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Recent News
 

Current TrinityGroup Events & News Releases
 

Keep current with the latest from the TrinityGroup or visit our Archived Press section using the links in the lower left column.

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2009 to currentProvide Integra Interactive with technology services and resources.

2008 - 2009 - Master Sunday Bulletins - provide operational and fulfillment oversight services.

November 20, 2008 – Provide training for Ingram Publishers Services sales representatives on the use of Above the Treeline to make recommended buy/return suggestions.

 

November 11, 2008 – Initial training session with Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing Group sales team.

October 14, 2007 – Account Management and training for Thomas Nelson sales management team.

September 26, 2008 – Present seminar on Inventory Management: Key Drivers to Success at SIBA Fall Show.

September 20, 2008 – Conduct collaborative users meeting with sales reps and retailers on the use of Above the Treeline at the MPIBA Fall Show.

September 6 to 9, 2008 – Sales and training session for Christian retailers at the three day Munce Fall CPE Show.

August 6, 2008 – Account management update with Tyndale House Publishers senior sales management.

August 5, 2008 – Sales presentation to Follett Higher Education staff for Above the Treeline.

August 4, 2008 – Training of Genesis/Revelation sales rep group which handles Moody Publishers.

July 12 to 18, 2008 – Conduct users meeting with retailers and suppliers for Above the Treeline at CBA 2008 ICRS Show.

June 20, 2008 – Present above the Treeline to major CBA gift vendor Dicksons Inc. – Seymour IN.

May 29 to June 1, 2008 – Present users meeting with retailers and suppliers for Above the Treeline at BEA Book Expo America.

May 20, 2008 – Account management and national accounts tool sales presentation at Baker Publishing Group to senior sales management.

May 13, 2008 – Train Kerusso sales reps on the use of Above the Treeline.  Berryville, AR

May 9, 2008 –Conduct an Above the Treeline training session for Oxford University Press internal staff.

May 7, 2008 – Strategy meeting with American Booksellers Association at their Tarrytown offices.

April 21, 2008 – Provide training to staff at Munce Marketing Group on the use of Above the Treeline to support their data collection ad reporting to publishers from their retailers.

March 21, 2008 – Account management overview and training for internal staff at Moody Publishers.

February 11, 2008 – Provide follow up training session to McGraw - Hill sales reps with emphasis on inventory neutral orders.

January 25 to 27, 2008 – Conduct retailer seminar entitled Inventory Management: Key Drivers to Success ABA’s Winter Institute. Facilitate Treeline users meetings.

January 30 to 3, 2008 – Participate in CBA Industry Conference .08 in Indianapolis.

November 28, 2007 – Sales conference presentation to all field reps for Simon & Schuster.

November 1, 2007 – Sales presentation to Munce Marketing Group, Indian Rock, FL.

November 2, 2007 – Initial training session for internal sales and management team members at Strang Communications in Lake Mary.

October 19, 2007 – Provide training to internal staff at Scholastic Books in NYC office.

September 29, 2007 – Conduct individual publisher and retailers Treeline meetings as well as a combined meeting of both groups at the MPIBA Fall Show in Denver.

September 20, 2007 – Conduct training for 18 store retail chain - Christian Supply Center.

September 19, 2007 – Provide sales and support meeting for Above the Treeline at the PNBA Fall Show, Bellevue, WA.

July 7 to 12, 2007 - – Conduct users meeting with retailers and suppliers for Above the Treeline at CBA 2007 ICRS Show.

 

June 7, 2007 - CBA Member Services Reps - provide support for sales and marketing of Treeline/CROSS:SCAN to CBA Member Services Representatives.

June 6, 2007 - David C. Cook - provide Above the Treeline orientation and training to sales, marketing and editorial staff in Colorado Springs, CO.

 

May 30 to June 3 - BEA Book Expo America in NYC. Facilitate Above the Treeline demonstrations and Treeline University classes for suppliers and publishers.

May 29, 2007  - Berean Christian Stores - Train buyers and merchandisers from this 33 store chain in the use of the Above the Treeline retailer analysis tool.

May 23, 2007 - ECPA Office - Demonstrate  Above the Treeline's new and revised publishers tool features to Christian publishers organization.

 

May 10, 2007 - BISG - Attend and participate in the Making Information Pays 2007 presentation sponsored by the Book Industry Study Group.

May 10, 2007- Island Press - provide Above the Treeline orientation and training to sales, marketing and editorial staff at sales meeting IN NYC.

May 3, 2007 - ECPA Spring Seminar - Rethink held in Austin, TX - guest presenters, industry case studies, group discussions and Q&A sessions.

April 21, 2007 - Noble Sales Group reps training in Portland, OR. Presented updated publishers interface to US reps.

April 25, 2007 - EMI CMG - provide Above the Treeline orientation and training for publishers tool to sales, marketing and editorial staff.

April 4, 2007 - AMG Publishers - update sales reps on Above the Treeline's new and revised publishers tool features for Christian publishers.

