Last month, KIOTI Tractor welcomed dealers from the United States, Canada and overseas to its annual meeting, held from Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando. Each year, the event serves as an opportunity to recognize KIOTI’s dealer network, celebrate new product announcements and discuss industry trends. This year’s meeting, with the theme of “Next Level,” marked a return to an in-person gathering with record-breaking attendance after being held virtually in 2020.
The meeting kicked off with a welcome reception Monday evening, followed by a variety of educational sessions and product overviews on Tuesday. On Wednesday, dealers and their guests tested KIOTI’s latest product line offerings at a daylong Ride-N-Drive event. The meeting closed with an awards banquet honoring top-performing dealers.
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS
KIOTI dealers set forth on Tuesday morning for a day filled with guest speakers and educational sessions aimed to boost their business know-how and discuss industry trends. This year’s general session featured comedian and emcee Adam Christing along with keynote speakers Dr. Anthony Chan and Dr. Mary Kelly. Back by popular demand, former Chase Bank chief economist Dr. Chan shared critical insights on what the latest global economic trends, including inflation and supply chain challenges, mean for the outdoor power equipment industry. Retired Commander of the U.S. Navy and renowned speaker Dr. Kelly then advised dealers on best practices for ensuring their business’ succession plan. Dealers also heard from Byoungwoo Kam, chief of future business development at Daedong Corporation and CEO of Hydrotec, on innovation and technology advancement projects.
Throughout Tuesday afternoon, breakout sessions provided dealers a deep dive into some of KIOTI’s most exciting product developments, including the K9 utility vehicle, NS Cab Series of tractors, CK/DK Series tractor updates, grapple attachments, and expansions in the compact construction and turf care categories.
RIDE-N-DRIVE
On the meeting’s final day, dealers were among the first to see—and experience—many of KIOTI’s new products. At Wednesday’s Ride-N-Drive at an off-road adventure park, dealers tested new products for themselves, including KIOTI’s all-new stand-on zero-turn-radius (ZTR) mower, K9 2400 Cab utility vehicle, and forthcoming diesel-powered ZTR and compact construction line consisting of a skid steer loader and compact track loader. The afternoon ended with dealers and their guests enjoying bass boat fishing, archery, axe throwing and other activities.
In addition to operating the new equipment, dealers were able to submit their feedback in real-time for each model. With conveniently placed QR codes at each product station, dealers were encouraged to scan and voice their opinion on products before they hit the market, ensuring that dealer feedback and customer needs are top-of-mind when new products are developed.
