TECHNOLOGY.STRATEGY. CULTURE.

Charity Golf Outing at Lookout Mountain Golf Club

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ISA’s charity golf outing will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023 at Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Phoenix, AZ – nine-time winner of the Golf Digest Four Star Award and recognized as one of America’s Best Golf Courses by Zagat.

This outing is a great opportunity for 6 hours of networking with key industry leaders and an incredible way to kick off your ISA23 trip!

A shuttle will pick up and drop off participants at the official ISA23 hotel, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. The golf outing includes golf, carts, 18 holes on a championship golf course with a shotgun start at 9:00 AM MT plus games, prizes, and raffles along the way. Scramble format will be played. Breakfast, lunch, and on-course beverages are included.

Golf Outing Details

• Location: Lookout Mountain Golf Club
• Date: Monday, April 17, 2023
• Time: 6:30 AM shuttle pick up; 8:30 AM shotgun start
• Cost*: $450 single player; $1,650 foursome

*Includes: Golf, carts, shuttle pickup/drop off, breakfast, lunch, on-course beverages, on-course contests, 19^th hole reception, and awards.

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Lookout Mountain Golf Course

The award-winning Lookout Mountain Golf Course sits among the magnificent North Phoenix Mountains and offers panoramic views of the graceful Arizona landscape. The Course is a nine-time winner of the Golf Digest Four Star Award. The Course has also been recognized as one of America’s Best Golf Courses by Zagat and has been chosen as one of Arizona’s Top 10 Golf Courses by readers of Arizona Business Magazine.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Industrial Sales & Marketing

The landscape of Industrial Sales is changing. As a result of changes in technology, e-commerce, virtual communications (due in large part to COVID), next-generation workforce buyers are less inclined to want to spend their time in face-to-face meetings with salespeople. When salespeople do get face-to-face meetings with buyers, they are expected to bring something of value when they show up.

This Bootcamp will be a hands-on workshop addressing how industrial sales professionals can bring this value by taking time to understand a buyer’s business and the issues that keep them up at night, then providing solutions to these issues.

This Bootcamp will share best practices for identifying qualified prospects and setting meetings, then engaging buyers in conversations to uncover problems to which they can provide solutions. Your success as a sales professional today is largely determined by your ability to provide value that makes the buyer look good.

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Participants will work on five focus areas:

1. Distinguishing between a Transactional Sale and a Solution-Based Sale
2. Creating a Value Proposition
3. Understanding Effective Questioning and Listening Techniques
4. Creating a Customer Needs Analysis
5. Creating a Marketing-Based Prospecting Tool

Key Takeaways:

1. Develop a practical understanding of the differences between a Transactional Sale and a Solution-Based Sale.
2. Create a Value Proposition that answers the question “Why should I do business with you” and differentiates you from the competition.
3. Understand how to better engage customers and prospective customers through Effective Questioning and Listening Techniques including:
   • How to structure questions
   •  Three different types of questions and when to ask each
   • Active listening
4. Create a Customer Needs Analysis to uncover problems to which you can provide solutions.
5. Create a Sales Cadence (prospecting tool) that includes Marketing in an automated process for identifying and qualifying new prospects.

Who Should Attend:

• Sales professionals
• Managers of sales professionals
• VPs and Directors of sales organizations
• Owners of small companies who manage their sales organizations

Cost: $695 per person | Can be purchased separately or as an add-on when registering for ISA23.

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Dr. Norm Clark

Norm Clark joined the Industrial Distribution faculty in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University in the fall of 2001. He has a BBA in Accounting, an MBA in Management, and a Ph.D. in Education Human Resource Development.

In industry, as director of sales for a Houston-based consulting firm, Norm developed, marketed, and delivered professional development programs to both manufacturers and distributors representing a variety of industries throughout North America. As a member of the Industrial Distribution faculty Norm continues to develop and deliver professional development programs to industry and association partners.

Norm has taught sales and sales management courses in the business schools at both the University of Houston and Texas A&M University. Since he joined the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A&M he has taught undergraduate courses in Sales Engineering, Manufacturer Distributor Relations, Purchasing, and the Senior Capstone Project Course.

Norm is co-founder of the Industrial Distribution Program’s Talent Development Council which works with industry partners to identify cutting-edge practices in talent acquisition, development, and retention in the ever-changing world of distribution today.

