- 16 May 2008 -
Proven Tips on Navigating SUR/FIN

Automotive Symposium, Airline/Aerospace Symposium, Business Management Outlook, Technical Conference, and a two-day exhibition. So many things to do at SUR/FIN 2008, and only three days to see it all. Obviously, you can’t be present at five different places at once, and seeing it “all” is virtually impossible. However, there are ways to ensure you are not completely swamped at SUR/FIN. (After all, the abundance of educational sessions and new product exhibitions is designed to enrich your SUR/FIN experience—not overwhelm you.) The trick to getting the most value out of the show, veterans say, lies in devising an effective plan long before you hit the convention center.

Following are a few helpful tips:

• Develop a plan. Review the program and the layout of the exhibit area before you arrive on the exhibition floor. (An “interactive” show floor map is available at www.sur-fin.net.) This will go a long way in helping you save time, especially if you’re searching for particular vendors. Also, it can’t hurt to set up meetings with vendor personnel or sales reps ahead of time. Keep in mind, however, that all issues, problems, or concerns might not be resolved on the show floor. That being said, you might ask the vendor to make an appointment with you over a break, lunch, dinner, or after the convention floor closes, to address any issues that require more time to resolve. Remember: vendors really want to be as helpful as possible, but it is very difficult to do so while working with other customers at a busy convention.

• Select educational sessions accordingly. Without a doubt there will be a variety of seminar subjects that might be of interest to you or members of your team. (Indeed, more than 60 seminars will be offered at the show.) Keeping that in mind, it’s important to “prioritize” the value and/or relevance of a particular seminar in accordance with your business goals or initiatives. Helpful hint: focus on an interesting and effective speaker—one with an established reputation in a field.

This is where bringing along an employee or two could come in handy. “I always bring my plating team with me, and we always find a new product or service that saves us money or time,” said Ray Lucas, president of Valley Chrome Plating, Clovis, Calif., and president of the National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF).

Also, immediately following a session, don’t be shy about picking the session speaker’s brain for more detailed information or to query about follow-up opportunities. If applicable, arrange to sign up to receive regular communications from the speaker (i.e., newsletters, e-mail bulletins, etc.), or find out if the speaker has authored any books related to your specific interests.

• Network, network, network. SUR/FIN represents a great opportunity to speak with experts from virtually all facets of the supply chain. Take advantage of the NASF’s efforts to encourage greater participation from OEMs—many of which are your primary customers. Likewise, use the opportunity to discuss issues and challenges with other finishers. You would be surprised by the willingness of other finishers to share solutions to common problems facing the industry. Perhaps you might uncover partnership opportunities?

• Participate in association activities. With many of the various SUR/FIN committees composed of volunteers, it’s important to encourage turnover and the subsequent infusion of fresh ideas that changing personnel represents. To that end, visit the Membership Service area or NASF booth to find out about the many ways you can participate in the organization or convention planning. Perhaps someone on your team might stand to benefit from performing volunteer work with the association.

Contrary to popular belief, association membership need not chew up a lot of time away from your business. “They can put in as little or as much of their time as they wish,” Lucas said, adding that most of these committees meet via conference call. While at SUR/FIN, he invites attendees and potential association members to take a committee out for a “test spin.”

(For more on this story, see the June issue of Metal Finishing.)