Annual Meeting Is Around the Corner - Are You Signed Up?

In just a few weeks’ time, we look forward to welcoming you to our 49th Annual Meeting – albeit in a slightly different format this year.

Given the current situation and the social distancing rules, we’ve reluctantly decided to move the event from the sun-drenched foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta, CA, to the comfort of your desk.

Our Virtual Annual Meeting will start on Tuesday, November 10 at 9:00 a.m. (ET) with the opening of the Business Marketplace, and the opening session will begin at 1:30 p.m. (ET). We can’t wait to see you there.

This event is always one of the highlights of the chemical distribution calendar – a time when industry leaders and decisionmakers get together with customers and colleagues to network and gain valuable insight.

“First and foremost, the Annual Meeting is an opportunity to reconnect and learn from those you share this industry with,” says Kurt Hettinga, NACD Annual Meeting Chairman. “But other very important parts of it are the speakers and learning opportunities that give us the tools to go back into the workplace and improve our businesses.”

“NACD has done everything it can to deliver a program that is every bit as engaging in a virtual format as it would be in a conference ballroom.”

Although we won’t be meeting face to face this time round, there will still be plenty of opportunities to interact and engage in the discussions.

As an essential industry throughout the pandemic, we have all united to keep the supply chain moving – and we are determined to do whatever it takes to make 2021 a success.

This year’s theme, “Delivering What’s Next”, is guaranteed to provide a thought-provoking perspective on what our industry can expect in the months ahead.

“It’s been a difficult year, so this meeting is filled with speakers who are focusing on the future,” adds Hettinga. “I believe that it's our responsibility as an industry to understand the issues and be ready to deliver because it’s going to be very different from what we’re all used to.”

The three-day program features some specially selected speakers and fantastic forward-looking presentations that will provide plenty to think about. These include:

• Chris Stirewalt, the straight-talking politics editor for the Fox News Channel, who will be chewing over the results of the election and providing his views on the current political climate.
• Jeanne Meister, who will look at the latest research from Future Workplace on the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges we’re facing in terms of recruiting and managing our teams.
• Best-selling author Alex Epstein, who will provide a fresh perspective on the importance of fossil fuels and hydrocarbons, and why they still have a vitally important role to play.
• ITR Economics’ Brian Beaulieu, who will offer his commentary on the state of the economy and what to expect in 2021 and beyond.

This virtual format will give everyone the chance to pose questions and interact with the speakers via Zoom after each session, capturing the feel of the usual event on our screens.

And this year, we have also taken the Business Marketplace online, so you’ll have ample opportunity between presentations to virtually walk around the vendors’ tables and access information about their products and services.

We’re looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces, but if you’ve never been able to participate before, then this is the perfect opportunity to get involved and experience the event – all at a reduced price and without the travelling! Register now!