Frank Cannata
Frank Cannata sure knows how to throw a party. Just ask anybody who attended The Cannata Report’s 28th Annual Awards and Charities Dinner at The Park Savoy in Florham Park, NJ Wednesday night. But this event isn’t for just anybody. This is the only industry event that brings together everybody who’s anybody in the office technology industry—OEMs, leasing companies, solutions providers, and many of the leading dealers in the industry. The latter group was exponentially larger and geographically more dispersed in representation than in past years thanks to the Copier Dealer’s Association (CDA) meeting taking place in New York City on Thursday and Friday. That was a brilliant move by Frank and CDA.
My mistake was arriving a half hour later than I had planned, partially due to a late interview and partially to traffic, which meant I didn’t have as much time to network during the cocktail reception prior to the dinner as I had hoped. No matter, you couldn’t take a single step without running into a major player from the industry.
I love food, but won’t spend too much time on the culinary delights of the evening other than to say that the food at the cocktail reception was terrific and the dinner superb. Compliments to the chef and Frank for making all the right choices.
This year’s event also included a presentation by Frank’s son, CJ, on the rebranding of The Cannata Report. Visit www.thecannatareport.com to see what’s new.
The awards presentations are always a highlight of the evening even when you know the winners in advance. That’s because the presentations are more like an after dinner roast with served with a side of some good-natured ribbing and the occasional cringe-worthy moment. Kudos this year go to Jim D’Emidio of Muratec, a master of self-deprecation who might have a future in standup comedy if the Muratec gig doesn’t work out.
Awards were presented to Kyocera Document Solutions America, Inc. as Printer Manufacturer of the Year; Ricoh Company Ltd. as MFP Manufacturer of the Year; Muratec America, Inc. as First in Class Manufacturer of the Year; and Rick Taylor of Konica Minolta as Executive of the Year.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kirk Yoshida, former chairman and CEO of Ricoh Americas Corp., who received a well-deserved standing ovation from former associates, peers, and competitors.
The evening wasn’t all for fun, however, as money raised from the dinner benefitted The John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack UMC.
Frank Cannata deserves a ton of credit for the time and effort that goes into planning and executing an event like this. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the industry with the stamina, connections, and respect of their peers to bring together so many influential people who have been instrumental in making this industry what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. And to do it for 28 years is a tremendous achievement.