March 23, 2007 - SIBA Spring Show 2007- facilitate Above the Treeline users meetings and demonstration for booksellers at Atlanta, GA show.

February 1and 2 - ABA Winter Institute - Users meetings for ABA retailers were provided for this education event in addition to new retailer demonstrations.

January 29 to 31, 2007 - CBA ADVANCE - Three day CBA retailers mid winter trade show. Conducted Above the Treeline sales demonstrations and Users Meeting for both Retailers and Suppliers.

January 3, 2007 - McGraw Hill - provide Above the Treeline orientation and training to sales, marketing and editorial staff at sales meeting in NYC

September, 2006 -Regional ABA Trade Shows Feature Above the Treeline Users Groups and Demonstration Sessions

July, 2006 - Above the Treeline Mets With Retailers and Suppliers at ICRS in Denver

May, 2006 - ABA Sponsors Above the Treeline at Book Expo America in Washington, DC

April, 2006 - Above the Treeline Trains ABA/CBA Suppliers at Spring Sales Conferences

January, 2006 - Spring Arbor Sponsors Retailer Momentum Seminars at ECPA Regional Trade Shows

July, 2005 - ICRS - International Christian Retail Show, Denver, CO July 11 to 14, 2005


Retail Application Lab #3 - Category Management: Better Investment - Better Sales

Retail Application Lab #4 - Physical Inventory: Best Practice to Keep the Numbers Right

Retail Application Lab #5 - Purchase Orders: Best Practices for Building & Using PO's

May, 2005 - Catholic Marketing Summer Training Event Scheduled

April, 2005 - New POS System Best Practices Introduced at Retailer Momentum Spring Series by Spring Arbor

February, 2005 - Catholic Marketing Network Winter Regional

January, 2005- Spring Arbor Announces New Retailer Momentum Seminars for 2005

November, 2004 - Above the Treeline Users Group for Independent Booksellers Consortium.

September, 2004 - Steele Concludes Retailer Momentum Spring Series for Spring Arbor

April, 2004 - Above the Treeline Engages TrinityGroup

March 30th, 2004 - Steele to Provide Training at CBA International Convention

 

February, 2004 - We Worship Syndicated Radio program to Launch in March (Bob Steele - Business Development Strategist)

January 5, 2004 - Spring Arbor Announce Retail Momentum Seminars to be Conducted by Bob Steele

November, 2003 - Popular Business Solutions Seminars Continue with New Name

 

September 4, 2003 - CMN Selects Southern California for February Event

June, 2003 - Marketing Group Announces Radio Premiere Plus (Bob Steele - Business Development Strategist)

 

May, 2003 - Retailers Education Day to Feature Bob Steele as MC & Trainer

April, 2003 - Bob Steele Joins The Marketing Group’s Advisory Board

April, 2003 - Spring Arbor Concludes Business Solution Seminars

March 2003 - RBTE Announces Steele to Conduct Retail Technology Training Sessions

January, 2003 - Spring Arbor Selects TrinityGroup's Bob Steele for Business Solution Seminars

 

 

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Category Management: Better Investment—Better Sales
bulletBob Steele, Trinity Group
bulletLook at various methods stores use to control inventory, and compare them to category management approaches similar to Borders®. Find out how inventory and category management can work in your store to increase your profits.

Best Practices to Keep the Numbers Right
bulletBob Steele, Trinity Group
bulletIs Cycle Counting or Year-End Inventory the best way to determine accurate quantity on hand? Find out best practices for both, as well as how to implement them, and leave with a plan for both.

Saving Money—Best Practice for Building and Using Purchase Orders
bulletBob Steele, Trinity Group
bulletThe way you build and send a purchase order could save you money. What is the purchase order process, and how can you implement it on your POS system? Find out best practices and learn how to enhance your purchase order skills.

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Catholic Marketing Network Summer Training Scheduled

May, 2005
Alan Napleton, President of the Catholic Marketing Network  has asked TrinityGroup Senior Consultant Bob Steele to return to this years CMN Summer Trade Show in Chicago to MC Retail Educational Seminars in addition to conducting two training sessions. The event is being held at the Valley Forge Convention Center in Valley Forge, PA on August 2nd followed by three days of trade exhibits from August 3rd through August 5th.

Call 800-506-6333 or e-mail cmn@catholicmarketing.com for more information. 

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2005 Retailer Momentum Series Concludes

April 15, 2005
Spring Arbors 2005 Retail Momentum Series concluded recently in Dayton, OH, the last of five cities visited this Spring. The one-day seminars introduced a new series of workshops designed to help retailers better utilize their POS systems. This years module focused on Sales and Inventory analysis

Industry educator, Bob Steele, Senior Consultant with the TrinityGroup in Franklin, TN, presented the seminars. "I am extremely pleased with the results of this years series. The comments and evaluations received from those who attended this year were really encouraging. This was a new program and the response was very enthusiastic. I look forward to presenting the addition modules we have designed for future shows.