Norm’s use of interactive teaching methods and his ability to encourage discussion in classroom situations help to create memorable learning experiences in both industry and academia. This combination of industry and academic involvement enhances his effectiveness in both arenas and it has proved helpful in matching ID graduates with careers in the industry.

Jay Johnson

Jay has over 25 years of distribution experience, including financial management, sales, sales management, general management, and people development. He has been a speaker, researcher, and advisor to companies across multiple channels in the distribution industry, including serving on the board of directors for a distributor. He is currently the instructor for the senior-level financial management course.

Jay has co-author two books. The first was about the 50-year history of the Industrial Distribution Program at Texas A&M University, co-authored with Dr. Barry Lawrence of Texas A&M to commemorate the history of the program. The second, “Financial Transactions of the Wholesale Distributor” was co-authored with Dr. Don Rice of Texas A&M to serve as a book for managers on how to make money in the distribution industry.

Jay has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Distribution and a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus in Finance, both from Texas A&M University.

Pre-Conference Workshop: Next-Gen Talent Acquisition

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median tenure of all employees in the U.S was 4.1 years (January 2020). It is 2.8 years for workers ages 25 to 34 years. With unemployment at historic lows, great resignation, and with Millennials and Gen-Z poised to become the largest part of the workforce, the recruitment strategies that worked in the past are no longer effective.

This Bootcamp will be a hands-on workshop addressing how industrial businesses can develop recruiting strategies to attract the next generation of employees. Participants will work on five focus areas: Employee Value Proposition (EVP), career website, job descriptions, social recruiting, and structured internship programs. Participants will develop actionable strategies for their companies.

This Bootcamp will share best practices in attracting and converting top talent into employees. Next-generation talent acquisition is key to growing your business and creating a competitive advantage. The speed at which all businesses can grow today depends on your people.

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Key Takeaways:

1. Create and promote Employee Value Proposition (EVP), including culture, work environment, and employee development.
2. Expand your career website with persuasive messages, content, and examples to motivate prospective employees to apply.
3. Create stellar job postings by including company background, competencies, work environment, advancement opportunities, and total compensation.
4. Design a social recruiting plan, including passive recruiting strategies.
5. Develop an internship program that focuses on rotational experience, projects, and engagement to build a talent pipeline.

Who Should Attend:

• HR and Talent professionals and managers
• Sales and Operations leaders responsible for recruiting, developing, and retaining a team
• Owners of small companies struggling to attract top talent.

Cost: $695 per person | Can be purchased separately or as an add-on when registering for ISA23.

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Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam

Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam is an Associate Professor of Instruction and Associate Director of Master of Industrial Distribution program at the Department of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University.

He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Industrial Distribution. He has more than 20 years of experience in teaching, applied research, and academic program management. Dr. Bharani has worked on industry projects, consortia, and professional development programs for more than 100 industrial manufacturers and distributors.

He has published in academic journals and industry publications. He is the co-author of two books. He is the co-founder of the Talent Development Council that works with Distributions on Talent acquisition, management, and development practices. Dr. Bharani holds a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development and a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Production Engineering from the University of Madras, India.

Evan Vestal

Evan Vestal is a Senior Lecturer and serves as Industry Projects and Recruiting Coordinator for the Industrial Distribution Program in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University.

Evan’s career has included serving as Constable and Justice of the Peace for Leon County, Texas as well as a successful outside sales career with Nelnet and Ed America, two of the largest higher education student loan providers and servicers in the country.

Evan has been at Texas A&M since 2010 and has taught Manufacturer Distributor Relations, Introduction to Industrial Distribution, Ethics and Leadership in Distribution, Distributor Operations and Financial Management, and served on the Texas A&M Faculty Senate for 6years. Evan serves as a faculty advisor for Freshmen Reaching Excellence in Engineering (FREE), Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity (FIJI), Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity (KA), Revelation Outdoors (formerly Texas A&M Fly Fishing Association), and the Professional Association for Industrial Distribution (PAID); he has also served as a faculty advisor for the Texas A&M Iron Spikes, and as the Corps of Cadets Academic Mentor for Company N1.

Opening Reception with 3M Sponsored Sports Lounge

Kick off the best networking event in the industry with an Opening Reception like no other!

