There's just no better venue for conducting business than ISCON! This important annual gathering of the members of the Industrial Supply Assn. is designed to meet the needs of our manufacturer and distributor members. The next few days offer great opportunities for everyone in attendance.

The cornerstone of ISCON is the conference booth meeting format. It provides every member a great opportunity to meet face to face with their most important channel partners. The conference booth program gives you the opportunity to meet with the key decision makers representing both manufacturers and distributors. The top level of management attending these events is one of the keys to their resounding success. There is no better venue for tackling tough business issues than the ISCON conference booth program.

Again this year, the booth sessions will span two days. On Sunday, the manufacturers will be manning their booths from 8 a.m. until noon. It's a great opportunity to visit with top decision makers from your current suppliers or to introduce yourself and your company to the key players at manufacturing companies you would like to represent.

But you may want to spend a little more time with a key manufacturer or distributor than is afforded in the regular booth program. Well, ISCON has accommodated those needs also. The manufacturers' booths will reopen at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday afternoon for those who would like to set up one-on-one appointments.

On Monday, we reverse roles as the distributors take to their booths, available to meet with manufacturers. This six-hour session is always one of the year's most productive days. A great deal can be accomplished in a minimal amount of time when focused decision makers sit across the desk from one another.

Of course, there's much more for you to take advantage of at ISCON than the booth programs. Both Saturday and Sunday offer some outstanding educational events. Historically, the education sessions seemed to focus on the needs of the distributor community. But now, with manufacturers and distributors being equal members of ISA, there are educational sessions appropriate for every attendee.

Two Signature Series sessions, "Making Culture Pay: Solving the Puzzle of Organizational Effectiveness," presented by Jerry Haney of Visionomics and "Transforming Your Sales Force for the 21st Century," presented by Dave Kahle, offer information pertinent to every ISA member company. In addition to the Signature Series, there are sessions titled "Motivating and Retaining Talent," "Making Progress in International Business," and "Learn the Skinny about Lean." As you can see, ISCON is offering a real educational powerhouse.

Our keynote speaker, Steve Forbes, a business visionary and expert economist, is sure to deliver a compelling address focusing on the prospects for the North American economy. Of course, you'll also want to make time for some fun and fellowship.

Welcome to ISCON, where your days will be busy, but you can find time for some fun, and you'll return home with the arsenal of information for continued success.