WIC 2011 set for Marco Island, Fla.
The 2011 Woodworking Industry Conference, a networking event for woodworking industry leaders, is scheduled for May 4-6 at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort & Spa in Marco Island, Fla….
The 2011 Woodworking Industry Conference, a networking event for woodworking industry leaders, is scheduled for May 4-6 at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort & Spa in Marco Island, Fla.
WIC will focus on theme of "Listening To Your Customers."The eventwill include a seminar by Brian Swanson, aptly titled "Listen to your Customer and Change your Business." Swanson is director of operations and enterprise excellence at North Anoka Control Systems, a design and manufacturing firm specializing in production of automated systems for medical and other various industrial manufacturers. He will examine tools and concepts that will help organizations derive excellence and power from customer input while strengthening the sense of partnership that customers feel for your company.
Don Shultz, CEO of Premier Garage and strategist for the woodworking industry, will speak in the opening session of the conference on "Innovating Your Business Model." Having observed and worked through the paradigm shifts that have occurred in the woodworking industry, Shultz will discuss the need to truly understand the end consumer, the fundamental flaws in old-model marketing strategies and the power behind helping your customers differentiate from their competitors.
WIC, sponsored by the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers, Woodworking Machinery Industry Association and Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America, will also feature three industry forums with panelists from leading manufacturers in the areas of cabinetry, furniture and architectural millwork. They will share their insight as to the current state of their businesses and what they expect, moving forward, in a dynamic and interactive exchange of ideas.
"WIC 2011 has been planned with fewer total conference days, speakers who are directly related to our customers' needs and workshops inclusive of customers, distributors, and manufacturers. And there will be more networking time than ever before. You and your company will be rewarded if you join us in 2011," says AWFS president Joan Kemp.
The conference also welcomes a new participating association in 2011. The North American Building Material Distribution Association serves independent building material, lumber, and kitchen and bath dealers; regional and national home centers; and those that serve production companies involved in cabinetry, architectural woodwork, stock woodwork, store fixtures, solid surface fabricating, plastics fabricating, general and specialty woodworking industries. Distributor members operate more than 900 distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
For information, contact Bruce Valentine at AWFS at bruce@awfs.org or 323-838-9440.
