITS Exchange is all about: coming
together to learn, plan, and grow.
MITS Exchange is designed to support the needs of users at all levels. Whether you are
a seasoned pro or just starting to use our reporting and analytics solutions, there are
sessions to meet every skill level and area of interest. And, as at MITS Exchange 2014,
we will keep our agenda agile by setting aside time each morning to solicit, vote on, and
then address topics of your choice.
MITS Exchange is not just about training. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to network
with and learn from colleagues, industry experts, and MITS staff. These connections will
help you throughout the year as you work to
improve your business.
Our goal is to ensure that MITS Exchange is
a powerful and exciting learning experience
for you, and we want to know what you think
every step of the way. Please send your topic
ideas to [email protected].
I look forward to seeing you in Seattle this
October.
Gary Owen
President, MITS
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Conference Venue
MITS Exchange 2015 takes place October 13 – 15, 2015 in the heart of downtown
Seattle at the Motif Seattle at 1415 Fifth Avenue, within blocks of shopping, restaurants,
and Pike Place Market.
Booking A Room
The conference group rate of $199/night (single/double occupancy; rate excludes state
and local taxes which will be charged at the time of checkout) is available at the Motif
Seattle. To qualify for this rate you must:
• Call the hotel at 855.515.1144 to make reservations
• Let the reservationist know that you are a member of the MITS Exchange group
rate
• Make your reservations no later than September 10, 2015 (after which time
reservations will be offered on a space available basis for the rate on offer at the
time you call)
If you are considering adding days onto your trip either before or after MITS Exchange,
please note that the hotel will honor our group rate of $199/night for 3 days prior to
October 13 and 3 days after October 15.
We recommend that you contact the hotel sooner rather than later to reserve your room!
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MITS Exchange Sessions At-A-Glance
Tuesday, October 13
3:00 pm
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Registration Begins
Welcome Cocktail Reception
Wednesday, October 14
7:00 am
8:30 am
10:15 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
2:15 pm
Breakfast
Opening
Session
Lean
Session
Lunch/
Keynote
Breakout Sessions
3:30 pm
Thursday, October 15
7:00 am
8:30 am
10:15 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
2:15 pm
Breakfast
Lean
Session
Breakout
Sessions
Lunch/
Keynote
Breakout Sessions
3:30 pm
Breakout Session Topics
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New Customer Orientation
Intro to MITS Discover
Intro to MITS Report
Advanced Administration for MITS
Discover & MITS Report
Designing & Customizing
Dashboards I, II, III
Inventory Analysis I and II
Purchasing Analysis
General Ledger Analysis
Pricing Analysis
Customer Profitability Analysis
Warehouse Productivity Analysis
User Adoption Workshop
Reporting Beyond Basic Columns
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Inside MITS Exchange 2014: Our Risk Paid Off
By Annie Eissler, Director of Product Marketing & MITS Exchange Maven
Going into the first day of our first ever user conference, MITS Exchange, last October was a little scary
as we decided to take a big risk. Rather than planning out every minute of the agenda, we decided to let
our customers help us shape 50% of the agenda. Yes, you read that right: 50% of the agenda!
We decided to take this risk after careful consideration. We thought about all of the event models used
in the 15 - 20 events we attend every year. We considered our top five goals for our first conference.
We researched and debated. At the end of the day, we decided that to create an environment that truly
fosters collaboration, communication, and “exchange,” we needed our customers to help drive the
agenda.
And, our risk paid off because...our customers are amazing. They embraced our vision for the
conference and helped us build out the agenda on the fly. They were open, flexible, and engaged –willing
to take this journey with us, and for that we are very grateful.
Here are three approaches we took that contributed to the success of MITS Exchange 2014:
First, we decided that we would not invite third party sponsors to participate in the program. Outside of
our fantastic keynote speaker, Dirk Beveridge of the UnleashWD Innovation Summit, and one breakout
session led by an outside subject matter expert, MITS Exchange participants were either customers or
MITS staff/consultants. That meant no distractions (ok...well there was all that food in the break station)
to get in the way of us getting to know each other better.
Second, we incorporated two “lean” meetings that enabled our customers to set the agenda for what
they wanted to talk about. Man was this scary. Even though MITS holds lean-style meetings regularly in
the office (including a monthly lean lunch), this was the first time we did it with over 100 people! My hat
goes off to the entire MITS team for executing two beautiful...and large...lean sessions, covering a wide
range of topics from instructional to visionary/strategic, and everything in between.
Third, we elicited and voted on MITS product roadmap features and direction. Yah, we actually did that.
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MITS Exchange was a tremendous success for us...and for our customers:
“MITS is committed to their customers. They are forward thinking and results-oriented,
motivated by the successes of their customers.”
“The power of MITS continues to grow and this event helped me move much further forward.”
“It was great to see our feedback being put to use rather than put on a list of lists that goes
nowhere.”
“Synergy.”
“Motif Seattle’s catering group makes fantastic chocolate chip cookies.” (Yep, there is that food
distraction!)
“MITS cares enough about us to listen and act upon things that could disrupt our business but
will help us innovate and take control of our future.”
“I was very impressed with the level of discussion.”
“Understanding how all of our data elements fit together allowed me to develop a quick
strategy for roll-out and customizations.”
“MITS is listening.”
“Too much good food.” (There it is again.)
“MITS Discover has more power than I realized...it can help our company become more
competitive and customer-focused.”
“We made a good choice [to go with MITS].”
“I’m anxious to get back and roll MITS out to all of our users.”