Two additional POS System Best Practices modules are planned fro delivery in 2006 and 2007 respectively The second module will cover Inventory Selection and Buying while the third covers Ordering/ Receiving and Inventory Accuracy.

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Catholic Marketing Network Winter Regional's Completed

February, 2005
Alan Napleton, President of the Catholic Marketing Network  reports that this years Regional Trade shows in Ontario, CA and Chicago, IL. were attended by stores primarily within each region.

"We are continuing to expand our Retail Education Seminars led by our strategic partner Bob Steele from the TrinityGroup. Having regional shows allows us to reach more retailers." Feedback from attendee's participating in the education day was positive. States Napleton, "we are continuing to expand our Retail Education Seminars. Attendee's had the opportunity to hear various industry leaders give presentations on POS systems, visual merchandizing, store design and marketing idea to expand their stores profitability."

A Summer Trade show event is scheduled fro the Valley Forge Convention Center in Valley Forge, PA on August 2nd followed by three days of trade exhibits from August 3rd through August 5th.

Call 800-506-6333 or e-mail cmn@catholicmarketing.com for more information. 

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Spring Arbor Announces POS Best Practices Series for 2004

January 6, 2005
LA VERGNE, TN - Spring Arbor Distributors Inc. announced plans to continue its popular free business seminars led by industry veteran Bob Steele. The seminar series entitled  Retailer Momentum, will kick off in March with five meetings being held across the country.

This years seminars will focus on an entirely new topic - POS System Best Practices.  The series, developed last year will be presented in both the CBA and ABA marketplaces and be conducted over a three year period. The focus of this years presentation will be on improving inventory practices through identifying and implementing the use POS system Best practices . Attendees will be challenged to look at how they're currently doing business, compare it to some proven best business practices, and determine which practices they may need to adopt in order to maximize their success.

"The purpose of these seminars is to encourage retailers to  better use their POS systems. We know that there is a lot of room fro improvement and we want to help retailers succeed in their business and ministry," said Janet McDonald, Spring Arbor's Vice President and General Manager. "The Supply chain initiative underway in the industry fits nicely with this training for retailers."

In 2000, Spring Arbor decided to restart their business seminars program with Bob Steele at the helm. The growing enthusiasm and increased participation of Spring Arbor customers over the past three years has confirmed the importance of these seminars. Additional seminars covering the topics of POS system utilization are planned for 2006 and 2007.

Bob Steele, an industry consultant and a former Spring Arbor executive, has held numerous leadership positions in Christian retail, distribution and training.

Retailer Momentum is geared to address the needs of retailers, regardless of experience. Past attendees have said the material is useful, practical, easy to understand and, most important, easy to implement.

The 2005 seminars will be held in:

Atlanta, GA - Tuesday, March 1st
Los angles, CA- Tuesday, March 15th
Philadelphia, PA - Tuesday, March 29th
Chicago, IL - Thursday, March 31at
Dayton, Oh - Tuesday, April 5th

To register or for more information, call (800) 395-4340, ext. 35020 or email solutions@springarbor.com.

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Above the Treeline Users Group for Independent Booksellers Consortium

November 4, 2004
Above the Treeline hosted many of its independent retailers at the IBC (Independent Booksellers Consortium) meeting in Manchester, VT. The meeting, conducted by industry veteran and educator Bob Steele, was described as "very beneficial" by several of the attendee's. Above the Treeline has been working with many of the stores in the IBC group over the last year as it further develops it web based analysis tool for booksellers.

Steele stated "it was a pleasure to work with a group of stores that really value the service we are providing them. We received a lot of positive feedback about the service and the new features that have been added recently. We also came a way with a lot of great ideas for future implementation."

The group will meet again next June at the 2005 BEA show in NYC.

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Steele Concludes 2004 Retailer Momentum  Series for Spring Arbor

September 28, 2004
Spring Arbor Distributors announced the successful completion of this years Spring and Fall educational seminars for retailers. This years series, retiled Retailer Momentum was conducted by industry veteran and educator Bob Steele.

Over three hundred retailers registered and attended the seminars held in Charlotte, NC; Portland, OR; Rockville, MD,  Pittsburg, PA, Boston, MA and Minneapolis, MN.  “There was a totally different atmosphere among the retailers in this years seminars” stated Steele. “I’ve done these types of seminars for Christian retailers over a 24 year period and I think there was a far greater awareness among retailers about understanding and implementing best business practices in their stores.” Steele felt that the retailers are realizing that they can’t do the same things they have done in the past and experience better results. “As the channel for purchases of Christian products widens, retailer realize they need to become more sophisticated to survive.”

This year seminar theme is “Inventory Management: Best Practices.” It focuses on three major topics -  measuring and monitoring all aspects of store operations, better inventory control using GMROII (Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment) as a key measurement and proper inventory replenishment. Feedback from attendees was very positive. The program includes participation in hands on planning during the seminars that can be taken back to the store and implemented.

