The premier trends and outlook meeting in the electronic components distribution industry takes place October 23-25 in Chicago, and it will play host to the industry’s top distributor and manufacturer executives. The meeting will be held at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare and will feature talks by top executives, innovators, and technology trend experts.
As of early September, conference registration was on par with previous years, and ECIA’s president Robin B. Gray Jr. says he expects the event to be one of the best-attended conferences in years. The meeting usually draws between 250 and 275 of the components industry’s top executives.
“\\[This event\\] is about what is happening in the industry, what is likely to happen in the coming years, where technology is going—it’s really designed for executives, to give them a sense of the direction the industry is going,” says Gray. “And there is also a lot of opportunity for networking, too.”
Conference highlights include a keynote presentation by Arrow Electronics’ chairman, president, and CEO Michael Long, along with presentations by Glenn Derene of Popular Mechanics magazine, inventor Dean Kamen of DEKA Research & Development Corp., and William Strauss of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Gray says attendees can expect a general industry outlook and update from Long, along with insight into how market forces are shaping some of the decisions Arrow is making for the future. Derene is back by popular demand, having spoken at last year’s conference, and will discuss the latest in technology trends. Kamen, best known as the inventor of the Segway PT, is expected to discuss what drives innovation in today’s economy. And, Strauss will give an economic outlook from the Fed’s perspective.
The conference will also feature several award presentations, including the Electronics Choice Industry Awards (the ECIAs), Distinguished Service Awards, and Manufacturer of the Year Awards. The ECIAs recognize excellence in marketing by honoring ECIA members who have displayed exceptional branding and marketing programs in the last year. The ECIAs replace the association’s former Channel Marketing Awards. The association’s Distinguished Service Awards recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the association and the industry.
For more information about ECIA’s Executive Conference, go to www.eciaonline.org/.
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ECIA Executive Conference At-A-Glance |
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| Sunday, October 23 | |
| 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Conference registration |
| 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Opening reception |
| Monday, October 24 | |
| 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Conference registration |
| 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. | Continental breakfast |
| 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. | Opening remarks |
| 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. | TBA |
| 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. | Glenn Derene, Popular Mechanics magazine |
| 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. | Networking break |
| 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Sheila Kloefkorn, KEO Marketing |
| 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. |
Lloyd Kaplan, IHS iSuppli |
| 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Luncheon & ECIA Marketing Awards |
| 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. | Dr. George Land, Farsight Group |
| 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Dr. Jamie Link, U.S. Dept. of Energy |
| 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Networking break |
| 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | Dean Kamen, DEKA Research & Development Corp. |
| 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Reception |
| Tuesday, October 25 | |
| 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. | Continental breakfast |
| 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. | William Strauss, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago |
| 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Michael Long, Arrow Electronics |
| 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. | Networking break |
| 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Association Service Awards & ECIA Update |
| 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. | Ian Heller, Results Marketing Inc. |
| 11:45 a.m. to Noon | Closing remarks |