So, you may be asking, what risk(s) will we take at this year’s event? You’ll have to register and attend to
find out!
Have a topic you’d like to submit in advance for the lean sessions? Email me at [email protected].
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MITS Exchange Registration
Register for MITS Exchange via credit card
online at:
registration.MITSExchange.com
Super Duper Early Bird Price Before April 30, 2015
$495
Early Bird Price Before July 31, 2015
$545
Regular Price Beginning August 1, 2015
$595
Multiple Attendee Discount - Applies to companies sending
more than one person that all register at the same time
$100 off the second and
subsequent registrants
Registration for MITS Exchange
includes:
• Access to all general and breakout
sessions
• Breakfast, lunch and two refreshment
breaks on
Wednesday, October
14 and Thursday,
October 15
• Food and beverages
during the evening
cocktail reception on
Tuesday, October 13
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7 Reasons to Attend MITS Exchange 2015
1.Get face time with product experts
and answers to your questions
– From the developers to support,
professional services and company
management, you’ll have the opportunity
to meet with members of the MITS team
throughout the conference.
2.Learn about new features and
content – Get comprehensive training
and education on MITS Discover, MITS Report, and
advanced reporting and BI strategies.
3.Receive hands-on training – Test-drive the latest
versions of our software and recently released
content modules.
4.Share best practices in sales, inventory, AR, purchasing, pricing and GL
analysis – Let experience be your teacher as you speak with and learn from
industry peers and experts on best practices for using business intelligence to
improve the performance of your distribution business
5.Network with your peers – There will be plenty of time to network in-between
sessions, at the reception, and during the lean sessions.
6.Help inform the product
roadmap – Understanding your
business needs and goals is
essential for us as we prioritize
feature requests and plan out the
roadmap for MITS’ solutions. MITS
staff will be on hand at all times to
hear what you have to say.
7.Stay on top of industry trends –
The general session will feature an
industry expert discussing industry
trends and emerging strategies.
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Planning Your Trip
The Motif Seattle is located in downtown Seattle, approximately 13 miles north
of Sea-Tac Airport. Unless you are planning to go outside of the downtown
area, you shouldn’t need to rent a car. There are several options for getting
from the airport to downtown, including:
• Taxi — $40-50 (depending on traffic and the driver).
• Light Rail — $2.75 for 35 minute ride, drops off 2 1/2 blocks from
Motif Seattle at Westlake Center. (For more information see http://www.
soundtransit.org).
• Town Car Services — can be arranged through the hotel.
• Downtown Airporter Shuttle - picks up on the third floor of parking
garage at the airport, drops off 1 block away at the Sheraton Hotel. For
more information call 855-566-3300.
• Shuttle Express — Must make reservations prior to arrival. Between $27
- $50 depending on the number of people. For more information call 425981-7000.
Things to See & Do in Seattle
With so much to see and do in Seattle,
consider staying a couple of days before
or after MITS Exchange to take in the
sites:
• Space Needle & the Seattle Center
• Ride the Ducks
• The Waterfront (Seattle Aquarium,
Seattle Great Wheel)
• Pike Place Market
• The Underground Tour
• Seattle Art Museum & Sculpture Park
• Washington State Ferries (Alki Beach
or Bainbridge Island)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where will MITS Exchange 2015 be held?
Motif Seattle
1415 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
What are the conference dates?
Tuesday, October 13 – Thursday, October 15
• MITS Exchange officially opens Tuesday afternoon, October 13, and runs through Thursday
afternoon, October 15.
Is there a fee for MITS Exchange?
There is a fee to attend MITS Exchange. Discounts are available for company’s sending multiple
attendees. Early bird pricing is available until July 31, 2015. Online registration closes on October 8,
2015. On-site registration will be considered on a case by case basis.
What is the MITS Exchange attire?
Casual attire is recommended. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes for exploring Seattle as time permits,
and a sweater or sweatshirt in case of cool weather.
What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations received prior to June 30, 2015 will be refunded less a 10% administrative fee.
Cancellations received between June 30, 2015 and August 6, 2015 will be refunded 50% of the prepaid conference fee. Cancellations received after August 6, 2015 will not be eligible for any refunds.
Conference cancellations should be emailed to [email protected].
Can I send a substitute in my place if I registered but then can’t attend?
If you are unable to attend MITS Exchange, you may transfer your registration to another person. Email
your substitution request to [email protected].
Will the event be filmed and photographed?
Yes. We’ll have videographers and photographers on-site to record the action at MX15. By entering
and being at this event, you consent to be filmed and photographed. From time to time, MITS uses
recorded video and photographs of conference events and attendees in its promotional materials. Unless
permission to record and use such images is revoked in writing to MITS, by virtue of your attendance,
all conference attendees agree to the use of your likeness in such materials. You understand that all
videography and photography will be done in reliance on the consent you give by entering the event.
About MITS
MITS helps hundreds of distributors and manufacturers leverage the data in their ERP and other
business systems to make better decisions, every day and at every level of their organization.
Established in 1996, MITS’ interactive reporting and business intelligence software combines
industry best practices with the flexibility to meet the unique needs of every customer. From
standard to custom reports, dashboards and scorecards, MITS drives sales growth, profitability,
and operational efficiency for competitive advantage.
MITS
801 Second Avenue, Suite 1210
Seattle, WA 98104
Main 206.789.8313
Toll-Free 888.700.6487
Fax 206.782.8045
[email protected]
mits.com
© Copyright Management Information Tools, Inc. 2014. The MITS logo is a trademark of Management Information Tools, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner.
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