Newton, Mass.— The Industrial Distribution Assn., in partnership with Industrial Supply Manufacturers Assn., presents the newly renamed I.D.A. Annual Distributor and Manufacturer Business Expo, to be held Nov. 22–24 in Chicago.

Said I.D.A. incoming president Jim Beckstein recently, "Once we redefined our mission and value proposition, the next logical step was to make sure we provided our members with an inclusive industry event that brings together distributors and manufacturers across the MROP channel."

Located at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare, the Expo offers a once-a-year opportunity for distributors and manufacturers to experience more learning, more contacts and more business, and boasts more than 1,800 distributor and manufacturer executives "waiting to do business," nine educational sessions, a half-day pre-convention workshop on customer relations and 14 hours of conference booth sessions.

As keynote speaker, Ken Schmidt, communications consultant and former director of communications for Harley Davidson Motor Co., will tell how the motorcycle legend conquered the influx of foreign manufacturers such as Yamaha and Kawasaki; share how the company has rebuilt its corporate culture; and provide guidance on building or rebuilding a brand on a limited budget, create market differentiation, energize employees to work together, and win the battle over negative consumer perceptions.

The educational workshops are designed to provide specific solutions for reducing costs, increasing market share and planning for profit. Session titles include: "Passing the Baton: Succession Planning for the Family or Closely Held Business," with Dr. Bart Basi; "Inventory Management: 2-3 Controls for Improved Asset Management," with Dr. Barry Lawrence; "How to Get Paid: Are you Tired of 60+ Daze," with Robert Langdon; "Addressing the Challenges of Leading an Experienced Sales Team," with Jim Pancero; "Market Challenges: Don't Just Gripe, Find a Solution," a roundtable discussion; and "Creating Raving Fans: Three Secrets from Concept to Reality," a unique roundtable based on Ken Blanchard's book, Raving Fans.

The Northamerican Industrial Representatives Assn. will hold its 9th annual Manufacturer/Representative Interface Opportunity (MRIO) on Sat., Nov. 22 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, just steps away from the Hyatt, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MRIO is an opportunity for NIRA members, and non-members, to conduct manufacturer interviews in their own private hotel suite away from the hustle and bustle of other convention activities. Attendees interested should visit www.nira.org to register for a suite.

Technology Inforums are a series of concurrent educational forums offering live demonstrations and information on improving internal operations through technology.

The Supplier Booth program provides an opportunity for manufacturers and suppliers wanting an audience with distribution executives, while the Distributor Conference Booth Program, the Business Expo "Main Event," puts distributor top executives face-to-face with current and potential trading partners.

"I.D.A.'s Expo will be the most business-focused, the most value-added, and the most cost-effective convention you'll attend all year," said Beckstein.