CHICAGO—The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) announced its slate of keynote speakers for the organization’s 38th Annual Meeting and Distributor Marketplace, scheduled for Sept. 22-24 in Glendale, Ariz.
NAFCD’s opening session will feature a panel of four-leading manufacturers: including Mannington president and CEO Tom Davis,
Shaw Industries president
Randy Merritt, Armstrong North American Floor Products president and CEO
Frank Ready and
Mapei Americas president/CEO, Luigi Di Geso.
The impressive lineup of speakers also includes Rob “Waldo” Waldman, a combat-decorated Air Force fighter pilot, and Jason Bader, managing partner of The Distribution Team.
“This networking and education event is a must-attend for manufacturers and distributors alike in the floor covering business,” said Maurice Desmaris, NAFCD’s executive vice president.
Breakout session speakers include Institute for Trend Research senior analyst and economist Alan Beaulieu; Chase Kepner, former director of sales training at
J.J. Haines;
National Wood Flooring Association executive director and CEO
Ed Korczak and
Anderson Hardwood Floors president and CEO Don Finkel.
In addition to the roundtable discussions, industry leader panel and more than eight speakers and presenters, the NAFCD 2009 Fall University Series will offer a day-and-a-half workshop on the sales process, sales strategy and how credit and sales work in tandem with one another.
Keynoter Waldman will speak about why one should never fly solo in business and in life. He will challenge attendees to evaluate how important trust is in their organization; the importance of courageous leadership; and will show how focused, productive and mission-ready employees can impact the bottom line.
Bader will help distributor and manufacturer professionals understand the needs of the floor covering retailer by providing results from NAFCD’s recent research study on relationships between distributors and their customers.
“This interactive session will give industry professionals a chance to share best practices,” Desmaris said, “and to discuss industry challenges and solutions.”
In addition to the meeting, NAFCD will be conducting the fourth annual Distributor Marketplace, a face-to-face environment designed to make buying/selling easier and more efficient for manufacturers and distributors. “The Meeting and Distributor Marketplace is an avenue of opportunity that fosters the exchange of ideas and solutions among industry peers,” he said. “It’s the only event of its kind in the industry.
To learn more about the meeting and early-bird pricing, visit nafcd.org. The meeting is open to all NAFCD members, prospective NAFCD members and attendees’ guests.
For more about NAFCD, call 312.321.6836.
