The time has finally come for members of the Commercial Painting Industry Association, coatings professionals and suppliers to come together at The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson, Nevada.
The second annual CPIA Leadership Conference, which will take place from Oct. 10-12, features a collection of recreational, educational and networking activities. On Oct. 13, contractors who signed up for Technology Publishing Company’s hosted-buyer event, Commercial Contractor Connect, will break off for private meetings with coating and equipment manufacturers.
While everyone is packing their bags this week for departures this weekend, we’re highlighting several reasons attendees are looking forward to the second annual conference:
Reason One: Expert Presentations
As a current or aspiring industry leader, this conference is slated to be an opportunity to where attendees can share knowledge with their peers and learn from the event’s respected speakers. Confirmed speakers scheduled to present at the event include:
-Keynote: Connor Fields, a three-time Olympian for BMX Racing;
-Nick Higgins, General Manager of Operations at Higgins Coatings;
-Aaron Hockel, Partner and Vice President of AltaVista;
-Richard H. and Cory B. Tanner, CEO and President, Exit IQ and Moreton Business Solutions;
-Ricky Houghton, Robotics Executive at Finish Robotics;
-Annie Newton, Founder of ProfitWorks LLC;
-Kevin Brown, Technical Director for the Commercial Services Group, KTA-Tator Inc.;
-Dwain DeVille, CEO Coach, Founder of CEO Ride and author of The Biker’s Guide to Business: When Business and Life Meet at the Crossroads; and
-Jim McBrayer, CEO of McBrayer & Associates.
Reason Two: Roundtable & Panel Discussions
Throughout the conference, industry leaders and attendees will have the opportunity to discuss critical concerns in the commercial painting industry such as supply chain forecasting and the retention of high-performing employees.
These discussions will take place through a roundtable led by Co-Founder Aaron Moore on business growth and a collection of panels featuring representatives from a number of coating manufacturing and equipment suppliers.
Panel discussions this year include:
-Coatings;
-Asset Owners; and
-New Technology.
Reason Three: Western Location
The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa by Marriott Bonvoy is located just minutes away from one of the most famous neon-soaked streets in the country, the Las Vegas Strip, and is reported to offer dozens of recreational and relaxation opportunities.
Looking out from the resort, and from many guestrooms and suites within the complex, guests attending will be met with stunning views of Lake Las Vegas and the surrounding canyon.
Adjacent to the resort, guests will find the award-winning Reflection Bay Golf Club, which features a signature Jack Nicklaus-designed course. The resort offers several additional onsite amenities, including restaurant and bar options, numerous guest activities such as its full-service spa, fitness center, outdoor pools and beach access.
Reported to be one of Nevada’s most sought-after meeting locations, Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa boasts over 90,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, 25 state-of-the-art meeting rooms and 12 breakout rooms designed to spark creativity and inspire colleagues.
All meeting rooms are noted to feature extensive audiovisual capabilities, which are serviced by the resort’s professional event planning staff, offering a rare combination of natural beauty with modern conference facilities and luxury amenities.
Reason Four: Recreational Group Activities
In addition to bringing together CPIA members and possible future members alike, as well as industry partners, experts and your TPC hosts, the commercial-focused event features an array of networking sessions.
This year, attendees were given the option to participate in:
-A helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon (courtesy of Sherwin-Williams);
-A golf outing at the Reflection Bay Golf Club; and
-A luxury road tour of Hoover Dam and the surrounding area.
A mixture of contractor and vendor attendees will also be able to mix over additional activities, educational sessions, meals, cocktails and cigars, in addition to scheduled one-on-one meetings.
Reason Five: Industry Benefits
The Commercial Painting Industry Association is the first and only trade association created exclusively for commercial painting professionals. Its mission is to nurture a peer-based community of industry experts dedicated to learning and development through collaboration. CPIA members have access to all the relevant resources and guidance required for further business growth.
Over the few years since its launch, the CPIA has grown to be an epic group of some of the most important commercial painting organizations in North America. In total, the CPIA member companies represent over $1.4 billion in yearly commercial project work and are large buyers of products and services specific to the commercial coatings market.
When asked about the CPIA and the inaugural conference last year, Jeremy Barrett, Project Manager and Estimator from Siegner and Company, told CP that his biggest takeaway was “the ability to network with like-minded professionals and just get to know people. It’s been really good hearing some of the sales seminars.”
“Love the networking—meeting companies from around the U.S. and hearing the similar issues they run into and learning from them.” Barrett added he was “definitely” making better connections with the suppliers at the event, and he would “absolutely” recommend this event to colleagues at home.
CPIA members, themselves, are the organization’s most valuable asset because their knowledge, expertise, and network form the very core of the association. They take a proactive role in the industry and elevate their business through membership opportunities and benefits.
“When I told my commercial division staff to save the dates for the upcoming CPIA Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, one of them asked if it was something he should be attending. I told him, the best minds of the commercial painting industry are in one location for three days sharing great ideas that can be brought back and put into action immediately,” said Steve Hester, CPIA Co-Founder.
“In addition, there are tons of opportunities to network and meet these people and develop friendships and connections for potential future collaborations. In short – YES! You definitely should plan on clearing your calendar and attending!”
More feedback the CPIA received from attendees can be found here.
Whether registered or interested contractors and suppliers are CPIA members or are just eager to know more about the association and its many benefits, the CPIA has welcomed all commercial painting contractors and related professionals to the annual event.
Conference Schedule
To view the conference’s full agenda, click here.
For information about the Commercial Contractor Connect event, click here.
