Summit Participants focus on moving their businesses forward.
Press Release Summary:
Themed What's Your Next Move?, co-located PTDA Industry Summit and FPDA Motion and Control Network's Fall Networking Symposium hosted nearly 700 top executives in PT/MC and fluid power industries who gathered to network and build business relationships. Highlights included opening keynote by Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development Corporation and founder of US FIRST; macroeconomic update by Dr. Robert Genetski; and 3 workshops to help executives plan their next move.
Original Press Release:
PTDA 2009 Industry Summit Participants Focused on Moving Their Businesses Forward
Chicago, Ill. - November 16, 2009 - Nearly 700 of the top executives in the power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) and fluid power industries gathered to network and build business relationships at the co-located Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) Industry Summit and the FPDA Motion + Control Network's Fall Networking Symposium held Oct. 22-24 in San Diego, Calif. Themed "What's Your Next Move?," participants gathered critical information needed to position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities as the economy climbs out of the recession.
Highlights of the 2009 Industry Summit
o Inspirational opening keynote address by Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development Corporation and founder of US FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Kamen, holder of over 440 U.S. patents, began his presentation by highlighting several of his company's innovations, many of which incorporate power transmission and fluid power products including the portable insulin pump, the Segway and the DARPA prosthetic arm. The most powerful message Kamen delivered was on behalf of the US FIRST program. "There are six billion people out there who really need healthcare and energy in a realistic, sustainable, environmentally rational way. The solutions to those problems are not going to come from politicians or lawyers or bankers. They're going to come from the next generation of really smart kids," said Kamen. He encouraged attendees to get involved with FIRST as mentors, supporters and suppliers of products that make up the kits students use to build robots for the annual FIRST Robotics Competition.
o Insightful macroeconomic update by Dr. Robert Genetski. Dr. Genetski provided a framework of classic economic principles to explain the current economic climate and forecast the business environment for the coming year. According to Genetski, the downward cycle has ended, and the recovery is slowing beginning. However, due to a proposal by the FDIC to require banks to prepay their insurance, Genetski cautions that the recovery may be temporarily "short-circuited."
o Three workshops to help industry executives plan their next move:
- New and growing markets are an opportunity for growth. Adam Uhlman and Joe Calvello of Cleveland Research presented findings from their survey of PTDA's members. Members reported six end-user markets as experiencing net strength; nearly 70 percent of those surveyed cited flat prices during the third quarter. Uhlman and Calvello also presented results with respect to inventory, order activity and credit availability.
- Dr. William R. McCleave stressed using knowledge, information and data to analyze trends and developments that will affect your success in pursuing new opportunities. Specifically, McCleave gave participants the tools needed to assess six areas (owner, market, customer, competition, supplier and resource) in determining a company's ability to make the next move.
- It's a whole new economic environment, and the rules have changed. Mike Marks presented models in the areas of business development, pricing, organization and risk to help participants exploit emerging opportunities.
o Open forum and idea exchange for the top-level management of privately-held distribution companies. The two-hour invitation-only forum, facilitated by Mike Marks, generated instantly implementable ideas for reducing costs and improving profit. Many participants stated that the ideas garnered from this one session more than offset the cost of attending the Industry Summit.
Manufacturer-Distributor Idea Exchange (MD-IDEX) Builds Channel Partnerships
Once again this year, the Industry Summit featured its signature table-top booth program-the Manufacturer-Distributor Idea Exchange (MD-IDEX). MD-IDEX offered a time-and cost-effective opportunity for members to conduct one-on-one, senior management discussions with current and potential business partners. With nearly 120 manufacturer and service provider participants, hundreds of appointments were held in addition to the 90 minutes of open time that allowed for impromptu conversations.
Motion Control Technical Conference and Showcase Reinforces PTDA Members' Position as Motion Control Experts
Helping members find new channels to market and grow their businesses stood out as a key element of the PTDA Industry Summit.
Held prior to the Industry Summit, the Motion Control Technical Conference featured presentations from four manufacturers of motion control products on the latest technology and advances. Owners, managers and technical specialists from both distributors and manufacturers participated in sessions to increase their knowledge of the motion control field which will help them deliver the technical services customers demand.
For the fourth year, the Industry Summit hosted the Motion Control Showcase, featuring exhibits from 26 motion control suppliers. PTDA members sell over $800 million in motion control products annually and, through the Motion Control Showcase, were able to learn more about the products that will help their customers increase productivity.
More than $2,500 Raised for San Diego Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
As October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, spouses and companions of delegates attending the Industry Summit participated in a fundraising walk to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Sandy Rabourne, director of community development and outreach for the San Diego affiliat, was on hand to accept the donation. Participants also took part in a wellness program led by fitness professional Sara Holliday.
For more information on the PTDA Industry Summit, visit www.ptda.org/IndustrySummit.
The PTDA 2010 Industry Summit, celebrating PTDA's 50th anniversary, will be held on Oct. 21 -23 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Ariz.
Founded in 1960, the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) is the leading association for the industrial power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel. A U.S.-based trade association, PTDA represents 198 power transmission/motion control distributor firms with over 3,500 locations throughout North America and 11 other countries, as well as 187 manufacturers that supply the PT/MC industry.
PTDA is dedicated to providing exceptional networking, targeted education, relevant information and leading-edge business tools to help distributors and manufacturers meet marketplace demands competitively and profitably. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.
Contact:
Ann Arnott
PTDA
+1.312.516.2100
aarnott@ptda.org
www.ptda.org
