Special Edition: Forum 2009

This special edition of BuyWeekly is dedicated to NIGP's 64th Annual Forum and Products Exposition.  The Gateway to Excellence is open in St. Louis, Missouri, August 22 - 26.

In this issue, we highlight pre-Forum educational opportunities, our featured speakers and social events, special Forum activities, and a greatly expanded array of workshops and networking sessions.

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A special note of thanks and recognition to Forum exhibitor Centennial Contractors Enterprises for their participation in this year's Forum and their sponsorship of this special edition BuyWeekly.

For over 20 years Centennial has been a successful national industry leader in construction services, supporting governmental and educational facilities and infrastructure with construction projects focused on renovation, rehabilitation and repair work.  Through Centennial's dedication for quality results at a fair cost, Centennial has successfully completed over $2 billion worth of construction through Job Order Contracting.  www.jocexcellence.org.

Visit Centennial Contractors at Booth #929 in the Products Expo Hall or contact Vince Duobinis for immediate JOC information.  

Can't Make It To Forum...We'll Virtually Bring A Part Of It To You

Join A Forum Webcast

Tuesday, August 25, between 12Noon - 4:15PM (Central)

Register today to participate via Webcast in these two popular Tuesday workshops:

•  Standards for Measuring Cost Savings - Michael Bevis, CPPO, C.P.M.,
   demonstrates the various methods you can use to calculate savings from bids.

•  Perspectives from the Private and Public Sector - Marcheta Gillespie, 
   CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., leads this panel of public and private sector business
   representatives as they discuss how to build a stronger, more effective
   procurement operation for the future.

You'll be engaged in both sessions through live streaming video and be able to send your questions and comments via email for response during the presentation.  All registrants also receive a complimentary view of highlights from Forum's Saturday opening event, including presentation of the Albert H. Hall Award and recognition of newly certified professionals.

NIGP members can become virtual Forum attendees for only $125 ($175 for non-members).

Register by Friday, August 14 to reserve your space.  For more information, contact Kathleen Ridgely at kridgely@nigp.org or call 800-367-6447 x273. 

It's the next best thing to being in St. Louis!

Note:  CEUs are not awarded for attending Webcasts.


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Forum Highlights

Through The Gateway to Excellence... 

Welcome Dinner - Saturday, August 22
The gateway opens with a cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment* by master guitarist and humorist Mike Rayburn.  We will also present NIGP's highest honor, the Albert H. Hall Award.

*Sponsored by the National Business Council

NEW - Awards will be presented throughout
the four-day event - at plenary sessions,
the formal awards luncheon as well as the banquet. 
So, you won't want to miss a day!

4 Remarkable and Inspiring Plenary Sessions
•  Meagan Johnson - Zap The Gap 
   Sunday, August 23
•  John Schuster - Leading Green: Saving The Planet
   With Everyday Action
   Monday, August 24
•  Patrick Kuhse - Eight Slippery Steps To Unethical Behavior
   Tuesday, August 25
•  FDNY Chief Richard Picciotto - Last Man Down
   Wednesday, August 26

50 Workshops - 5 Procurement Themes
Green, personal development, procurement practices, research and technology.                                                                                

200 Exhibitors
From across the country, across industries and across two half-days of products exposition.

40 Peer2Peer Networking Sessions
•  Traditional agency and community based sessions
•  Gateway sessions - ask questions of subject matter experts
•  Open source - spontaneous topics and problem solving

Premier Events
•  A Night at the St. Louis City Museum - constructed from the very stuff of the city
•  Annual NIGP Awards Luncheon - recognize and honor excellence 
   in public procurement
•  Presidential Banquet - a regal evening to compare highlights from Forum
   with friends, new and old

Infinite Memories

The Renaissance Grand Hotel, St. Louis, is NIGP's host hotel and as of July 29, the hotel is sold out.  Rooms are available at the Holiday Inn Select Downtown Convention Center, the rate is $111 for single, double, triple, and quad occupancy (complimental continental breakfast and internet service).

If you have any questions, please contact forum@nigp.org.  Register today. 
 


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Need Help Explaining Why Travel Dollars Should Be Spent On Forum?

95% of attendees surveyed felt the registration costs reflected the value they obtained by attending Forum.  These attendees said that the cost of Forum is recouped by more effective spending of taxpayer dollars, strengthened services, and operating efficiences.


