National Hardwood Magazine - August 2011

NHLA News It’s

NHLA News It’s Convention Time Again The highlight of any association year is the gathering of its members and friends at the Annual Convention. This year, NHLA will gather at the famous all-inclusive Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 21-24. Of course, there will be the usual signature events that have come to be a regular part of the annual meeting – outstanding speakers, four sponsored social hours, off-site tours and a wonderful closing banquet with a Country and Western twist. As an added extra this year, on Friday evening we will take a short bus ride to the Wildhorse Saloon - in historic downtown Nashville. In my mind, the most important part of the NHLA Annual Convention is the education. The industry uses this time to come together and learn what has been successful for their counterparts and develop plans for success in the coming year. The past four years, have been brutal for much of the industry and most of us are in need of new ideas for not just surviving but also thriving in the years ahead. Our first Keynote Speaker, Mr. Robin Crow fits that bill perfectly. Based on his book “Evolve or Die – Rethinking the Way We Do Business in the 21st Century,” Mr. Crow will provide plenty of ideas to help us all prepare for the upcoming years ahead. On Friday, Second Keynote Speaker, University of Kentucky Basketball Coach, Mr. John Calipari will address the importance of teamwork in providing for success of any team. Sometimes the most inspiring gems of information come out of the educational sessions that are specifically targeted for our industry. Five different sessions have been reviewed and chosen by the NHLA Education and Convention Committees that specifically address some of your issues. • The Hardwood Check-Off funding for Hardwood research and promotion. by MARK BARFORD, CAE Executive Director National Hardwood Lumber Assoc. Memphis, Tenn. 901-377-1818 www.nhla.com • The NHLA Rules Panel with the entire NHLA field staff in attendance. • Three Technology Trends that are impacting business in the U.S. and around the world. • International Buyer’s Panel of significant overseas Hardwood lumber buyers from Europe, Asia and Australia. • Hardwood Markets, Moving Forward led by the staff of the Hardwood Market Report. I look forward to personally welcoming everyone to our upcoming convention. For those unable to join us, the NHLA staff will be sharing any nuggets we glean from the convention through our follow up articles and website. Thank you for your continued support of NHLA through your attendance. NHLA would especially like to thank Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance, the presenting sponsor and all of those companies who have chosen to make this experience even more special through their extra support of sponsorship. To register and see complete details on the 2011 NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase visit www.nhlaconvention.com. • 10 Hardwoods Have Resiliency