Gingrich to headline ASMMA/I.D.A. meeting
Newt Gingrich will deliver the keynote address at this spring's ASMMA/I.D.A. convention.
By Staff -- Industrial Distribution, 2/1/1999
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will be the keynote speaker at the Spring Convention of the American Supply and Machinery Manufacturer's Assn. and the Industrial Distribution Assn.ASMMA and I.D.A. leaders are excited to have landed Gingrich, whom they say is in line with the caliber of speakers they have been booking in recent years.
"He really was a key person in shaping the republican revival a few years ago," says I.D.A. president Sam Mitchell, who is president of EC Blackstone, an IDG company. "He's a real important person in history. And he's a known name. We're trying to keep our speakers at the level we've had in the last couple of years."
Mitchell adds that the ASMMA/ I.D.A. group is largely conservative, and therefore Gingrich is likely to be well received. He also notes that whether or not members agree with Gingrich's politics, they may be interested in what he has to say. ASMMA executive director Chuck Stockinger agrees.
"He will be somewhat controversial, potentially. Smart people with interesting ideas are always controversial," Stockinger says. "But he's the caliber of speaker we've switched to in the last few years. He should be a draw. You've got the name, you've got the position he's occupied, and you have a great speaker."
Stockinger adds that Gingrich will be speaking at a timely point in American history, referring to President Clinton's impeachment trial and the events surrounding it. Members may be interested in hearing Gingrich's perspective about what's going on in Washington, he says. The subject of Gingrich's speech has yet to be determined.
Gingrich committed verbally to the speaking engagement just days before he resigned as speaker of the house in November, says Stockinger. A formal agreement was made through the Washington Speaker's Bureau late last year.
Gingrich follows on the heels of former British Prime Minister John Major, who spoke to members at the Spring Convention in Orlando last year. In 1997, Ret. U.S. Gen. Colin Powell was the featured speaker.
"Mr. Gingrich has been one of the leading political figures of our day and has been involved in redirecting the congress of the United States in policies which are evidenced throughout government," adds Gary Buffington, I.D.A.'s executive vice president. "Although a sometimes controversial leader, he is certain to bring an interesting perspective on the contemporary political scene to the members of ASMMA and I.D.A."
The convention will be held in San Francisco, May 1-3. Convention planners expect about 3,500 attendees.
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