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Above the Treeline Engages TrinityGroup

April 18, 2004
CEO and Founder John Rubin of Above the Treeline announced today that TrinityGroup consultant Bob Steele will be working with the organization to further develop Above the Treeline in the CBA marketplace and to conduct training and users group meetings. Above the Treeline is a web based retail analysis tool developed in 2003 to help independent booksellers get a better perspective of their inventory. Currently there are 50 leading independent trade stores subscribing to the service and 20 CBA store which recently signed up for test period sponsored by CBA.

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Steele to Provide Training at CBA International Convention

March 30, 2004
Mike Hocket, CBA Training and Consulting Manager, announced today that industry trainer Bob Steele, from Trinity & Associates, Inc. has been engaged to present three repeating sessions at this years International convention in Atlanta GA. Hocket said the new training PODS are a concept designed to  take retailers from the training room to the floor where they can apply the information from the training module. Steele will conduct three of the sessions - Cycle Counting, Scheduled Product Ordering and Scheduled Product Returns.

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We Worship Syndicated Radio Program to Launch in March (Bob Steele - Business Development Strategist)

February 2, 2004
Nashville, TN – We Worship, a weekly three hour Radio program will focus on both Christian and mainstream Radio will debut in March 2004, according to Bob Steele, Business Development Strategist for The Marketing Group. The show will bringing new fans to the music, and give those already loyal to worship music a meeting place on the Radio each week.

We Worship is aiming to debut the first week of March with over 40 affiliates nationwide Plans call for 75 affiliates by the end of the year, with an audience of over 2 Million listeners each week. The show will be hosted by nationally-known radio personality Rich Miller.

Each week , the program will focus on a specific inspirational topic. Listeners will be lifted up by a combination of music, scripture, author interviews, book summaries and devotional segments taken from a variety of todays modern Bible translations and paraphrased editions.  Steele states “We are very excited about this program. With the growing popularity of the worship genre, we believe we have a great opportunity to reach and impact many listeners through a combination of music and the spoken word. This won’t be your typical religious program. It’s going to be different”  The program will be web-integrated, and designed to elicit feedback and interaction from listeners to be used on future programs.

The Marketing Group produces 16 other syndicated radio programs, including Direct Connection and Red Letter Rock 20 , as well as several daily features. Since 1998, The Marketing Group has focused on using radio and web-integrated sales promotions to achieve their clients specific objectives of increasing retail traffic and product sales for books, music, and video.

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Spring Arbor Announce Retail Momentum Seminars to be Conducted by Bob Steele

January 5, 2004
LA VERGNE, TN - Spring Arbor Distributors Inc. announced plans to continue and expand its popular free business seminars led by industry veteran Bob Steele. The seminar series, Retailer Momentum, will kick off in March with four meetings being held across the country and conclude in the Fall with two additional cities.

The spring and fall seminars will focus on improving inventory practices. Attendees will be challenged to look at how they're currently doing business, compare it to some proven best business practices, and determine which practices they may need to adopt in order to maximize their success.

"The purpose of these seminars is not to encourage retailers to buy all of their product from Spring Arbor - but to help Christian retailers improve the way they manage their business and ministry," said Janet McDonald, Spring Arbor's Vice President and General Manager. "There are instances when it's best to buy directly from the publisher, and there are instances when you should purchase from a wholesaler. You'll have a better understanding of the factors impacting this important decision when you leave."

In 2000, Spring Arbor decided to restart their business seminars program with Bob Steele at the helm. The growing enthusiasm and increased participation of Spring Arbor customers over the past three years has confirmed the importance of these seminars. Plans are now in the works to hold future seminars covering the topics of POS system utilization, backroom best practices and inventory selection.

Bob Steele, an industry consultant and a former Spring Arbor executive, has held numerous leadership positions in Christian retail, distribution and training.

Retailer Momentum is geared to address the needs of retailers, regardless of experience. Past attendees have said the material is useful, practical, easy to understand and, most important, easy to implement.

This spring, the seminars will be held in:

Charlotte, NC - Tuesday, March 2nd
Portland, OR - Tuesday, March 9th
Rockville, MD - Tuesday, March 16th
Pittsburgh, PA - Tuesday, March 23rd
Boston, MA - Tuesday, September 14
Minneapolis, MN - Tuesday, September 21

To register or for more information, call (800) 395-4340, ext. 35020 or email solutions@springarbor.com.

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Popular Business Solutions Seminars Continues with New Name

October 4, 2003
Spring Arbor has announced the continuation and expansion of its popular Business Solutions Seminars. The current educational seminar series will be renamed Retail Momentum and is designed to help booksellers identify and implement best business practices within their retail environment. The best practices will focus on key result areas by measuring, monitoring and tracking results for the desired outcome.

The current seminar, Inventory Management - Best Practices, will be presented this spring and fall at various locations around the country by Bob Steele, a noted and experienced business and training seminar leader. In addition, a shortened version of the seminar will be presented by Steele in June at Book Expo America in Chicago. Three additional modules under development by Steele will focus on identifying and implementing best practices in POS system use, backroom operations and inventory selection. 

