I finally found myself on a much anticipated (and hopefully deserved!) flight on Southwest Airlines to Cancun last month. Since it was not a full flight, everyone spread out a little. I thought it was interesting that a woman who had been just behind us in line, chose a seat one row in front of us. Ten minutes into the flight, she turned around and said she noticed our ECRM bag and asked what we thought about ECRM and which of the shows we had attended. She also asked if we were from the Providence area, as we were on a flight out of that airport.

I told her how much we loved working with ECRM and had attended events in several categories and that these events had helped to build relationships with many accounts with whom we have successful relationships. After a bit of chit chat, during which she learned that our office was about 35 minutes from the airport, she asked if we could take over a major US account in the northeast for her. As it turned out, she had traveled from California for an ECRM single account review and said she thought it would be difficult to manage the account from California. After about 20 minutes of a very enjoyable conversation getting to know one another, she offered to send samples to get things started.

On another occasion a couple of months ago, I was in BWI on a connecting flight and noticed a woman who was carrying one of the ECRM messenger bags. I walked over and introduced myself and we had a great conversation about the shows she had attended and how successful they had been for her as a buyer.

Those weren’t the only times this has happened. Over the past few months, I have run into ECRM’s “extended family” of buyers and sellers making my way through airports in Salt Lake City, Charlotte and Chicago airports – recognizing them by either their logoed bags, shirts, or the luggage tags that ECRM creates at the hospitality areas of each event. And each time, a new relationship was developed – in some cases leading to actual business.

This made me realize just how much ECRM is a part of my everyday routine. I start my day with coffee in my ECRM ceramic mug and then pour it into my ECRM go cup while I am packing up my ECRM bag with my ECRM computer sleeve to head to the office. At the end of the day, I head to the gym with my ECRM bag, labeled with an ECRM luggage tag, packed with my ECRM shower kit and ECRM sweatshirt. On travel days, I am sure to bring my ECRM phone charger in case I need a quick charge. At holiday time, my ECRM Christmas Tree ornament is the first to decorate my tree (yes, I have been to that many events).

More importantly, I know there are many other buyers, sellers, and brokers for which ECRM is also a major part of their annual agendas, and they would all benefit from connecting with each other throughout the year.

ECRM’s social media platforms are a great way of doing this. Its LinkedIn Groups give me the opportunity to easily connect with industry peers with similar interests to discuss industry challenges and trends. They include regular postings from ECRM staff and industry members, as well as links to industry news from relevant trade media.

As with any social network, as the number of participants increases, the more value each network delivers. And they are a great way to keep the dialogue going between the in-person EPPS events!

I strongly encourage you to join them. ECRM has six LinkedIn Groups, representing each of the major categories it covers. Below is a listing of each group and its corresponding link. Come and join our extended family!

ECRM Grocery LinkedIn Group

ECRM General Merchandise LinkedIn Group

ECRM Pharmacy & Medical Markets LinkedIn Group