This year’s opening reception, complete with a 3M sponsored sports lounge, will feature arcade-style basketball games and air hockey tables, putting greens, and multiple open bar setups with ESPN and live sports streaming!

Hearty food stations and passed hors d’oeuvres will ensure you’re satisfied while networking with industry partners and peers.

Dress is casual.

Charity 5K Fun Run/Walk

5K / Fun Run Path

Competing to Win: Creative Imagination Defeats Stronger Competitors

“Those not willing to risk going too far will never know how far they can go.” Those words from Bill Walton sum up his philosophy of life. At 6’ 11” in his Grateful Dead tie-dyed t-shirt, Bill is one of the most recognizable and colorful sports legends ever.

He’s played on 3 of the greatest teams in basketball history, learned from legendary coaches (6 of whom are in the Hall of Fame), and overcome a debilitating speech impediment to become a critically acclaimed broadcaster and commentator on national TV. He has one of the greatest can-do attitudes you’ll ever encounter – a mindset he’s cultivated to help him adapt, persevere, and ultimately succeed in challenges on and off the court.

As entertaining as he is insightful, Bill is widely considered one of the best speakers from the world of sports. During this dynamic and authentic opening keynote, Bill will invigorate, motivate, and drive home a message of perseverance, determination, and vivid imagination through mesmerizing anecdotes garnered from decades on the national scene at the highest of altitudes.

Bill Walton

Basketball legend Bill Walton is one of sports’ most recognizable and beloved figures. His success on the court is well-documented; the nation’s top college basketball star at UCLA under legendary coach John Wooden, he then played for two NBA Championship teams – the Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics.

But Bill’s nightmarish challenges off the court are less known. He stuttered so badly he couldn’t say a simple “thank you” until he was 28 years old. And a foot disorder led to 39 surgeries on his feet, legs, and back – keeping him sidelined over half of his NBA career. Armed with grit and a positive outlook, Bill improbably overcame it all.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA named him to the “50 Greatest NBA Players of All-Time” (1997) and “75 Greatest Players in NBA History” (2021) lists. After his playing career, Bill pursued broadcasting; he currently covers Pac-12 games for ESPN and the Pac-12 Network. Bill Walton has led a life of humility in service of inspiring others. His autobiography, Back from the Dead, was a New York Times bestseller and he is perhaps the best-known Deadhead, having seen over 1,000 shows.

Do I Really Need a CRM?

Mike Marks is well known in this industry and will share a framework of sales management best practices and how they can be impacted with CRM solutions. CRM is an acronym that stands for Customer Relationship Management.  There have been many distributors that went out to buy some software, crammed it down the throats of their sales reps, and use it to manage their ‘sales pipeline.’  For many, this sends them into pilot purgatory.

CRM software implementations have the lowest customer satisfaction of all enterprise-wide solutions.  The real issue is poor implementation caused by a lack of a real sales management process.  There are many distributors with strong sales management processes that rely on analytics to fuel a continual performance improvement loop for their sales teams. These distributors gain tremendous leverage with an integrated CRM technology platform.

Mike will share recent research from the Distribution Strategy Group on distributor utilization and satisfaction with their CRM solutions.  The distributor with a strong sales management process is typically classified as having a ‘homegrown’ solution.

The attraction of CRM systems for many distributors is their ability to help a senior sales executive manage a transition from a largely self-directed sales force to one that becomes management directed.  The CRM toolset, and yes they are all simply toolsets, provides an array of customizable features to align with a client’s Go To Market (GTM) business model. This will be a discussion with examples of specific data sources and actions around process and practices, not specific solution providers.  Participants will receive copies of all presentation materials including wireframe screenshots.

Participants will be able to answer the question, “Do I really need a CRM?” But first, they will need to answer the question, “Do I have a sales management process now that is adequate to utilize a CRM solution?”  The approach is very different based on the answer to the second question.

Mike Marks

Mike Marks co-founded IRCG in April 1987. He began his consulting practice after working in distribution management for more than 20 years. Over the years, his narrow focus in B2B channel-driven markets has created an extensive number of deep executive relationships within virtually every business vertical in construction, industrial, OEM, agricultural, and healthcare.

