Newton, Mass.—When students sit down for their first class at the University of Industrial Distribution next March, they'll join a long line of executives, managers and salespeople that have gone before them: more than 4,000, in fact.

Though the number of students going through the program has diminished in recent years, organizers say its value is as great as ever. For about $1,000, industry professionals get four days of instruction from consultants and lecturers, choosing from 20 course offerings. In addition, coursework counts toward a Professional Certificate of Industrial Distribution, awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham. And, of course, there's always the value of networking with peers, consultants and academics for four days, away from the office.

Proponents argue that the University of ID is more than most companies could ever offer on their own, and an industry-specific program most people won't find at their local college or continuing education center. But a dwindling number of students has caused some in the industry to wonder if UID has run its course. If it hasn't, then what does the future hold for the nearly 10-year-old program?

Begun in 1994, UID was a twice-a-year, continuing education program for distribution and manufacturing professionals. It is sponsored by 22 trade associations and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

For the first few years of its existence, UID attracted around 400 attendees to each session, and offered between 30 and 50 courses. In 1999, however, the numbers began to drop, with around 250 attendees at each session that year. The fall 2001 session saw just 110 registrants, and the spring 2002 session was cancelled. Since then, the program has been offered once a year, and course offerings have been kept to 20.

Mary Sue Lyon, chairman of the UID joint operating committee, attributes the smaller numbers to two key factors: the soft economy and pent-up demand for the program in the early years.

"All of these programs have life cycles," explained Lyon, who also is executive vice president of the Power Transmission Distributors Assn. "[But UID] is still a very viable program. We see it as a very long-term investment on the part of our associations. It allows us to offer this very unique, management-level training that none of us could sustain on our own."

UAB professor Jay Smith, who coordinates the course offerings, agrees. He says UID is not going away any time soon, and points to its past success as an indicator of a strong future.

"The success of UID has been beyond my wildest dreams," Smith said. "For the industry, for my students who have made invaluable contacts … and, I believe, for the associations. Our goal was that UID was to be a member benefit, and not necessarily a profit venture — truly educational."

UID has stuck to that goal by evaluating the program each year and paying particular attention to attendee input. Both Lyon and Smith say the content of the program is market-driven — what attendees say they want, attendees get.

"One of the biggest changes, I would say, has been an attempt to really focus in on those courses that correspond to the needs of the functional managers that attend UID," says Lyon. "We keep a good history of who comes … so that the different functional managers can build a whole track."

Courses for 2004 focus on sales, sales management, and branch and operations management.

Next year's University of Industrial Distribution takes place March 7-10 at University Place Conference Center, at the Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis campus. Instructors include well-known industry consultants, such as Dave Kahle of the DaCo Corp. and Bill McCleave of W.R. McCleave and Associates. Professor Kathryne Newton, of Purdue, and Don Rice, retired professor of industrial distribution at Texas A&M University, also are on the roster.

Lyon expects between 150 and 200 attendees at the March session, some of which may come from outside the industrial realm. UID began attracting more students from outside the sponsoring trade associations last year, when it started advertising on SmartBrief, the National Assn. for Wholesaler-Distributors' online newsletter. NAW represents distributors in a wide range of industries. At last year's UID, 15 attendees were not members of sponsoring trade associations — a record for the program, according to Lyon. Non-member attendees pay a higher registration fee — either $1,465 or $1,565, depending upon when they register.

Regardless of a company's affiliation, Lyon and Smith hope firms continue to see value in the UID investment. The program will be offered at least once a year, but Lyon won't rule out the possibility of holding two sessions per year again. The frequency will be evaluated regularly, she said, to make sure the program is meeting demand.

"I think it's a great resource for companies who have rising stars that are very good in some areas … but need the skills and knowledge, broadly, in the different functional areas of running a [distributorship]," Lyon said. "This is a great venue for that to happen, in a very cost-effective way."