The 2014 Annual Conference of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA), April 22-26, at the Boca Raton Resort, Boca Raton, Fla., features a program that includes educational sessions, networking events and committee meetings. The Annual Conference is expected to bring together more than 700 of the industry’s owners and senior management to network and learn ways to advance professionally and personally.
Among the anticipated highlights are several educational sessions; the Products Fair with 90 exhibitors; the Rigging and Hauling Jobs of the Year Competitions; the Annual Awards and Recognition Dinner; the SC&R Foundation’s Heart of the Industry Gala; golf, tennis and fun run/walk events; the President’s Reception; the Acoustic Alchemy Guitar Reception and special receptions for international members, first-time attendees and spouses.
An impressive roster of speakers will educate and entertain attendees during special sessions throughout the Conference, including:
- Opening session speaker Doc Hendley will explain how he dreamed up the concept of Wine to Water in 2003 while bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, N.C. Progress he has since made in his efforts to help the 1.1 billion billion people worldwide who lack access to clean water led to him being named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009 (chosen by a panel of judges including Gen. Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner and Sir Elton John).
- Jim O’Connor, principle and consulting actuary with the Chicago office of Milliman, will review the financial and other long-term impacts of recent shifts in the healthcare industry. His service to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the Congressional Budget Office and the Society of Actuaries makes him an ideal guide to the Affordable Care Act.
- Mark Mayfield will discuss the critical aspects of customer loyalty and how an understanding of the critical aspects of human behavior will keep bringing customers back. In this light, lively presentation, he will examine credibility, empathy, reliability and responsiveness and how they help create genuine customer service.
- Jeff Jorge, Executive Partner of Global Development Partners, will share first-hand accounts and proven methodologies to help accelerate a company’s growth into international markets. He will identify ways to further diversify and grow a revenue stream, client base and market reach by understanding the cultural, linguistic and socio-economic factors that influence international growth.
- The “Maximizing Your Message in the Media” session will provide practical strategies for crane, rigging and specialized transportation companies to employ when working with editors and reporters to assure coverage of newsworthy events. This session will also show attendees how to make the most of social media such as blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Speakers include D.Ann Shiffler, Editor, American Cranes & Transport; Tim Hillegonds, Principal, Thrive Communications; and Jillian Willians, Communications & Marketing Coordinator, SC&RA.
- A session by Leon and Terrance Resnick, Partners with Resnick Associates, will focus on estate, business succession, and liquidity issues for the privately held business owner so that he or she will be able to successfully pass the business to the next generation or other successors. Among key topics to be covered are buy/sell agreements, valuation, trusts, due diligence of life insurance, and addressing family issues within a family business.
- Carey Lohrenz will translate to the business world many of the lessons she learned as the first female F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. Just as inconsistent execution by pilots in the fast moving, dynamic environments can generate catastrophic results, changing markets and evolving customer needs can put an company at risk if it does not adapt quickly.
Until March 14, early-bird registration fees are available at $659 for members, $349 for their spouses and $279 for their children (12-18); nonmember early-bird registration fees are available for $929 per registrant, $579 for their spouses, and $389 for their children (12 to 18). After that date, all registration fees increase by $80 per registration. Fees include receptions, a buffet lunch, continental breakfasts, and refreshment breaks.
Visit www.scranet.org and click on the Events tab at the top of the page to review the official program, which includes registration forms for the event, hotel rooms and exhibits. Information also is available by calling SC&RA at (703) 698-0291.
The Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international trade association of more than 1,300 members from 46 nations. Members are involved in specialized transportation, machinery moving and erecting, industrial maintenance, millwrighting and crane and rigging operations, manufacturing and rental. SC&RA helps members run more efficient and safer businesses by monitoring and affecting pending legislation and regulatory policies at the state and national levels; researching and reporting on safety concerns and best business practices; and providing four yearly forums where these and other relevant member issues can be advanced.
