CEDIA’s 2008 Management Conference, which drew record attendance and elicited positive feedback, will no doubt be a tough act to follow. But now is time for CEDIA to provide industry businesses the support they need to stay strong, and the association is hard at work ensuring the event delivers that support.

Management Conference 2009 will be held at Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, Arizona, March 4–7, 2009. After attendees’ overwhelming response to the strategic planning elements of the 2008 conference, CEDIA has placed this topic at the center of the 2009 event. Attendees will assess their business and determine the best way forward using an individualized One-Page Strategic Plan. The goal is to walk away with tactics to implement as soon as they return to the office.

CEDIA’s annual Management Conference invites electronic systems business owners and managers to a resort location for classroom learning, engaging presentations, and invaluable peer networking. Content is designed to help attendees build more competitive, more sustainable businesses, and the format helps participants step out of the day-to-day tasks and look at their operations from a new perspective. Attendees leave feeling refreshed and motivated, with principles they can begin implementing immediately.

For 2009, conference offerings include Strategic Management Forums, a series of two-hour breakout sessions on topics such as promotions and employee productivity. In addition, three cross-industry presentations will discuss business valuation, green and sustainable design and what to look for in an accountant. Keynote speakers will include presentations on creative collaboration and staying relevant in a dynamic market, as well as a much-anticipated speech by boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard’s presentation, The Power to Win, will outline how attendees can take lessons learned in the boxing arena and apply them in the professional world.

Online registration for the event opens November 6. The deadline to receive early bird registration discounts is February 4. For details, visit www.cedia.org/mc or call 800.669-5329.