Bob Wendover
Alan Beaulieu |
Are you looking for new ways to connect
your great ideas and products with the great people in the animal health
industry? AVDA can help! Join us in Connecting Great Ideas and Great
People at the 2008 AVDA Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona this April
27-29 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Nurturing the connections
between animal health distributors and suppliers has been a consistent
focus of the AVDA Annual Conference. The 2008 conference will continue
to offer a host of networking opportunities and outstanding speaker
presentations during the three day event.
This year’s conference includes a strong line-up of contemporary
speakers addressing a variety of business concerns. Alan Beaulieu from the
Institute for Trend Research will return to update attendees on
Economic Trends and their impact on the Veterinary Industry. Beaulieu is
one of AVDA’s most highly rated speakers with his informative blend of
economic analysis and forecasting. New this year will be a case study
analysis of several distributor and manufacturer companies in the
industry.
Bob Wendover from the Center on
Generational Studies will present “Been There, Done That! Best Practices
in Managing Age Diversity.” Age differences in today’s workplace have
become a major challenge for supervisors young and old. Veteran managers
think young people lack initiative and common sense. Young workers think
older employees are stuck in their ways. |
Young people depend upon technology. Older
workers depend upon their experience. And so it goes. But there are
organizations and individuals who are thriving in spite of these
challenges. Been There, Done That! Will help you connect with the needs
and desires of the diverse generations in your workplace. Go beyond
awareness of the issue and learn how managers in your industry and
others are not just surviving, but thriving with the young talent
entering the workforce. Walk away with practical ideas and strategies
for recruiting, motivating and retaining the generations, young and old.
John Mackay of Mackay Research Group will
round out the speaker line-up on Monday with a presentation on Differing
Paths to Profitability: How Distributors and Manufacturers Make Money in
addition to the annual PAR Review, a review of the 2008 Profit Survey
conducted by Profit Planning Group. This session is once again open to
all AVDA attendees.
On Tuesday, a representative from Handheld Products, Inc. will give a
presentation on bar coding and how it can assist distributors and
manufacturers in managing inventory and electronic tracing and pedigree
requirements. The presentation will cover barcode basics, an overview of
barcode industry standards across verticals, track and trace
applications and healthcare applications.
The schedule for the 2008 conference has been restructured to allow for
maximum networking opportunities. In addition to the Welcome Reception,
Scramble Golf Tournament and the Awards Banquet and Reception, speaker
sessions will end early on Monday to allow for more informal networking.
New this year, AVDA will offer an attendee tour for those not
participating in the golf tournament on Tuesday. Attendees will be able
to register for the highly-acclaimed Loews Culinary Institute. This is
an interactive cooking session designed to teach participants essential
techniques, unique ingredient combinations and appealing food
presentations. More details will be available in the meeting brochure.
AVDA meeting attendees are encouraged to bring their spouses, companions
and amigos to Tucson this year. AVDA’s Spouse/Companion tour is
complimentary to all registered spouse/companions. This year the tour
will include a visit to the world famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
shopping and lunch in downtown Tucson in the Old Artisans District.
Returning for 2008, a tennis social will be featured on Monday afternoon
after the general session and spouse event. Attendees and guests are
encouraged to pack their rackets and join AVDA members and guests in an
afternoon of tennis fun! To view the tentative conference schedule
please click here.
The
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is a four diamond hotel located on a
plateau above the city of Tucson, nestled into the Catalina Mountain
foothills. Built as a ‘green’ resort, the resort reflects the harmony of
nature throughout their entire 100 acres. Approximately a 30 minute
drive from the Tucson International Airport, the Loews is within a short
drive of several shops and restaurants. The Loews features several
amenities including two award-winning Tom Fazio designed golf courses,
four restaurants including the Condé Nast Award Winning Ventana Room
(Tucson’s only Five Diamond restaurant), eight lighted tennis courts,
two swimming pools, fitness center, croquet court and
Lakeside Spa. Guests can enjoy the natural beauty of the dessert on
hiking and bicycle paths around the resort or enjoy the on property
guided nature walk.
AVDA has secured a conference rate of $230 plus tax for all conference
attendees. Please call the hotel direct at 520-299-2020 or
1-800-234-5117 to speak with the in-house reservation coordinator. Then
normal rate for rooms during April is $379, please mention AVDA or
American Veterinary Distributors Association when calling.
More conference information will be mailed and posted to the AVDA
website in January. |
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