Started in 1980, Spring Arbor has held educational seminars for Christian retailers including the Planning for Success series conducted by Spring Arbor’s founder Jim Carlson. The three-day sessions were held at the Spring Arbors facilities in Michigan and included a dinner at the home of Jim Carlson

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CMN Selects Southern California for February Event

September 4, 2003
DALLAS, TX - The Catholic Marketing Network announced today that the organization will be holding a second trade show in 2004. In addition to the regular summer meeting usually held in the Northeast or Chicago, a second show will be held for the first time in Southern California. The Long Beach Convention Center, just a few miles south of Los Angeles was the location selected for a winter trade show that will take place February 10-13, 2004. 

The show will begin on February 10th with a day of education for retailers. Bob Steele, a long standing CBA educator will over see the day’s agenda. Sessions for retailers will include presentations on visual merchandising, store design,  and POS inventory systems. Steele stated “we really want to help raise the bar in the CMN marketplace for retailers. Our sessions where planned with that in mind”. The day will close with Steele and CMN President Alan Napleton facilitating a process to help determine what CMN can do to help retailers accomplish their vision. 

The Catholic Marketing Network also announced today that the summer trade show that is usually held in June would now take place July 20-23, 2004. As previously announced, the location for this convention will be The Garden State Exhibit Center located in Somerset, New Jersey about 45 miles south of New York City. “We’re looking to make these changes a regular part of the CMN schedule,” said Napleton. “We think that a second convention on the West Coast makes a lot of sense and we’re committed to making this show a worthwhile event for all attendees.” 

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The Marketing Group Announces Radio Premiere Plus (Bob Steele - Business Development Specialist)

Thursday, June 5th, 2003
Nashville, TN – Jim Wood, President/CEO of The Marketing Group, announced today that the company has launched its second product relating to Christian books and music.  Radio Premiere Plus is a package of marketing and sales promotion tactics based on the company’s successful strategies in Country music.

“With the rapid success of Direct Connection, our Christian Radio show, we wanted to follow quickly with a budget-friendly package of services we can provide book publishers and record labels that makes Christian consumers aware of new products and converts them into customers at retail,” said Wood.

Radio Premiere Plus uses Radio promotion to increase awareness of books and music by creating scheduled appearances by authors and artists on key Radio outlets across the Country, giving Radio Stations resources to build on-air promotions around the product, and sales promotions to drive traffic to retail.

“The same combination of tactics we’ve included in Radio Premiere Plus has been in use by our company for America’s largest retailers for almost five years now, and with constant refining we are able to impact sales in specific areas as much as 15-to-30 percent,” added the company’s EVP/COO, Steven Ludwig.

Bob Steele, a member of The Marketing Groups Advisory Board is serving as Business Development Specialist on the project.

More information is available on-line at:           http://www.RadioPremierePlus.com

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CMN Retailers Education Day to Feature Bob Steele as MC & Trainer

Monday, May 5, 2003
Catholic Marketing Network (CMN) has asked TrinityGroup Senior Consultant Bob Steele to return to this years CMN Trade Show in Chicago to MC Retail Educational Seminars in addition to conducting two training sessions. The event is being held the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (formerly Rosemont Convention Center), Chicago, IL on June 10th followed by three days of trade exhibits from Wednesday, June 11th through Friday, June 13th.

The AM training session to be taught by Steele will be entitled Store Technology Part I: How to Select the Right Systems for store that are not using computers yet. Steele commented "We will look into what retailers should have, what it should do for them, what is will cost and what is available in the marketplace We'll mathematically prove a small store doing around $80,000 annually can afford a POS system"

The afternoon session – Store Technology Part II: How to What Your Already Have will focus on how to use, master and profit from employing the technology solutions and tools managers already have in their store to help them run a cost effective, successful ministry/business.

The upcoming CMN Trade Show will take place June 10th- 13th, 2003 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (formerly Rosemont Convention Center) conveniently located 1½ miles from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. It will feature a full exhibit floor of 250 booths filled with the latest in Catholic books, music, jewelry, statuary, religious articles and gift items. Show attendees will have the opportunity to network with Catholic professionals involved in the production and distribution of a wide range of Catholic products and services. Highlighted events will include expanded Retail Educational Seminars that will take place on Tuesday, June 10th; Daily Rosary and Mass; Eucharistic Adoration; and musical presentations on the evenings of June 11th and 12th. Call 800-506-6333 or e-mail cmn@catholicmarketing.com for more information. 

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Bob Steele Joins The Marketing Group’s Advisory Board - Reflects Increased Focus On Christian Music And Books 

Thursday, April 24th, 2003
Nashville, TN – Jim Wood, President/CEO of The Marketing Group, today announced that Bob Steele of Trinity & Associates, Inc. has joined the company’s advisory board.  Steele is a veteran consultant to the Christian retail industry, and the move reflects the increasing attention The Marketing Group is paying to Christian music and books, beyond its current specializations in Country, Rock, and Urban. 

