That’s a Wrap: Final Thoughts from NRA

By Simon Gamble

The lights are off, the booth is down, and Mako’s inaugural visit to the 2012 National Restaurant Association Show is over. Now that the team has had a chance to reflect on the trip, there are a few things I’d like to share about our time there this year.

Time after time, when people stopped at our booth we could initiate a discussion about PCI DSS compliance without having to explain the history and implications of the standard. As I mentioned earlier, it was refreshing to see such great awareness of PCI. That helps us to move directly into discussion of the Mako System benefits and makes for a stronger sales presentation, and I think we were able to have more positive discussions as a result.

It was equally valuable to have our friends from Phoenix Managed Networks on the stand with us at the Show. Since we signed our agreement with them earlier this year, Phoenix has helped to establish a base of customers in the US, and standing side-by-side with them was a new symbol of our partnership. The opportunity to spend more time with their team and work together on selling the Mako System was invaluable.

But it wasn’t all business. Chicago was a great host city and the team had a marvelous time enjoying local food and quoting the Blues Brothers at every opportunity. We had some memorable meals (deep dish pizza in particular), but our favorite food came from the NRA Show floor – Chicago-style hot dogs. The caramel-pretzel-sea salt frozen yoghurt was a close second.

Mako will be on the road again at the NACStech show in Nashville, Tenn. on May 21 and 22. Please contact us if you’ll be at the show to schedule an appointment. We hope to see you there!