NFPA's 2012 Annual Conference

The shape of the world has changed. The world isn’t flat, but it isn’t necessarily round either. Some areas project more prominently into our strategic thinking, while others recede. Prominent areas of the past are starting to look like craters, while new opportunities bubble forth as emerging markets. How do you make sure your business has the thought processes, technology tools, and global strategies in place to capitalize on the emergent without overinvesting in areas of decline?

This year’s NFPA Annual Conference has been organized with these business needs in mind. Because our members have a variety of different objectives for attending the conference, our featured speakers have been balanced to appeal to decision-makers across this spectrum. And importantly, because this diversity of membership provides opportunities to learn from each other, unique knowledge sharing activities have been added to facilitate this interaction.

Featured Speakers

Kenneth Gray, Global Product Manager – Large Excavators, Caterpillar, Inc.
Customer Perspective: Business Development at Global Scale

Ken will provide the audience with insights into global business and product development strategies from the experience and perspective of Caterpillar. He has more than 25 years experience in engineering, product development and management through various positions at Caterpillar, and currently has global responsibility for large excavators.

Thriving in a Changing Global and Macroeconomic Environment
John will offer thought provoking insights into global business strategy based on the reshaping of global market and macroeconomic trends that has been taking place in recent years and is expected to continue through the decade of the twenty-teens. He will present a compelling case for developing an international business portfolio with emphasis on emerging markets to help balance out the new shape of business—that characterizes the western world going forward.

John is a merger and acquisition advisor to U.S., European and Asian middle-market companies seeking to globalize their businesses through mergers, acquisitions and strategic joint ventures.

The China Phenomenon: What Does the Future Hold, and What Does it Mean for You?

Much has been written recently about increasing costs and barriers to doing business in China, and a consequent shift in manufacturing to other emerging countries, and reshoring back to the U.S. Haiyan will offer a view of the future of China as a market and place to do business, and whether these emerging trends might hold true for some types of products and companies, and not others. What role should China play in your strategic thinking?

The China India Institute is a research consultancy with a focus on creating global strategies that leverage the transformational rise of China and India. She is coauthor of Getting China and India Right, The Quest for Global Dominance, and is a regular columnist for Business Week, and contributing editor for Chief Executive magazine. As a native of China, she has spent the past twenty years consulting for and managing multinational business operations in China and the United States in several different industry sectors, including as Director of Business Development for E-Steel.

Mark L. Thompson, Partner, Decision Processes International
Creating a Company-wide Process for Strategic Thinking
Mark’s presentation will describe processes companies can put in place to ensure critical and strategic thinking is built into decisions at various levels. These thinking and decision processes provide companies with essential tools to manage changes in business, technology and the international landscape. This presentation will also provide a framework within which to consider the presentations of other conference speakers.

Can a tablet “App” really help my company? Do I need to have a Twitter account? How do I choose what to try first with so many options? These are questions that many B2B companies are asking every day as social media and information technology continue to make inroads as integral parts of marketing plans. Two members of NFPA’s Future Leaders Network will share case studies on how they are using technology to develop new competitive advantages for their companies. The case study presenters for 2012 are:

• Tom Wood, Marketing Manager, Bimba Manufacturing Company
Proprietary Mobile App Development

• Charlie Mudra, Head Project Manager, Lovejoy, Inc.
Social Media: Why it Matters for Manufacturing

Discussion Forum
Presenters Ken Gray, John Caslione and Haiyan Wang will help connect their global business perspectives to the business of NFPA members as they join in a moderated discussion, fielding questions from the audience and responding directly to the challenges members encounter in developing and carrying out their strategies for pursuing business around the world.

Back by popular demand, time at Friday’s breakfast will be reserved for table discussions...an opportunity to talk with colleagues, business partners, and competitors about issues of concern to your business. All conference registrants will be asked to identify issues as part of the registration process. The tables will be labeled with the most highly requested topics so that those with knowledge to share will be able to easily find each other to engage in productive conversations. (Included in Conference Registration Fee.)

NEW - NFPA Education and Technology Foundation Raffle – Help support the Foundation to ensure its growth as a sustainable funding source. Enter for as many chances as you'd like, to win a Helicopter Tour for two of the Big Island (including the active volcano and rainforest waterfalls) on Saturday, March 10. All proceeds go to the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. ...details

Make the most out of your NFPA investment by attending the 2012 Annual Conference.

Strategic Thinking in a World Out of Round