Earlier this summer, a few UGI Energy Services, LLC. employees took a morning to attend “Opening Doors: Doing Business in Berks” sponsored by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce. As a reliable, licensed, and approved natural gas and electric provider, we here at UGI Energy Services, LLC. are very familiar with making sales calls and closing the deal. Typically, making a sales call takes time and energy, whether it be for a commercial, residential, natural gas, or even electric customer. While normally we are the ones selling our services, on June 13, we took the time to be sold to at this Reverse Trade Show.
The Chamber of Commerce’s Opening Doors event in June was a “reverse trade show” format in which purchase decision-makers and marketers from Berks County’s biggest companies, institutions, and government agencies (including UGI Energy Services, LLC. and UGI Utilities!) gathered and had the chance to be sold on services from smaller companies within the county. Throughout the morning, our procurement representatives at UGI Energy Services, LLC. were pitched different services from local businesses.
The Basics of a Reverse Trade Show
At the event, our company – along with the other procurement companies, each had a table set up. Various local businesses and organizations had the chance to visit the different tables throughout the conference hall—exploring which companies could benefit from their services.
It was fun to have the chance to play the opposite role and listen to the attending local companies sell their businesses to us. Many different industries approached us—from promotional to environmental inspection, engineering services, construction, and many more.
In the few hours at the Crowne Plaza, we built numerous relationships with companies found right here in Berks County, Pennsylvania. What better way to outsource than working with a company right here at home?
UGI Energy Services LLC.’s Takeaways from the Reverse Trade Show
From UGI Energy Services, LLC., Mike Trymbiski, David Lindenmuth, Anthony Cox, James Evarts, and Katie Killian were in attendance. Content and full from a continental breakfast and delicious lunch provided at the Crowne Plaza in Reading, we enjoyed listening to the keynote speaker, Shari Williams, community outreach manger of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.
We were especially excited to hear our very own Tony Cox, director of midstream business development, speak to the crowd of regional business leaders.
From left to right: Jeffrey Marquardt (of SCE Environmental Group, Inc.), James Evarts (senior sourcing analyst), Mike Trymbiski (regional sales manager), Katie Killian (marketing coordinator), David Lindemuth (director of marketing), Anthony Cox (director of midstream business development), and Shari Williams (of Marcellus Shale Coalition)
While at our table, we had the opportunity to hear sales pitches from many local companies that we can do business with in the future, including:
- TSI Business and Marketing Solutions
- Manwiller Computer Training Services
- Suzy Rae Design
- SCE Environmental Group, Inc.
Overall, the morning was a unique opportunity for UGI Energy Services, LLC.. As a bigger corporation within Pennsylvania, we were able to continue to grow our connections working with smaller businesses and meet with numerous regional salespeople all in one place, at one time.