ASCA announces conference speakers

A diverse group of experts will educate professional snow removal contractors at the 2012 Executive Summit in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

The Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA) announced the speakers who will highlight the 2012 Leadership Conference, as well as a panel discussion on risk management.

The 2012 ASCA Executive Summit takes place Aug. 9-11 at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

ASCA Executive Director Kevin Gilbride says the 2012 lineup is the result of direct feedback from industry leaders who requested deep, high-level educational opportunities.

“We’ve put together a really incredible lineup of topics and speakers for this year’s Executive Summit,” Gilbride says. “We hit the hot-button, small business issues, as well as critical industry-specific topics.

“While it’s true that a good portion of the U.S. snowbelt saw below average snowfall for Winter 2011-12, the leaders in this industry are taking the steps to strengthen their businesses and improve their operations,” Gilbride adds. “Part of that process is bringing their business acumen up to speed.”

ASCA’s Executive Summit is an expanded format of Snow Magazine’s Leadership program. The new format includes additional speakers, high-end business education, plenty of networking time and, of course, a great location. Additionally, Snow Magazine will continue to present its Top 100 and Leadership awards at the event.  

ASCA’s Executive Summit brings the snow industry leaders together by providing educational format that caters to those that lead the industry. This year’s format will focus on big issues facing our industry today and in the near future. It is produced by the Accredited Snow Contractors Association in partnership with Snow Magazine.
 

For event information and to register, call 800-456-0707 or email conference@gie.net.
 

This year’s agenda includes:

“The U.S. Economy and Its Impact on Small Business” presented by Laurel Graefe, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. This session presents today’s state of the economy and the short-term outlook for small businesses, including what you can look for in the near future to better manage your business.

“Managing by the Numbers” presented by Jim Huston, J.R. Huston Enterprises. In an unpredictable industry, numbers drive success and failure. This session explores how to manage your numbers on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. From the beginning of the process, to pricing, to watching your balance sheet and cash flow, Huston presents what is most important to financial success in your snow operations.

“Tort Reform and the Professional Snow and Ice Industry” presented by Matt Fullenbaum, American Tort Reform Association (ATRA). This session discusses ATRA’s successes and how ASCA and ATRA are working together to bring fairness to the professional snow and ice management industry.

“Political Analyst: How the Upcoming Elections Will Impact Small Business” presented by David Crow, D.C. Legislative & Regulatory Services. This session will give us a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming election, including Crow’s insights on potential outcomes and how those could impact small business during the next term.

“ISO 9001 for Snow: Advantages to Implementing It for Your Business” presented by John Knappenberger, ANSI-ASQ Accreditation Board (ANAB). The Snow Industry Specific ISO certification process is a key component to ASCA’s success in the insurance industry and ultimately in enacting positive legislative change for our industry. In this session, learn the value of ISO certification, how to get certified and how certification can help your business beyond just insurance and legislative advantages.

Panel Discussion: “Risk Management for the Professional Snow and Ice Management Industry”

MODERATOR: Kevin Gilbride, Accredited Snow Contractors Association (ASCA)

PANELIST: Matthew Peterson, Mills Insurance Group

PANELIST: Joshua Ferguson, Kent & McBride, P.C.

This panel discussion defines risk in the snow industry and how to manage it from three different perspectives. The first is risk as it pertains to your business and insurance, second is managing risk to protect from lawsuits and third is financial risk.

 

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