BluePoint ATM attended the Integra Connect 25 conference as a sponsor, with Mike Stebbins (Head of Sales Development, Cashless) attending the full week and Wade Zirkle joining for two nights. The conference was Mike's first major sales event with BluePoint ATM, having officially started the week prior.
Integra is a performance enhancement company operating under Sodexo (the world's largest GPO) as the North American supplier-buyer interface. The conference drew 400–500 attendees — a mix of Integra clients and suppliers across multiple verticals, including significant food and beverage representation.
Key outcome: The conference exceeded expectations, generating solid leads and connections, and BluePoint ATM made a strong first impression as a new sponsor.
As a sponsor, BluePoint ATM was allocated 8 pre-scheduled meetings in a speed-dating format (30 minutes each, with a Sodexo scribe present to take notes):
| Meeting Type | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requested by BluePoint ATM | 4 | Targeted specific Integra clients |
| Assigned by Integra (clients requested BluePoint) | 4 | Some were accidental matches but yielded potential |
Mike used an upfront contract approach (developed with Chuck) at the start of each meeting to set the agenda and define clear follow-up tasks — a practice that worked well in the structured format.
One meeting was notably difficult: two attendees with very traditional views on cash who were resistant to cashless ATM concepts. Treated as a learning experience.
[1]'s Asymmetric team prepared personalized one-pagers for each pre-scheduled meeting, featuring the prospect's logo at the top. These were well-received and considered a differentiating professional touch by attendees and Mike alike.
"Everybody thought it was very professional and it was very good." — Mike Stebbins
This tactic is worth replicating for future conference sponsorships. See also: [2] (if created).
A notable feature of the Integra Connect investment model is that Sodexo actively manages post-conference follow-up — it is not solely the sponsor's responsibility to chase prospects. This includes:
This reduces the cold-follow-up burden on BluePoint ATM's sales team and adds a layer of credibility to outreach. Wade noted this was already underway post-conference.
Open question at time of call: Whether a list of conference contacts could be exported for a dedicated email sequence. Wade indicated the follow-up approach for this event should be more personal/targeted rather than a bulk sequence, given the small number of high-quality meetings.
BluePoint ATM's current focus is on the cashless ATM vertical, and Integra's client base (Sodexo-affiliated organizations across food service, hospitality, and facilities) represents a meaningful target segment. This conference was a first step toward establishing a foothold in that ecosystem.
Wade noted a future goal of balancing cashless ATM prospecting with traditional ATM outreach once the current rhythm is established.