Steel Products
January 13, 2020
Update on 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference
Written by John Packard
An update on the 2020 SMU Steel Summit Conference. My team has been very active in soliciting and confirming agenda slots and speakers to go with those spots. Today we confirmed CNN’s Michael Smerconish as a special keynote speaker on Wednesday, Aug. 26. He will be covering the Republican National Convention (which is happening at the same time as our conference) and will be traveling to Atlanta straight from the convention, and then he will return right after his talk to our group. I enjoy Smerconish as he tends to be level-headed and not prone to take a right or left position. With the election looming a few months after our conference, politics will play in any forecast being made for 2021 and beyond.
I have also been working very hard on the expansion to the Wednesday afternoon program. On Wednesday afternoon, after Smerconish speaks, we will provide a program we feel is critical for manufacturing, distribution, steel mills and related companies. How do you attract, train and maintain young people in your company? Some of the answers may surprise you. I am finalizing the keynote speaker who will begin this segment, and I will have more on this program in the weeks to come. Plan on staying until 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon – book your return flight after 5 p.m. – you won’t regret it.
