Sessions & Networking Events
All times are Central Standard Time
Monday, October 4
COVID-19's Disruptions to the Supply Chain - A Perfect Storm
Felicia Watson serves as Assistant Vice President with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB's) Office of Legal Affairs, where her practice focuses on construction liability, labor, safety and health, building materials, privacy, and international trade. She also works on compliance and litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and has written amicus curiae briefs in support of NAHB and members concerning construction liability, the Fair Housing Act litigation, and Chinese drywall insurance coverage. Felicia has written comments in federal rulemakings including softwood lumber, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, imports from China, and labor, safety and health issues.
She is a co-author of "Warranties for Builders and Remodelers" published by BuilderBooks. Most recently, she worked with colleagues in developing a free mobile application "pocket guide" to the Fair Housing Act. Prior to joining NAHB, she practiced law focusing on administrative, regulatory and government contracts. She served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney prosecuting felony domestic violence cases and providing evidentiary training for local law enforcement. Felicia is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia and Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court, and a number of federal courts. She received her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law, an LL.M. in International & Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center, and her B.A. from Seattle University.
Is the supply chain shortage a result of a series of events leading to the perfect storm? When the pandemic hit, it was not clear what impact it would have short-term and long-term on the economy overall and the construction industry in particular. Non-essential businesses were closed, which left many Americans unemployed or laid-off, and shelter-in-place orders kept many Americans at home. As the economy entered into a recession, suppliers cut back on production in anticipation of a contracting housing market. What wasn't anticipated was the increase in do-it-yourself (DIY) activity as big box stores remained open for business and homeowners started heading to these stores for supplies. On top of that, the housing market started to rebound sooner than expected due to falling mortgage rates and the demand for housing skyrocketing.
In this session, Felicia Watson, Assistant Vice President of Construction Liability and Research at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), will explore these issues and more, and provide insight into:
- Factors contributing to the current supply chain shortage and high cost of materials
- The effects/impacts the shortages are having on the building industry, particularly the millwork segment
- The outlook down the road; and where do we go from here
Supply Chain Shortage Part II - Panel Discussion
Felicia Watson serves as Assistant Vice President with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB's) Office of Legal Affairs, where her practice focuses on construction liability, labor, safety and health, building materials, privacy, and international trade. She also works on compliance and litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and has written amicus curiae briefs in support of NAHB and members concerning construction liability, the Fair Housing Act litigation, and Chinese drywall insurance coverage. Felicia has written comments in federal rulemakings including softwood lumber, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, imports from China, and labor, safety and health issues.
She is a co-author of "Warranties for Builders and Remodelers" published by BuilderBooks. Most recently, she worked with colleagues in developing a free mobile application "pocket guide" to the Fair Housing Act. Prior to joining NAHB, she practiced law focusing on administrative, regulatory and government contracts. She served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney prosecuting felony domestic violence cases and providing evidentiary training for local law enforcement. Felicia is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia and Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court, and a number of federal courts. She received her J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law, an LL.M. in International & Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center, and her B.A. from Seattle University.
Ms. Felicia Watson will facilitate a panel discussion in a follow up with panelists how they are dealing with the supply chain shortage and what they forecast in the future for the industry. Don't miss this session!
Tom Stokes, Truland Homes
Dennis Berry, The Empire Company
John Sewall, The Detering Company
John Beeken, Masonite
New Member, Young Professionals, & Women in Millwork - Meet & Greet
(invitation only and select registration)
Event Sponsor:
Icebreaker Reception
Don't miss this opportunity to reunite fellow WMA members and strengthen the WMA millwork community by coming together.
Tuesday, October 5
Planning and Navigating with Assurance
Connor has been delivering economic keynotes, workshops, and webinars across North America since he joined ITR economics in 2014. Using his quick wit and knack for storytelling, he leverages his youthful appearance to upend expectations and successfully captivate and educate audiences. Thousands of business leaders have enjoyed his dynamic approach to speaking engagements; Connor emphasizes the applicability of economic intelligence and calls his audience to action.
When he is not on stage, Connor consults directly with the management teams of businesses large and small, delivering his economic expertise in the role of trusted advisor. ITR’s clients meet with Connor at critical planning junctures to ensure that their strategic plans, goals, and internal initiatives are in alignment with their tailored forecasts, built specifically for them through ITR's Executive Vantage Point™ program.
Connor specializes in construction but consults and presents to businesses across all industries, helping them grow revenue and remain profitable through an ever changing business cycle.
Event Sponsor:
2021 is winding down and it is time to prepare for the challenges and ongoing uncertainties in 2022. There are opportunities and risks ahead and we will explore them in terms of government initiatives, consumer trends, market opportunities, labor issues and production costs. We will also discuss business responses, tactics and strategies given the projected changes in the economy. We will also:
- Assess business demand for 2022 and into 2023.