Resetting and Articulating Distribution’s Value in the Channel

Demonstrating unique value has never been more difficult for distributors. In an era of increasing marketplaces and manufacturers selling direct – the channel is changing and in need of new infrastructure.

This session will inspire distributors and manufacturers to work closer together to reinforce their collective position in the market by providing compounding value. Dorn will provide insights on facilitating joint planning, building modern sales & marketing programs, and new ways to measure success in addition to findings from their recent research on the state of manufacturer-direct channels.

James Dorn

James is the President & CEO of The Dorn Group. He is a proven leader with more than 25 years of consulting experience helping growth-minded executives across manufacturing and distribution firms build modern revenue growth strategies.

James is a true innovator and results-oriented executive that draws upon a mix of market-back principles, competitive intelligence, agile strategic planning, and data-driven decisioning to help commercial teams more effectively acquire, grow and retain customers. He emphasizes the power of alignment across the product, marketing, sales, and service teams for helping industrial firms build more efficient and effective business models that win market share.

J Schneider

J is the Managing Director of the Consulting Practice at the Dorn Group. J is an enthusiastic and collaborative leader, author, and public speaker with the unique ability to help leadership teams both formalize their vision for growth and implement change management across cross-functional teams.

With over 25 years of conducting business in the EU, South America, EMEA, and Asia for global manufacturers and distributors of industrial, commercial, aerospace, and high-tech solutions, J brings unique, well-informed operating insights to the table that show industrial-focused firms how to reduce unnecessary inefficiencies while hitting growth targets. J captures experiences from the field to fuel a customer–back approach in helping industrials develop company-wide innovation, strategic plans, and customer experience improvements.

Get a Grip: Are You Running Your Business or Is It Running You

Even the most successful business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs find running a business more challenging than they expected. Eventually, most grapple with one (or more) of the following challenges:

• Lack of Control – over time, the market, or the company
• People – employees, customers, and vendors that just don’t seem to listen or follow through
• Profit – simply put, there’s not enough of it
• Growth – the company just can’t break through to the next level
• Magic Pills – lots of remedies and quick fixes have come and gone but the wheels are still spinning

If these problems seem all too familiar, you’re not alone. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Doing a few things differently will help you get a grip on your business, gain better traction, and eliminate your frustrations.

Tom Bouwer delivers an engaging and interactive program that helps business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs start seeing their business differently. He helps them view their organization as being made up of Six Key Components™: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and, Traction.

As they start focusing on strengthening these Six Key Components, their business will become clear, everything will start to work harmoniously, and the leadership team will be able to remove all problems, obstacles, and frustrations. This holistic system will provide participants with simple, time-tested tools that they can immediately use to get a grip on their business.

Tom Bouwer

Tom Bouwer provides Keynotes and consulting for entrepreneurs and executives who need a simple way of operating their business. He helps leadership teams clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision. Tom has led more than 700 full-day EOS® sessions with over 150 companies.

In addition to starting and running three of his own companies in Turkey, Tom has worked with a diverse range of companies, from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Based on 30+ years of global management and coaching experience, Tom teaches real, simple tools that help business leaders get results.

Now That I Have a CRM, What Do I Do with It?

Many distributors have invested in CRM systems over the past decade. In many industry verticals, CRM utilization is already in the late adoption cycle. There is also a large group of distributors who have managed to get it adopted where the recurring outputs are used in running their businesses.  Some of these firms can still see much greater benefits if adoption could be increased, but resistance is high. There are many more that believe that no one would use the system if the reports weren’t demanded. Both of these situations are indications of being stuck in pilot purgatory. A fully adopted CRM solution is self-sustaining as it becomes driven by the sales force as their tool to acquire business development support.

This session is about how to get unstuck from a plateaued adoption.  With a few adjustments, it is very similar to how to adopt a CRM from scratch. The session will include the framework for both, getting unstuck or starting from scratch.  The key to success is engaging with the sales force early and letting them design it.

As guiding principles, 80% of the information in the CRM goes to the sales force and only 20% is contributed by them. At some point, the sales organization will be forced to change as the CRM facilitates separation of market-serving and market-making activities. Basically, the market-serving activities of the field sales force are transitioned to CRM-connected lower-cost sales support staff. The field sales team then spends a high percentage of its time focusing on capturing new business.  The core requirement is that there is an existing sales management process that is in place where the leaders are respected and trusted by the team.

