The Advisory Council for the Expo has come up with a reason to attend the show this year, as well as bring your key people. Here’s the link to the overview and session descriptions: http://www.sfdexpo.com/sfde/edu_seminars.po

Everyone I talk to these days (manufacturers, distributors and fabricators) say there is a huge need for solid business training, i.e. accounting, finance, sales & marketing, employee relations, business planning, etc. The conferences are set up to address those needs with an awesome twist: the classes are broken down into tracks geared to the developmental stage of a fabricator’s business.

In other words, if you have been around for a few years, your needs are quite different than a newbie just starting out. Likewise, the owner of a large, multi-divisional company doesn’t want to sit in another class talking about how to write a basic business plan.

Best of all, the presenters on the business side are college professors, who also have real world experience. You can read their bios here: http://www.sfdexpo.com/sfde/instructors_speakers.po The professors are David Fielding, Tom Kavanaugh and Anthony Picchioni.

The other presenters this year are well qualified and well prepared -- and will not use their sessions as a forum to push any given product or service. Refreshing.

The idea is you can attend six classes in a business track geared to your company’s needs, get a certificate of completion and still have plenty of time left over to visit the exhibits and do all the other networking stuff.  

There is also a General Interest track that covers design trends, alternative materials, the Green Movement, setting up a fabrication shop and other pertinent topics. They are great for business owners as well as other key employees. Plus, there is a whole series of demonstration clinics on the show floor.

(Sorry for the long post, but this is pretty exciting stuff. Also, I should disclose that I have a personal interest in the educational tracks as I am a Cygnus contractor for the show.)

Russ

Russ...alrigyhty then...looking forward to the Green workshops...i have been playing around with all the materials considered green and cant wait to hear see some experience...thanx for the long post it saves alot time as to asking questions...you got it allout...seeya, Gene

Gene,

Eric Freed is an architect who specializes in Green, and is a recognized authority on renewable construction. He lectures widely on the subject and has put together some awesome presentations that really bring you up to speed on this emerging and vitally important topic. Considering the impact Green is/will be having on our industry, these sessions alone are worth the price of admission.

I look forward to meeting you at the show. Having read your posts elsewhere and checked out your bio, I think you and your company are representative of the evolution of the countertop industry.

Russ

Tom,

Good point. I agree with you that bringing in hired guns to teach the conferences has the potential of missing the mark in terms of relevance to people in the countertop industry.

Perhaps it would be helpful to get a little background on our professors: Tom Kavanaugh helped Richard Christ fine tune one of the best run countertop operations in the country; Tony Picchioni and Lashon Ross have presented at the Expo before, and Tony literally wrote the book on employee management; Dave Fielding doesn't have countertop experience, but he has operated at the highest level in big-time corporations as well as run his own mom and pop operations that tripled profits while doubling sales (who says you can't be profitable and grow at the same time?).

The great thing about the way these business seminars are structured is that everybody from newbies to the Vanessa Bates and Richard Christs of the world can walk away with meaningful instruction geared to the size and nature of their businesses. In fact, especially the owners of larger, well established countertop operations, expressed the desire for more advanced instruction in business topics -- after all, it's their show too.

That said, the General Interest category and clinics on the show floor still include fabrication-oriented seminars, information about new products and techniques and other tecchie type stuff taught by some of our industry's finest. Who wouldn't want to see how Grant Garcia of Sterling Surfaces puts together a dynamite architect's presentation, or find out how Fred Christen of Hallmark Stone successfully introduced technology into his operation? As the web site is updated and you have a chance to see the printed preliminary conference program that has more complete information (which is supposed to go out soon), I think you will agree the lineup of speakers and topics is some of the best of the best.

Not to be negative, but surveys of past attendees indicate a need to bring fresh blood and fresh ideas to the Expo conferences. We think we have done that while preserving the integrity of the material presented.

Having attended and been involved in one way or another every show from the beginning, I believe this is the strongest, most pertinent and most professional conference program yet. Get your rest before you go to the show, because you'll need all your energy to soak up as much as you can in three days (does that sound like a commercial?).

Russ

To quote Gary Coleman of Different Strokes: "Whatchya talkin' bout Willis?"

I see Elvis everywhere I go when I'm in Vegas.