- Look at ITR's key leading indicators that clearly foretell the upcoming cyclical turns in the economy and markets.
- Present relevant market outlooks and discuss issues that have an impact on your profitability via resource allocation, budgets, expectations, and strategic planning.
- Present the unintended consequences of the massive government programs, including infrastructure and other initiatives.
- Assess interest rate and other financial market trends, including the latest information on stock market performance.
Pandemic - Recovery Labor Challenges
D. Bruce Merrifield, Jr. is a veteran, distribution-channel expert who has addressed WMA members multiple times. His blogs and near-daily, curated posts with commentary on LinkedIn keep distributors informed about all the living-edge issues for distribution channels. For more about Bruce visit his website at merrifieldact2.com; or connect with Bruce on LinkedIn.
Event Sponsor:
Never has a balanced, global economy been shut down for a year and then rebooted with massive, blunt, stimulus and Build-Better funds. It will take months for the supply-and-demand for both products and labor to rebalance. And, then into what New Normal? No one knows for sure. Our current labor-market has many, new factors that affect each person differently. And big X factors loom:
1. A booming rehiring demand will slow as job seekers increase into the fall. Will wages spike, then retreat?
2. "Building-Back-Better" interventions will have what: unintended consequences and economic scenarios?
3. And in the background, B2B, digital buying expectations and options will continue to shift rapidly.
WMA distributors must deliver now! Learn which immediate HR solutions you can choose from that will best fit your competitive context and enable you to get to a high-employee-engagement culture needed for a more digital "New Normal".
Opening General Session Keynote - Five Business Trends That Will Emerge From COVID-19
One of the most influential and respected forecasters at the intersection of technology, economic, political, and business worlds, Rich Karlgaard advises audiences on how to harness technology’s accelerating powers and navigate the unprecedented economic and political uncertainty of the early 2020s.
As both a 28-year Forbes veteran and advisory board member for one of the world's top artificial intelligence companies, Karlgaard brings a 360-degree insight to his audiences. He is frequent guest on cable news' popular business shows, such as Your World with Neil Cavuto. He is a co-founder Garage Technology Partners (with Guy Kawasaki) and Silicon Valley's original public business forum, the Churchill Club. For the latter, Karlgaard won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Karlgaard's book on innovation culture, The Soft Edge: Where Great Companies Find Lasting Success, rapidly became a top seller in the category of Strategy and Competition. Management guru, Tom Peters wrote: "The Soft Edge is brilliantly organized and written - a peerless message for our chaotic times." The late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, wrote: "Rich Karlgaard is a navigator for the rest of us."
His book, Team Genius: The New Science of High Performing Organizations, was published in 2015 and hailed by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft and Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx.
In his monthly Forbes Asia column, Tech Connector, he provides an honest and incisive assessment of technology's role as a competitive differentiator in national, regional and local economies. Rich brings the same candor and vision to his bespoke and wildly thought-provoking presentations, as he reveals a comprehensive analysis of the disruptive forces that are reshaping your industry. Rich equips today's leaders with timely insights that help them adapt to the era of technological and political disruption and thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
From technology and entrepreneurialism to taxes and regulations, from market volatility to geopolitical risks, Rich Karlgaard explores the post-COVID landscape on Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley, and beyond. In this timely speech, he tackles questions such as: What will recovery look like throughout 2021? What lasting impacts will COVID leave on work, location, teams, and collaboration? What new styles of leadership work best? What threats can stop the recovery, including government overreach and geopolitical miscalculation? Is inflation hiding in the recovery? How should CEOs, CFOs, boards, and investors assess the market-expanding and cost-saving potential of technologies like enterprise AI and blockchain? Karlgaard engages corporate and association audiences with a lively discussion connecting future probabilities with best practices today.
Wednesday, October 6
WMA Business Roundtable
WMA roundtable discussions offer the opportunity to join industry leaders in identifying actionable solutions to key challenges in business. Roundtable discussions are a great way to network, collaborate, and create meaningful connections. Join us!
Event Sponsor:
Women in Millwork Roundtable
Ladies let's take this opportunity to make a personal connection with others, inspiring thought and challenging our own ideas and views. Roundtable is about growth and broadening our horizons. Let's engage!
Closing Night Networking Event - USS Alabama Battleship and Memorial Park
(optional event)
Let's close the show getting together under the stars at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park for an evening of fun, entertainment and of course some good ole down south Alabama cuisine. You'll step back in time to embark on the journey into America's military past. Reserve your spot or consider purchasing a table for your company and guests.
Convention Sponsors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|