Mike Marks

Mike Marks co-founded IRCG in April 1987. He began his consulting practice after working in distribution management for more than 20 years. Over the years, his narrow focus in B2B channel-driven markets has created an extensive number of deep executive relationships within virtually every business vertical in construction, industrial, OEM, agricultural, and healthcare.

Balancing High Tech With High Touch: Determining The Future Of B2B Ecommerce

While today’s B2B customer expects to manage almost every aspect of their buying journey, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any human involvement. In fact, we know that because of their complexity, a large majority of B2B purchases require human interaction. This is where balance comes in. B2B companies need to digitally innovate in order to keep up with changing expectations, but they also need to cater to the complex needs of their customers. So, how can today’s B2B companies move into the future of B2B eCommerce?

• Facilitating data gathering to implement personalization strategies such as account-based marketing
• Incorporating automation to provide customers with seamless and convenient experiences
• Identifying the kinds of customization you should implement to improve and personalize the customer experience
• Providing your customers with accessible support features to ensure that their transactions run smoothly

Jason Hein

Jason Hein is principal visionary for B2B at Bloomreach. He has spent over 20 years working in product merchandising and digital strategy for industrial distributors in both broad line and specialty categories. With experience at both established leaders (McMaster-Carr) and industry disruptors (Amazon Business), he spent six years as a speaker for B2B associations and a digital strategy consultant for B2B e-commerce leaders before joining Bloomreach. He earned an MBA from Northwestern University.

How to Align Sales and the Rest of Your Organization

It’s an internal company dynamic that’s as old as the hills: the sales department and the rest of the company don’t get along. There are a number of reasons for this, the main one being that they simply don’t understand one another.

Your sales reps are the face of your company, representing it to prospects and customers and developing relationships that will drive sales and increase revenue… hopefully for years to come. Most of the rest of your company isn’t in a business development capacity – or so it may seem to customers. They’re concerned with the day-to-day operations of the company, keeping things running smoothly so that the customers can receive the best products and the best service.

Here’s the fundamental problem:

Sales believes that without their efforts, the rest of the company wouldn’t have jobs. Conversely, the rest of the company believes that without their efforts, sales would have nothing to sell. Couple that with what’s typically a fundamentally different world-view between the typical salesperson and the typical support staff member and you’re dealing with a scenario that’s high-maintenance and full of drama.

You simply can’t run a company when you have what are essentially 2 camps that are fundamentally resentful of the other. If you want to get the most revenue out of the team, everyone has to work together. Sales and the rest of your organization need to be on the same page. They need to be able to understand one another and cooperate with one another to achieve the same ultimate goals.

To that end, we’ll discuss the strategies for bridging the gap between sales and your other departments, eliminating the animosity before it develops and, instead, forging strong, helpful relationships across sections.

Russ Sharer

Russ Sharer is a Chief Sales Officer at The Brooks Group. Russ combines his 30+ years in B2B Sales and Marketing with his in-depth facilitation experience to connect the dots for program participants with a practical, “easy-to-learn” approach.
His energy and expertise in the IMPACT Selling system ensures participants take basic concepts and transform them into next-day application. Russ is passionate about helping people maximize their strengths and improve their performance on the job.

Russ received his BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and his Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.
Russ has led large and small teams to achieve exponential growth. His career has included work with companies from early start-up to Fortune 500, and involved the work of sales force recruitment, training and assessment, plus channel strategy, product strategy, sales readiness, global partnerships and outbound marketing.

Lunch

Take a break and refuel! Enjoy a complimentary lunch while catching up with friends and forming new connections with industry peers.

After lunch, take the opportunity to get some steps in and walk the exhibit floor. We’ve got some exciting things for you to check out, from an updated appointment scheduler to a next-level networking lounge (complete with a golf simulator, putting greens, and ISA LIVE).

Head over to the Phoenix Convention Center to experience it all!

Exhibit Hall Open

The exhibit hall is officially open! This year we’re bringing you a new and improved exhibit hall experience designed to enhance networking opportunities with other ISA23 attendees.

