2008 Industrial Supply Conference Fair

Event chairman, ISA Vice President Alan Gilbert, chairman of Quality Mill Supply in Franklin, Ind., indicates this year's event, while back in familiar surroundings, will be different in many ways from previous Conferences & Trade Fairs sponsored by ISA.

"We continue to build on the strengths of previous meetings but we're always ready to adapt and change the event based on participant evaluations and recommendations," Gilbert says. The theme for this year's event "TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS" reflects this year's planning committee intentions.

Business has always been the theme and expectation of attendees when they come to the Hyatt Regency O'Hare and Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., a short trip from O'Hare International Airport. Because the meeting has grown over the past two years, ISA has added the nearby Embassy Suites and Doubletree Hotel locations to house attendees. All official conference hotels are less than a one-block walk to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, home of the ISA Trade Fair.

"The selection of hotels is the best we have had in the Rosemont area," says ISA president Tom Haag, president of SGS Tool Company in Munroe Falls, Ohio. "We have been going to the Hyatt Regency for many years and the attendees will be amazed at the total renovation the Hyatt has undergone. Our members will not recognize it. The Embassy Suites Hotel and Doubletree hotel are excellent additions to the room block." Visit www.isapartners.com to see a slide show of the Hyatt Regency O'Hare renovations.

All association-sponsored educational programs and social events will take place at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.

New meeting format
John Buckley, executive vice president of ISA, says the planning committee is always looking for ways to increase the value and productivity of participation. In 2008, based on recommendations from ISA members, a change in the meeting format will make it easier for attendees to schedule their participation.

The ISA Industrial Supply Conference & Trade Fair will begin on Saturday, May 31, with committee and board meetings taking place in the morning, and the Young Executive Forum (YEF)-sponsored golf tournament in the afternoon.

The Trade Fair program will move to Sunday, June 1. Doors for the all-day event will open at 8:30 a.m. FastMatch, the electronic booth selection system introduced at last year's Trade Fair, will feature enhancements that make it more user friendly. Participants will be able to use FastMatch to schedule appointments for both days of the Trade Fair program.

The Pavilion concept, a show within a show, was successful in its first year and will be repeated at the 2008 Trade Fair. The Personal Protective Equipment Safety Pavilion will be back bigger and better than ever. A second Pavilion will be added for technology and service providers.

Day One activities will conclude with the major social event, the Opening Reception, held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare beginning at 6 p.m.

The Distributor and Independent Manufacturer's Representatives Trade Fair program will kick off Day Two on Monday, June 2. This day's event will start and end earlier than usual. The doors will open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 12:30 p.m. All distributors and independent manufacturer representatives are strongly encouraged to staff their booths during the Trade Fair.

At the conclusion of the Trade Fair, three special lunch programs will be held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. The very well-attended Small, Specialty and Emerging Member and Independent Manufacturers Representative lunch and programs will begin at 1:00 p.m. A new luncheon program has been added in 2008 for our Canadian members. Pre-registration will be required for these events. Conference attendees also have the option to schedule lunch on their own.

An afternoon of networking and individual meetings will follow the conclusion of the lunch programs.

The official programming for Day Two will end with the General Session, formally the Opening Session. This program will begin at 4 p.m. The evening will be free for the usual assortment of supplier-sponsored activities.

The Conference & Trade Fair will reconvene on Day Three, Tuesday, June 3, with the highly rated and well-attended Educational Conference Track program. A series of six educational programs will run until noon. A special luncheon program including the annual business meeting, awards presentations and keynote speaker will wrap up the 2008 Conference and Trade Fair by 2:30 p.m.

"We're excited about the new schedule and all of the changes that will make the 2008 Industrial Supply Conference & Trade Fair our best gathering ever," says Gilbert. "We encourage all ISA members to plan to join us in Chicago for this action-packed meeting."