Arlington, VA–The 2007 PARA Conference recently concluded after two days of networking and educational sessions, attracting industry specialty audio-video dealers and vendors from around the country. Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, the 2007 PARA Conference ran March 8-9 at The Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
With quality training sessions and programming, the 2007 PARA Conference was a big success, said Kerry Moyer, executive director, PARA. The dynamic keynotes, workshops and networking opportunities provided dealers from the specialty audio-video channel with the tools necessary for improving and growing their business.
The conference kicked off on Thursday morning with a workshop and keynote address by Dr. Jeff DeGraff, Professor at the University of Michigans Ross School of Business, entitled, Leading Enterprise Innovation. DeGraff introduced attendees to the fundamentals of leadership through innovation, including how to recognize innovative business opportunities, assess innovative leadership styles and implement new processes to create growth.
Peter Schutz, former president and CEO of Porsche AG, delivered Thursdays afternoon keynote, Extraordinary Results from Ordinary People, based from his best-selling book. Schutz shared his experiences as CEO of Porsche AG and addressed how business leaders can create a lasting competitive advantage in the marketplace by empowering their employees through participation in the planning process.
Business management was the main focus of Fridays programming. Day Twos workshop, Strategic and Operational Planning, featured Ron Huntington, owner of Executive Mentors and Trainers. Huntington addressed key concepts for improving communication, effective strategic planning and decision making.
This years PARA conference had a fantastic combination of keynote speakers and vendor meetings. The keynote speakers on Thursday spoke directly to my business and its challenges, said Josh Lisman, president, Entertainment Solutions. Each and every vendor present went the extra mile to grow new or existing relationships. They genuinely care about our channel and proved it in each meeting.
Additional events at the 2007 PARA Conference included dealer-vender one-on-one sessions, dealer-specific download sessions and networking lunches.
For more information, visit www.CE.org/Events.
