Conference Education

Speakers

COMPANY CEOs AND THEIR SALES MANAGEMENT TEAMS: HOW DO THEY VIEW VALUE ACTIVITES?
Professors Norm Clark and Daniel Jennings, Texas A&M University
Sunday, April 19, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Daniel Jennings

Value is the worth, in monetary terms, of the economic, technical, service and social benefits a customer firm receives in exchange for the price it pays for a product offering. These benefits are created by value activities performed by companies.

Professors Daniel Jennings and Norm Clark have recently completed research that focused on the differences in perception between Chief Executive Officers and Sales Managers regarding value activities. Supplier and distributor firms from the electrical, electronics, plumbing, building materials and associated equipment industrial distribution channels were studied.

Join Professors Jennings and Clark to discuss the study’s surprising findings.

The Sacred Cows of Industrial Distribution: Managing in Scary Times
Brent Grover, Evergreen Consulting LLC
Monday, April 20, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Running an industrial distribution business while the global economy suffers through fits and starts may be one of the biggest challenges facing distribution executives. Join Brent Grover of Evergreen Consulting as he brings years of expertise to bear on critical planning and management issues leaders may face during this and future turbulent economic cycles.

The Sacred Cows of Industrial Distribution: Managing in Scary Times workshop offers straight talk about the tough issues companies may face in an increasingly uncertain and volatile economic environment. Attendees may receive information to help improve their company's fortunes as global markets sort themselves.

The workshop attacks management behavior that can lead to poor performance and will provide tools that make top performers successful, including outside boards, strategic pricing and planning and more. The workshop is presented as part of both educational sessions. Attend one or both and gain valuable knowledge and insights.

Boosting Your Selling & Professional Power to New Levels of Excellence
Dr. Jerry Teplitz, Jerry Teplitz Enterprises
Field Manager, Inscape Publishing Company
Monday, April 20, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Have you ever had a negative day at work or when you've been selling? How did you feel when it ended? Tired? Drained? How about a positive day at work or while selling? How did you feel when it ended? Energized! What if you had the power to make every day a great day for yourself? Dr. Teplitz will give you the tools and techniques to make every day wonderful and boost your energy, making you more productive, creative and successful. These methods can be effective in every aspect of your life.

This engagement is being sponsored by ISA’s Independent Manufacturers’ Representatives members.

The New Age of "Grean": Green and Lean Principles for Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability
Steven Dunn, Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Business
Consultant, Ecolution
Monday, April 20, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Corporate America has reached the green tipping point. As companies scramble to adopt sustainable practices, the question now is not one of why but, more pragmatically, of how. In this context, Steven Dunn has emerged as a voice of clarity for some of America's leading companies, helping them understand and implement these new sustainable and profitable practices.

No doubt: doing business the old way harms the environment. The challenge, Dunn says, is to correct this in a way allowing businesses to continue meeting the growing global demand for products and services. At Ecolution, one of the top consulting firms in this new age of green, he shows companies how to strike this potentially prosperous but fine balance by rethinking their strategies. Creator of the term "Grean," or applying lean principles to environmental, social and economic strategies for a sustainable, profitable future, Dunn says a truly comprehensive approach to sustainability must also consider the equally important areas of diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, safety and investment in people.

Engaging a Changing Workforce: A Leader's Look at the New "Sales" Workforce
Diane Thielfoldt
The Learning Café
Monday, April 20, 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Today's workforce differs greatly from those of the past. Many believe the younger generations of the workforce, including Generation X — born between 1964 and 1982 — and so-called "Millennials" or Generation Y — born between 1982 and 2001 — are different from the generations that preceded them, the Baby Boomers (born between 1943 and 1960) and the Silents (born between 1925 and 1942). Gen X and Millennial employees are themselves increasingly the children of working mothers and the children of the downsized generation. The notion of job security has given way to "employment at will." They have seen turbulence in the workforce in the early '90s, the dot-com bubble and 9/11. This generational mix can foster conflict and misunderstanding and also holds opportunities for productivity, creativity, knowledge-sharing and strategic advantage.

Participants will learn:

The population trends that contributed to current workplace conditions
The four generations in today's workplace
The forces that shaped their attitudes, preferences and behaviors
The unique needs associated with each generation
The key motivators for each generation
Practical ideas to hire, coach, engage and retain today's diverse talent
What they can do to successfully manage the mix

Engaging a Changing Workforce: A Leader's Look at the New "Sales" Workforce will help companies create and sustain organizational awareness of the constantly shifting workforce and its impact on their bottom lines. The forum may provide a catalyst for candid conversation about generational issues and productivity. The tools gained here will help increase awareness, appreciation and positive action.

Luncheons

Small, Specialty and Emerging Member Luncheon Program

Streamlined for the New Economy: How Small Companies Gain Leverage
Dr. Bill McCleave
Monday, April 20, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

With all the buzz surrounding big firms in the MROP world and their continued expansion, smaller companies might wonder how they can compete. Industry leadership experts believe they can compete and even thrive by taking advantage of opportunities in the marketplace. There are a number of tools, processes and methods that can help provide the leverage smaller firms need to prosper.

During the 2009 Conference and Trade Fair's year's Small Specialty and Emerging Members (SSEM) Luncheon, attendees will hear from a panel of experts who will take them on a tour of the tools and techniques smaller firms can use to reduce costs and gain market share while increasing their exposure. Real-life examples and success stories will help attendees join the productivity revolution. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy a great meal and gain valuable industry information.

Independent Manufacturers' Representative Luncheon

Power of the Mind
Dr. Jerry Teplitz
Monday, April 20, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

We have all heard about the power of positive thoughts to improve lives. This program demonstrates the power of positive and negative thinking. Attendees will discover their power to take charge of their thought patterns to achieve the kinds of success they want in their lives.

Panels

The View from Wall Street on Industrial Markets
Moderated by Tom Gale
Monday, April 20; 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM

The global economy is in the midst of the kind of financial upheaval not seen since The Great Depression. Learn how major North American end-use markets have fared, what has shifted, and the near-term outlook for your company's supply chain. Industrial market analysts will share their insights on the changes taking place in industrial manufacturing and distribution and the results of their research on publicly-traded manufacturers and distributors. The panel features Holden Lewis, an Industrial Security Analyst with BB&T Capital Markets Equity Research and Walter Liptak, Vice President and Senior Security Analyst with Barrington Research Associates, Inc., Chicago. Tom Gale, Publisher, Modern Distribution Management, will serve as moderator.

Purchasing
Moderated by Jack Keough and Paul E. Teague
Monday, April 20; 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM

What do purchasing departments really think of you and your company? What are distributors doing right — and wrong — in the eyes of buyers? And what role does the Internet play in the distributor/buyer relationship? These are just some of the questions that will be answered at this 90-minute panel discussion.

The panel, comprised of buyers and distributors, will discuss the findings of an exclusive research project conducted by ISA and Industrial Distribution and Purchasing magazines. This is one session you won't want to miss!