NEMRA Annual Meeting to Focus on Economic Challenges

Feb. 13, 2009
The economy will take center stage during key sessions of the National Electrical Manufacturers' Representatives Association's 39th Annual Conference

The economy will take center stage during key sessions of the National Electrical Manufacturers' Representatives Association's 39th Annual Conference next month. The four-day NEMRA conference is scheduled for March 18-21 at the Marriott World Center, Orlando, Fla.

Conference keynote speaker William C. Taylor, founding editor of Fast Company magazine, will focus on how to conduct business successfully in tough economic times. Taylor, formerly an associate editor for the Harvard Business Review, most recently is the author of Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win.

The NEMRA Manufacturers Group (NMG) Forum will cast another eye on the economy as two electrical distributor executives provide their views on how the challenging economy is affecting the electrical industry. Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 20, the forum will feature Bill Weisberg, chairman and CEO of Affiliated Distributors (A-D) and Richard Offenbacher, senior vice president, sales/marketing electrical, Graybar Electric. In addition to discussing their economic outlooks for the year, the two distributor executives will provide their thoughts on channel relationships and describe what their organizations are doing to enhance productivity in their operations. The NMG Forum will be 90 minutes in length with time allotted for a question and answer session.

In addition to the presentations devoted to the economy, the NEMRA Annual also will feature opportunities for association members to meet and network with their manufacturers during group briefings and one-on-one sessions. The traditional Evening with NEMRA cocktail party scheduled for Thursday evening, March 19, also will provide attendees with the opportunity to meet with the new NEMRA President Ken Hooper.

Complete conference information, including registration forms, is available at www.nemra.org.