“We feel some of the unique models we’ve developed for clients over the past three years can be very successful with Christian publishers, record labels, and retailers; and Bob’s role is to provide background as we expand into yet another new area,” said Wood.  “We’ve been doing our homework for about a year now, and we feel as if we’ve got a good handle on the challenges facing companies in this industry.  Christian books and music aren’t even close to reaching their full potential, and it’s time to make this move.”

 Steele is currently President of Trinity & Associates, Inc., a business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee.  Most recently, he served as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Spring Arbor Distributors. 

In 1996, Steele founded TrinityZone.Com, the first full-scale e-Commerce Christian bookstore.  Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, was present at the launch of the company, which was one of 36 original e-Commerce sites to run Microsoft’s Site Server® commerce software.  TrinityZone.Com was later sold to Crosswalk.Com in 1999.

His initial foray into Christian retailing was a very successful Christian bookstore in New Jersey, which he owned from 1973 until 1980.  That store was sold when he started his consulting firm, Trinity & Associates, Inc.

“After spending the bulk of my career working in retail, distribution, publishing, and now having built stronger relationships with Christian record labels, I look forward to expanding my company in the coming year.  Working with The Marketing Group is part of the next phase for my company,” Steele said.

Steele serves on several industry panels and study groups, and is a member of several other companies’ boards. 

The Marketing Group is a boutique marketing agency based in Nashville, Tennessee.  The company’s primary business is creating highly-customized Radio programming and promotions to accomplish specific retail objectives.  A sampling of the company’s clients includes Anderson Merchandisers, Sony Music, Pfizer, Century 21, and GEICO Insurance.

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Spring Arbor Concludes Business Solution Seminars

Thursday, April 24th, 2003

Spring Arbor concluded its series of free Business Solution Seminar series for Spring 2003. The one-day seminars were designed to help bookstores effectively balance their ministry and run a profitable business.

Industry educator, Bob Steele, Senior Consultant with the TrinityGroup in Franklin, TN, presented the seminars in six locations around the country, concluding in the Nashville area today at Spring Arbor's LaVergne, TN facilities. "I am extremely pleased with the results of this years series. The comments and evaluations received from those who attended this year were really encouraging. Over the years, we've tweaked the program and I feel we are having a high impact our attendees" Steele stated.

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RBTE Announces Steele to Conduct Retail Technology Training

Monday, March 17th, 2003
Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit (RBTE) announced today that TrinityGroup Senior Consultant Bob Steele will conduct two training sessions on retail technology at the Dealer Day Seminar scheduled to be held on May 27th at the Pheasant Run Resort & Exhibition in St. Charles, IL. Steele will conduct the morning session entitled “Retail Technology: Getting What You Need”. Steele said “the morning session is designed for stores that are not using computers yet. We will look into what they should have, what should it do for them, what is will cost and what is available in the marketplace”.

The afternoon session – “Retail Technology: Using What You've Got” - is for those who already have computers and a POS system and want to lean how to better use the investment they already made. “Too many retailers use their use their POS system as a fancy cash register and really don’t get enough value from their investment. In the afternoon session, I want to explore the many uses of the computer system beyond the POS as well as cover how to use the POS system to generate the right management reports.” 

RBTE - The Global Marketplace for Catholic, Episcopal and Other Liturgical Book & Gift Stores will be held at the Pheasant Run Resort & Exhibition in St. Charles, IL. from May 27 through May 30, 2003. For more information, call: 888-972-2556 (Outside US/CAN 914-244-1114), email: info@rbte.net or go to http://www.rbte2000.com/

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Spring Arbor Selects TrinityGroup's Bob Steele for Business Solution Seminars

Monday, January 6th, 2003

Spring Arbor announced the continuation of it’s free Business Solution Seminar series for 2003. The one-day seminars series to be conducted in April, were first presented in the Fall of 2000 and are designed to help bookstores effectively balance their ministry and run a profitable business. Led by industry veteran, Bob Steele, Senior Consultant with the TrinityGroup in Franklin, TN, these entertaining, informative, and useful seminars cover the following topics: 

What are the critical factors you need to measure in your store? - “You can’t make good decisions without good data”. So say’s Peter Drucker, world renown business consultant and author. Get simple straightforward answers to the difficult questions you face each day in your store, presented in a straight forward understandable way. 

What are “best practices” and which ones should you  implement in your store? - With increased competition and economic pressures, many booksellers are faced with making critical decisions about how to help their store survive. Find out how you can concentrate on the "right stuff".

“It’s great to have the opportunity to do this series again. We keep tweaking it and it gets better and better. We’ve added some new twists this year. I think it’ll be our best yet” Steele stated in a recent interview.  

