This  year  at  our  annual  conference  many more  large manufacturers  will be present to demonstrate their products and services. They have become interested in displaying the solutions that can assist you  and your diocese  in  accomplishing what  you  have been charged with. There are services available that will enable you to affect a savings and possibly be able  to  afford either  new   hard- ware, upgrade you software or just provide  you with  a way to work smarter.

Your diocese’s investment in having  you  at the conference can pay  off with the  savings  affected by  your being a part of this year’s annual meeting.

We have  brought  the manufacturers  together  to our  conference  so that  we  can demonstrate the interests and concerns of various dioceses.   The manufacturers  are coming to learn for  themselves   what we are all about and our  potential.   And  what they learn at this  year’s conference will be shared with other vendors.

We need your presence at the conference. We need you  to demonstrate that the dioceses  are  interested  in buying at  a better price.   That the dioceses are interested in learning about  the  technology as it is being designed by these manufacturers.  That the investment the manufacturers made in attending  the  conference  is  going   to  be  mutually  beneficial. Without a doubt, we can and will pay  more if  you   are not interested.  You are the decision maker in this  instance.    As  one of  the manufacturers  pointed out,  you are already buying their products why  should they give  you  a dis- count to gain  your business.   We would like to illustrate that because we are buying their products, they should offer volume pricing to the dioceses and their affiliates.

Several other  denominations  also   have annual  IT  conferences  that  are attended by these same manufacturers. These same organizations  for  the most  part  already enjoy the benefits of volume pricing.