STAFDA News, June/July 2011
STAFDA Expands San Antonio convention workshop roster
STAFDA has increased the number of Educational Workshops being offered during its 35th Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Antonio this November 13-15. Six workshops will be offered on Sunday, November 13, each addressing critical business issues.
Morning Sessions
Economic Forecast: Alan Beaulieu, president of the Institute for Trend Research, will begin the morning with a three hour look at the current state of the economy in the U.S. and Canada, key financial indicators and a region-by-region analysis on the construction/industrial markets. This is the third year Alan will be presenting his update, and his past forecasts have been spot on.
Strategic Planning: Dr. Bart Basi, STAFDA’s Business Succession, Valuation & Tax Planning Consultant and president of the Center for Financial, Legal & Tax Planning, will lead a two-hour program focused on strategic planning, ESOPs, retirement transitions and exit strategies.
Technology Tips: Jeff Gusdorf, STAFDA’s Technology Consultant and president of BSW Consulting Group, will delve into what’s current and up-and-coming in technology for this two-hour session. He’ll take a look at tablet tech uses, e-mail marketing, social media and what members need to utilize in order to keep up with businesses quickly evolving technology.
Afternoon Sessions
(90-minute workshops that repeat after a 30 minute break)
Executive’s Guide to Business Security: Barry Brandman, president of Danbee Investigations, will dig deeper into security issues facing STAFDA members and how to keep one step ahead of criminals. He’ll expand on issues found in STAFDA’s recently released security manual.
The Best (& Worse) Practices in Distribution: Michael Marks, president of Indian River Consulting, will lead an interactive, rap-session-type workshop where members can call out their top business challenges in the supply channel, and Marks will address them. This session is the full three hours; it does not repeat.
The Future of Green: John Wagner, managing director of Certified Green Dealer and green editor/columnist for LBM Journal, will project what the green building market will look like in the next 5-10 years from both the “sell” and “buy” sides. He’ll also discuss green trends for contractor customers, manufacturing trends, and how to brand your company “green.”
Branch & Operations Management: Dr. Michael Workman, former professor at Texas A & M University and a current University of Industrial Distribution faculty member, will present new tools for performing and managing functions for single or multiple branch operations in today’s post-recession economy. These include operational structures, assets, purchasing and personnel.
For more information
View the full Convention agenda on the Meetings & Conventions page of www.stafda.org. Registration materials for STAFDA’s Convention & Trade Show will mail to all members on June 24.
Online registration begins June 27 at 8:00 a.m. (Central) from the members-only section of STAFDA’s Web site. The Annual Convention & Trade Show is for members only. Don’t miss out!
For more information on these programs and STAFDA membership, please contact Catherine Usher, Member Services Director, at 800/352-2981 or e-mail cusher@stafda.org, or visit STAFDA’s Web site, www.stafda.org.