2003 Business Solutions Seminars Dates and Locations 

April 1 - Los Angeles, California

April 3 - St. Louis, Missouri

April 15 - San Antonio, Texas 

April 17 - Ann Arbor, Michigan

April 22 - Columbus, Ohio

April 24 - Nashville, Tennessee

To register or for more information, call (800) 395-4340, ext. 35020 or email solutions@springarbor.com.

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Recent Activities

What's keeping TrinityGroup consultant Bob Steele on the move these days?

2009 - 2010

  Integra Interactive, Antioch, TN

  America Direct, Inc / Master Sunday Bulletins, Franklin, TN

2008

  November 20, 2008 – Ingram Publishers Services, LaVergne, TN2008

 November 20, 2008 – Ingram Publishers Services, LaVergne, TN

November 11, 2008 – Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, CO.

 October 14, 2007 – Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN

 September 26, 2008 – SIBA Fall Show, Mobile, AL.

 September 20, 2008 – MPIBA Fall Show, Colorado Springs.

 September 6 to 9, 2008 – Munce Fall CPE Show, Nashville, TN.

 August 6, 2008 – Tyndale House Publishers - Carol Stream, IL

 August 5, 2008 – Follett Higher Education- Oak Brook, IL

 August 4, 2008 – Moody Publishers - Chicago, IL

 July 12 to 18, 2008 - CBA 2008 ICRS Show - Orlando, FL

 June 20, 2008 – Dicksons Inc. – Seymore IN.

 May 29 to June 1, 2008  - BEA Book Expo America – Hollywood, CA

 May 20, 2008 – Baker Publishing Group – Ada, MI

 May 13, 2008 – Kerusso, Berryville, AR

 May 9, 2008 – Oxford University Press – NYC, NY

 May 7, 2008 – American Booksellers Association – Tarrytown, NY

 April 21, 2008 - Munce Marketing Group, Indian Rock, FL.

 March 21, 2008 - Moody Publishers - Chicago, IL

 February 11, 2008 – McGraw - Hill – NYC,NY

 January 25 to 27, 2008  – ABA’s Winter Institute – Louisville. KY

 January 30 to 31, 2008 – CBA Industry Conference .08  - Indianapolis, IN

2007

 November 28, 2007 – Simon & Schuster - Sanibel Harbour, FL

 November 1, 2007 – Munce Marketing Group, Indian Rock, FL.

 November 2, 2007 – Strang Communications, Lake Mary, FL

* October 19, 2007 – Scholastic Books – NYC, NY

 September 29, 2007 – MPIBA Fall Show, Denver, CO.

 September 20, 2007 – Christian Supply Center, Portland, OR.

 September 19, 2007 – PNBA Fall Show, Bellevue, WA.

 July 7 to 12, 2007 - CBA 2007 ICRS Show – Atlanta, GA

June 7, 2007 - CBA Member Services Reps -Colorado Springs, CO.

June 6, 2007 - David C. Cook training  Colorado Springs, CO.

May 30 to June 3 - BEA Book Expo America in NYC.

May 29, 2007  - Berean Christian Stores - Cincinnati, OH

May 23, 2007 - ECPA, Phoenix, AZ

May 10, 2007 - BISG - Making Information Pays 2007

May 10, 2007- Island Press -  training at sales meeting in NYC.

May 3, 2007 - ECPA Spring Seminar - Rethink held in Austin, TX.

April 21, 2007 - Noble Sales Group reps training in Portland, OR

April 25, 2007 - EMI CMG - p orientation and training in Brentwood, TN

April 4, 2007 - AMG Publishers - update sales reps Loveland, Co.

March 23, 2007 - SIBA Spring Show 2007-  Atlanta, GA.

February 1and 2 - ABA Winter Institute - Portland, OR

January 29 to 31, 2007 - CBA ADVANCE - Indianapolis, IN

January 3, 2007 - McGraw Hill - provide Above the Treeline orientation and training NY, NY.

2006

November 12 to 14 - ECPA University, Chicago, IL.

September 28 to 29, 2006 -  Midwest Booksellers Association,  Above the Treeline Users Group/Demo Sessions - St Paul, MN

September 28 to 29, 2006 -  Midwest Booksellers Association,  Above the Treeline Users Group/Demo Sessions - St Paul, MN

September 2 to 5 , 2006 - NAIBA, Valley Forge, PA Above the Treeline Users Group/Demo Sessions

August 4, 2006 - Perseus Books Group, Above the Treeline Sales Rep Training, New York, NY

July 10 to July 14, 2006 - ICRS Convention, Representing Above the Treeline, Denver, CO

July 8, 2006 -Association of Logos Bookstores, Above the Treeline Presentation, Boulder, CO

July 7, 2006 - Lemstone LLC Above the Treeline Training, Denver, CO

June 29 , 2006 - Garden Bookstore - Above the Treeline Training Session, Houston, TX

June 1 to 3, 2006 - Covenant Group & STL/APPA Spring Invitational, Above the Treeline Presentations, Johnson City, TN

May 18 to 21, 2006 - Book Expo America - Above the Treeline presentation and Users Groups - Washington, DC

