This Year’s event, now affectionately known as “The Cannata Dinner,” was the most fun we’ve hosted. Our esteemed guests infused the evening with a particularly infectious energy, which we captured via event photos published here, on Facebook and on TheCannataReport.com. More than 180 top industry decision makers, representing virtually every major MFP manufacturer and leasing company “” including newcomer Wells Fargo “” sat side-by-side with many of the country’s most influential dealers. More top industry press and the widest breadth of services and solution providers attended than ever before. Additionally, an influx of several younger senior executives helped set the evening’s highly convivial tone at our well-received new venue, Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph, New Jersey.
Thanks to a brilliant suggestion by Jerry Blaine, CEO of LDI Color ToolBox, The Cannata Report rebranded its award from a plaque to a statuette entitled the “Frank” in honor of our founder and President, Frank G. Cannata. We debuted the award live to a resoundingly receptive audience. Lastly, we announced a new award category, “Woman Executive of the Year.” We made this decision after concluding our 29th Annual Dealer Survey in which participants determine all award winners. Cannata personally selected the award’s inaugural recipient: his wife and business partner, Carol C. Cannata, Senior Vice President of Client and Creative Services of The Cannata Report.
Most significantly, guests gifted and pledged $89,000 to designated beneficiary, St. Ignatius Prep in Chicago, Ill., which graciously matched that amount to create a scholarship endowment. This endowment will generate approximately $9,000 annually in perpetuity. As a result, The Cannata Report’s Annual Awards and Charities Dinner brought its aggregate fundraising tally to over $1.4 million raised over 18 years at press time.
I think the mood was best surmised by one of our valued partners, Matt McGuire, Director of Sales at LMI Solutions, who said that The Cannata Dinner, along with other innovations in our products and services, are “making the industry sexy.” We look forward to upping the ante for next year’s milestone 30th anniversary event, which we have tentatively scheduled for September 17, 2015. As always, look for updates in upcoming issues of The Cannata Report and on TheCannataReport.com.
Thank you…
…MWAi and Graphtec, our first official event sponsors, which provided us with significant financial support.
…EverBank, our first official Annual Dealer Survey sponsor.
…Sharp for heavy A/V support.
…EFI for printing our step-and-repeat.
…LDI for creating guest badges and magazine cover blow-ups.
…All of the companies and individuals who made significant donations to St. Ignatius, including: Rick Bastinelli, CEO, Centric Business Systems; De Lage Landen; EverBank; GE Capital; Konica Minolta; KYOCERA; Lexmark; Sharp; Mike Stramaglio, CEO of MWAi; Toshiba; US Bank; and Larry Weiss, CEO of Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office.