What to expect:

• A NEW Appointment Scheduler! With the help and voice of our members, ISA23 has a new and completely enhanced appointment scheduling tool that provides a powerful – and seamless – networking experience that’s user-friendly and easy to navigate.
• A fun “Passport to Prizes” Exhibit Hall Game. Grab your passport game card at the Exhibit Hall entry and visit participating exhibitor booths and exhibit hall experiences to receive a stamp on your passport. Once stamps have been collected from exhibitors, passports can be deposited into a drop-box located within the exhibit hall for a chance to win a grand prize.
• A Next-Level Networking Lounge! Complete with a golf simulator and multiple putting greens to practice your swing, a coffee bar & drink station, and the ISA LIVE live-stream stage where you can hop on a mic and share your thoughts!

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First-Timers Reception

All attendees are welcome! Grab a cocktail on the show floor at the conclusion of exhibiting and get ready to network. During this reception, we encourage all attendees to engage with convention first-timers, who will be wearing yellow badge ribbons. Introduce yourself, engage, and welcome first-time attendees to ISA.

WII Network Reception

Mix and mingle with old friends and form new connections while enjoying an open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres! The Women in Industry (WII) Network Reception is open to all women plus men who are allies.

IMR Happy Hour

All attendees are welcome! Hosted by IMRs and Manufacturers, join in on this open beer and wine bar happy hour to connect with existing partners, meet up with old friends, and build new relationships.

Exhibit Hall Open

The exhibit hall is open! Walk the show floor to meet the exhibitors, meet with partners and peers, and don’t forget to play the “Passport to Prizes game! It’s the last day of ISA23, so make the most if it!

What to expect:

• A NEW Appointment Scheduler! With the help and voice of our members, ISA23 has a new and completely enhanced appointment scheduling tool that provides a powerful – and seamless – networking experience that’s user-friendly and easy to navigate.
• A fun “Passport to Prizes” Exhibit Hall Game. Grab your passport game card at the Exhibit Hall entry and visit participating exhibitor booths and exhibit hall experiences to receive a stamp on your passport. Once stamps have been collected from exhibitors, passports can be deposited into a drop-box located within the exhibit hall for a chance to win a grand prize.
• A Next-Level Networking Lounge! Complete with a golf simulator and multiple putting greens to practice your swing, a coffee bar & drink station, and the ISA LIVE live-stream stage where you can hop on a mic and share your thoughts!

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Networking Lunch with Upgraded Lunch Menu (Must Opt-in During Registration)

Think outside your inner circle and meet new people!

New this year, we will be assigning tables during this networking lunch activity so you can meet new people, including many new member companies that recently joined ISA!

This is an opt-in networking and engagement activity. Those that opt-in will enjoy an upgraded lunch offering and the opportunity to meet people outside of their sphere. Those that do not opt-in will receive a standard lunch option (i.e. sandwich, salad).

Opt-in during the registration process.

Closing Keynote: Navigating Through the Coming Year / ISA23 Wrap Up

The US and Global economies are going through turbulent times with inflation, interest rates, consumer activity, labor shortage, market gyrations, and simplistic and often contradictory headlines potentially making it difficult to discern what the future will look like. It is impossible to effectively plan without developing expectations regarding what that future will look like.

What we are going to discuss:

ITR Economics’ data-driven analysis of the trends. No emotions or histrionics or political agenda. The trends will combine to show what you can expect of the future of our industry.

1. ITR Economics’ forecast of the economy through the second half of 2023 and 2024 with an analysis of risks to the forecast
2. What to expect for commodity prices and inflation in general
3. Interest rate trend probabilities
4. Health of the consumer
5. Supply chain trends
6. Industrial demand
7. What is happening in labor
8. How to create wealth in these market conditions
9. How to protect profits in these market conditions

Alan Beaulieu

Alan is considered one of the country’s most informed economists. He has been providing workshops and economic analysis seminars to countries and literally thousands of business owners and executives for the last 25 years.

As the chief economist for numerous US and European trade associations, it has been remarked that Alan’s “insight into our business, a track record of accurate forecasting, and unparalleled knowledge of global markets” has earned him the respect and appreciation of key business leaders in our industry. Pronouncements from ITR Economics™ and/or Alan have appeared in/on the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Knight Ridder News Services, Business Week, Associated Press, The Washington Times, CBS Radio, CNN Radio, Sirius talk radio, KABC, NPR affiliate WLRN, and numerous other outlets.