April 20, 2006 -Tyndale House Publishers - Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Wheaton, IL

April 11, 2006 - Noble Marketing Group - Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Nashville, TN

April 9 to 10, 2006 - Inspirational Publishers Group - Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Sisters. OR

April 7, 2006 - Lemstone LLC - Retailer Training for Above the Treeline, Oak Park, IL

April 6, 2006 - Zondervan- Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Indianapolis, IN

April 5, 2006 - Zondervan- Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Dallas, TX

April 2, 2006 - Time/Warner Book Group - Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Franklin, TN

April 2, 2006 - Provident Music Group - Sales Rep Training for Above the Treeline, Franklin, TN

January 4 to 6, 2006 - ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Greensboro, SC

January 29 to Feb1, 2006 - ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Riverside, CA

January 27 to 28, 2006 -  CBA Future of the Industry Seminar - Nashville, TN

January 23 to 26, 2006 -  CBA ADVANCE Trade Show - Above the Treeline - Nashville, TN

January 15 to 18, 2006 -  ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Dallas, TX

January 10 to 13, 2006 - ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Chicago, IL

January 8 to 10, 2006 - ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Hershey, PA

January 4 to 6, 2006 - ECPA Retailer Momentum Seminar - Greensboro, SC

2005

November 6 to 9, 2005 - ECPA Publisher University, Indian Lakes Resort, IL

August 2 to 5 , 2005 - CMN Seminar - Catholic Marketing Network - Retailer Workshops PA

July 11 to July 14, 2005 - ICRS Convention, (3) Training Labs  - (1) Cycle Counting, (2) Purchase Orders,  (3) Category Management. Denver, CO

July 11 to July 14, 2005 - ICRS Convention, Representative for Above the Treeline
Denver, CO

June 3 to 5 Book Expo America - Above the Treeline presentation and Users Groups - Javits  Convention Center, NYC, NY 

May 1 to 4 - ECPA Management Conference, Tucson, AZ

April 7, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Detroit, MI

April 5, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Dayton, Oh

March 31, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Chicago, IL

March 29, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Philadelphia Area, PA

March 15, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Los Angles, CA

March 1, 2005- Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, POS System Best Practices - Sales & Inventory Analysis - Atlanta, GA

February 8 to 11, 2005 - CMN Seminar - Catholic Marketing Network Retailer Workshops - Chicago, IL

February 1 to 4, 2005 - CBA Advance, Future of the Industry Meeting Nashville, TN

January 24 to 28, 2005 - CMN Seminar - Catholic Marketing Network Retailer Workshops Ontario, CA

2004

  November 3, 2004 - Above the Treeline. IBC Users Group Meeting, Manchester Center, VT

October 11, 2004 - UMBA Regional Book Trade Show Presentation, "Inventory Management - Keeping Score Using Best Practices" St Paul, MN

September 21, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Minneapolis, MN

September 14, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Boston, MA

September 10, 2004 - SEBA Regional Book Trade Show Presentation, "Inventory Management - Keeping Score Using Best Practices" Atlanta GA.

July 20 to 23, 2004 - CMN Seminar - Catholic Marketing Network Retailer Workshops Somerville, NJ

June 26 to July 2, 2004 - CBA Training - Cycle Counting, Scheduled Product Ordering ,  Scheduled Product Returns and Above the Treeline
Atlanta, GA

June 3, 2004 - BEA Presentation, "Inventory Management - Keeping Score Using Best Practices", Chicago, IL

May 2 to 5, 2004 - ECPA Seminar - Revitalizing Christian Retail Hilton Head, SC

March 23, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Pittsburg, PA

March 16, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Rockford, MD

March 9, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Portland, OR

March 2, 2004 - Spring Arbor Retail Momentum Seminar, Charlotte, SC

February 10 to 13, 2004 - CMN Educational Seminar, Long Beach CA

February 2004 - Future of the Industry, Indianapolis, IN

February 2004 - CBA Advance, Indianapolis, IN

February 2004 - Independents Day, Indianapolis, IN

2003

November 2003 - Catholic Marketing Network, Dallas, TX

September 2003 - Supply Chain Meeting, Chicago, IL

September 2003 - CPSG Meeting

August 2003 - CBA Gift Committee

July 2003 - Seminar in the Rockies

July 2003 - CBA International Convention

June 2003 - CMN Chicago, Illinois

June 2003 - Book Expo America , Los Angeles, CA

May 2003 - RBTE, St. Charles, Illinois

April 2003 - Spring Arbor's 2003 Business Solutions Seminars - (Los Angles, St. Louis, San Antonio, Columbus, Ann Arbor, Nashville)

March 2003 - Future of the Industry, Colorado Springs, CO.

February 2003 - More industry standards

January 2003 - Trade Shows! and Industry standards groups

 

 

 

 

 
     

Bob Steele
Senior Consultant

Tel: 615-599-7611
Fax: 615-599-7612

bob.steele@trinitygroup.biz

 
   
 
 

 

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