The inaugural Industry Analysts Inc. What’s Happenin' Detroit Select Golf Classic took place Aug. 18 at the iconic Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

PEAC Welcome Reception Sets the Tone

The event began with a networking dinner reception sponsored by PEAC Solutions. During registration, attendees were greeted with custom leather gift bags made locally in Detroit, filled with logoed gear from the event. The Detroit Putter Company was on-site offering professional fittings, with every participant taking home a new putter of their liking. FootJoy added to the fun by fitting golfers with new shoes, ensuring they were set with the latest and best gear.

The reception gave about 40 office technology dealers and more than 24 partner vendors a chance to mingle, network and connect. Without question, this was the biggest industry networking event of the summer, with one of the largest dealer turnouts of any event this year.

Tournament Day

On the morning of Aug. 18, golfers boarded a charter bus to Oakland Hills and were welcomed with bloody marys, breakfast and preround relaxation. A masseuse was on hand to loosen players up, while many warmed up at the driving range and putting green.

Once registration wrapped up, the tournament officially kicked off with the opening drive by Andy Slawetsky, president of Industry Analysts Inc. A total of 116 golfers participated on the north and south courses, combining with the broader American Cancer Society (ACS) event, which was sold out.

After golf, each golfer received a Chippapotamus "What's Happening" hat, generously donated by Chippapotamus, along with a gift bag from the ACS filled with goodies from other sponsors, like Tito's vodka.

Giving Back in a Big Way

One of many highlights of the day came during dinner when a check presentation was made to the ACS. A giant ceremonial check displayed the industry's generosity — $234,500 raised through the golf classic. By the time all contributions were finalized, that total grew to just under $250,000.

The impact was historic. Overall, the ACS event set a new fundraising record of $500,000, far surpassing its previous high of $361,000.

The donation was made in honor of Sandy Lowery. Attendees were moved by a touching video tribute by John Lowery of Applied Innovation, who shared his story and talked about the importance of the society's work. Many others also shared personal accounts of the help they or their families have received from the ACS, a reminder of just how much this organization quietly supports people every day.

Industry Unity

What makes this day so special is the people behind it. In what is often a competitive and cutthroat industry, this event was yet another example of how the office technology community comes together for the greater good.

Sponsors and Attendees

This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors.

Platinum Sponsors: GreatAmerica, Konica Minolta, Sharp Electronics, Xerox
Gold Sponsors: Toshiba America Business Solutions
Silver Sponsors: PaperCut

Top Personal Donations: Tom Walsh, Eric Auman

Attending Dealers

    Adams Remco
    A-Z Office Resource
    ACP
    AIS (Advanced Imaging Solutions)
    Applied Innovation
    Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office
    Blue Technologies
    CPI Technologies
    CFBT
    Datamax Arkansas
    DEX Imaging
    Donnellon McCarthy
    Elite Imaging Systems
    Fisher’s Technology
    FORD Office Technologies
    Function4
    Genesis
    GFI Digital
    Higher Information Group
    ImageNet
    Imagine Technology Group
    Integrated Office Technologies
    Kelley Create
    Kraft Business Systems
    Loffler
    Marco
    METRO MAIL SERVICES
    Midwest Imaging Solutions
    Millenium Business Systems
    Milner
    MTS Office
    National Business Technology
    Noordyk Business Equipment
    Novatech
    The Office People
    PERRY proTECH
    Preferred Business Systems
    Pulse Technology
    Prodatakey
    Regal Business Machines
    Stones Office Equipment
    UTEC
    Visual Edge IT
    WiZiX

Partner Vendors

    ACDI
    Canon USA
    ConnectWise
    DCS
    D’Emidio Consulting
    DX One
    ECI
    ecoprintQ
    Elatec
    FP-Mailing Solutions
    GreatAmerica
    HP
    Hytec
    Industry Analysts Inc.
    Intersport
    Konica Minolta
    Kyocera
    Mars International
    PaperCut
    PEAC Solutions
    Pontrelli Marketing
    Ricoh
    SalesChain
    Sharp
    Static Control
    Toshiba
    US Bank

The inaugural What's Happenin' Detroit Select Golf Classic exceeded all expectations with nearly $250,000 raised for cancer research and support services, one of the most well-attended dealer events of the year and a new benchmark for what we can achieve as an industry.