Expo 2004 Preview

© 2004 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Spring 2004
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 44

Expo 2004 Preview

The International Garage Door Exposition heads back to Las Vegas on May 12-15, 2004. Mark Stuenkel, who chairs the IDA Expo Committee, outlines a few of the highlights of this year’s event.

Las Vegas!

“Las Vegas is internationally recognized and draws people worldwide. (It provides) a variety of entertainment to choose from after a full day of exhibits, seminars, and discussions (at) their magnificent new convention center.”

Keynoter Mike Ditka:

Fri. 9:00 a.m. “We are excited about having Mike Ditka as our keynote speaker. Mike is a nationally recognized motivator, coach, and television personality who will appeal to everyone at Expo.”

Exhibits:

Fri. 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. “Expo is the primary venue for the industry to exhibit product innovations. The record number of square feet sold for exhibits (says) there will be a record number of new and exciting products to investigate. Expo is where a dealer sees it first.”

Free Money!

Sat. 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. “IDA will be giving away $13,500 to registered door dealers who attend Expo exhibits on Saturday. Prizes will be awarded based on the rules of the program, and you must be present to win.”

FRESH NEW SEMINARS

This year’s Expo training lineup includes 34 workshops, and most of them are new topics, according to Barbara Kelkhoff, president of the IDEA (Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation). IDEA manages the workshop portion of Expo.

Plenary Sessions

“Some dealers have had difficulty attending all their desired seminars,” says Kelkhoff, “so we’ve added two plenary sessions in time slots that don’t compete with any other workshop.”

The plenary sessions offer top speakers on key topics that apply to most dealers. The first, scheduled for Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, is “Strategic Selling” with Dale Monnin, a top speaker from 2003. The second, on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, is “Defining Service” with Randy Moore of Creative Door Services.

Hot New Topics

The wide selection of new topics should appeal to many dealers and enhance their opportunities to improve their businesses. Here is a sampling of just 10 of the new topics:

Wednesday

  • Sex, Laws, and Documenting (8:00 – 9:30 a.m.)
  • Creating a Perfect Image in Your Community (2:00 – 3:30 p.m.)
  • Building a Financial Plan You Can Really Use (4:00 – 5:30 p.m.)

Thursday

  • Collecting from Deadbeats (6:30 – 7:30 a.m.)
  • The Technologically Hip Dealer (6:30 – 7:30 a.m.)
  • Advertising Tips From a Veteran Professional (8:00 – 9:30 a.m.)
  • How to Be the World’s Greatest Employer (1:00 – 2:30 p.m.)
  • How to Combat Unethical Business Practices (3:00 – 4:30 p.m.)
  • How to Be the World’s Greatest Installer (5:00 – 6:00 p.m.)

Saturday

  • Dealing With the Difficult Customer (10:00 – 11:30 a.m.)

For more information about Expo 2004, go to www.doors.org.