NAPM holds 86th conference

By Staff -- Purchasing, 3/22/2001

The NAPM Business Survey Economic Outlook Presentation headlines the organization's 86 ^th Annual International Purchasing Conference and Educational Exhibit scheduled for April 29-May 2 at Marriott's Orlando World Center Resort and Convention Center.

More than 800 purchasing executives from around the world are expected to be in attendance at the session, which also features economists William C. Hunter, senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; and Michael P. Niemira, vice president and senior economist for Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd. in New York.

Norbert J. Ore, chair, NAPM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, and vice president of purchasing and strategic alliances for Chesapeake Display and Packaging Co. in Winston-Salem, N.C., will release the committee's Manufacturing Semiannual Economic Forecast. Ralph G. Kauffman, Ph.D., chair, NAPM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, will release the Non-Manufacturing Semiannual Economic Forecast. Dr. Kauffman is an assistant professor of management and coordinator of Purchasing and Supply Management Program at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Educational sessions held during the conference whose theme is "Reach for the Stars," feature five distinct learning tracks: Supply Management: A Strategic Perspective, Making the Most of Supplier Relationships, Tools for the Effective Supply Manager, Making Sense of the E-Commerce Revolution, Professional Growth: The Key to Your Future.

A quick sampling of sessions includes: "Crisis negotiation: rescuing your contract" by Steven L. Clayborn, manager, information technology contracts, Westinghouse Savannah River Co.; "Software procurement in the telecommunications industry" by Edward J. Kovac, procurement director, AT & T; "Achieving success supplier relationships" by Lorrie K. Mitchell, partner, Mitchell Enterprises; "E-procurement solutions-getting what you want in the deal," Russ Boyd, supply contracts manager, Perot Systems Corp.; "E-procurement business models," William S. Schaefer, vice president, procurement services, IBM Global Services, and "Global outsourcing as a strategic initiative," Dawn Moore, corporate purchasing commodities manager, Intel.

Conference keynote speakers include Gerald P. Hirshberg, founding director and president, Nissan; Lee A. Cockerell, executive vice president of operations, Walt Disney World.

The Educational Exhibit is expected to showcase more than 100 suppliers including American Express, Commerce One, Compaq Computer, Covisint, Dun & Bradstreet, FreeMarkets, GE Capital, OBI Consortium, PeopleSoft, PURCHASING Magazine, SAS Institute, Staples and U.S. Bank.

For more information, visit www.napm. org or call NAPM at (800) 888-6276.