...You and Your Agency Need To Be At Forum

When faced with less people and fewer resources, you certainly can't afford less procurement knowledge.  The public expects the same services from its government in good times and bad.  As a procurement professional, you need to know how to meet those expectations.  Especially now, making sound, practical decisions for the good of the agency and the public you serve is critical.  Doing so requires that you are familiar with the most effective practices and tips at work in the field.

To help you convince the powers that be to budget for Forum, NIGP has created this Forum Value position paper.  If you would like us to email or mail this paper to the person who controls the purse strings in your organization, please email executive@nigp.org We will need the name, title and appropriate address information. 

You and your agency can—and should—be at the forefront of procurement, making a difference through decisive, effective purchasing programs.  Five days of intensive professional training, networking activities, product exhibits and knowledge sharing will elevate your professional opportunities as you elevate your community and the public you serve.

Forum:  You and Your Agency Need It.


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Pre-Forum Seminars You Don't Want To Miss

This year's Pre-Forum Seminars maximize your educational opportunities at the NIGP Forum.


CPPO Prep
Thursday, August 20 - Friday, August 21
Instructor:  Mary "Jane" Lopez, CPPO


CPPB Prep
Thursday, August 20 - Friday, August 21
Instructor:  William E. Hertwig, Jr., CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., A.P.P.


Contracting for Construction Services - NEW
Friday, August 21 - Saturday, August 22
Instructor:  Edward Pabor, CPPO, C.P.M.


Fundamentals of Leadership & Management
Friday, August 21 - Saturday, August 22
Instructor:  Lynda Allair, CPPO


Chapter Leadership Symposium
Saturday, August 22
Presenters:  Belinda Reutter, CMP, CAE, Director of Membership, NIGP
                  Jennifer Steffan, Chapter Relations Manager, NIGP


Register today for Pre-Forum Seminars.  Contact Michael Romero, NIGP Events Coordinator at mromero@nigp.org or call 800-367-6447 x248.



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Forum Golf Outing Gets You In The Swing Of Things

...and into the Valley of Flowers

Saturday, August 25
6:30AM to 3PM
Golf Club of Florissant
St. Louis, Missouri

Golfers of all skill levels are invited to join NIGP's fifth annual Forum golf event.  The Club is about 25 minutes north of St. Louis and bus transportation as well as lunch are included in the golf registration.

Registration $90
Registration includes tee/green/cart fees, box lunch and transportation to and from the Golf Club of Florissant

Club Rental $20
Club rental fees must be paid directly to the golf club at the time of rental.  However, please indicate your club rental on the golf registration form to ensure an adequate supply of clubs can be reserved for the tournament.

To participate, complete the registration form and return it with payment to Brent Maas no later than Friday, August 7.  Sponsorship opportunities are available.




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FDNY Chief Picciotto Shares 9-11 Experience At Closing Session

Forum Closing Session Speaker 
Wednesday, August 26
3:15PM to 4:45PM

                                   
                                 FDNY Chief Richard Picciotto

Chief Picciotto is the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001, and the last fireman to escape the devastation.

Richard Picciotto answered the call heard around the world on that fateful day.  In minutes, he was at Ground Zero of the worst terrorist attack on American soil.  Already a veteran of terrorist attacks, Picciotto fought a similar battle after the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.  He found himself once again inside the North Tower and  focused on the rescue efforts at hand, only to hear that the South Tower had collapsed as he and his firemen stood in the smoky stairwells of the adjacent tower.  After making the call for firemen and rescue workers to evacuate, he and a small team of men stayed behind to assist a group of disabled and infirm civilians.  It was there in the rubble of the North Tower that he found himself buried for more than four hours after the building collapse.

Hear the rest of Chief Picciotto’s story at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26 during the final session of the Forum in St. Louis.  Register online today for Forum 2009 or call 800-367-6447 x227.

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FREE Things To See And Do In St. Louis

Want to take advantage of the sights and sounds of the City?

Go for it!  These are just some of the FREE things to do and see while in St. Louis.

NIGP invites you to the city made famous by a heroic aviator and a plane that took its name, an iconic arch and – dare we say – the “King of Beers” and home of the Blues.  With a history over 300 years old, St. Louis is rich in cultural heritage, community spirit and family-friendly attractions.


St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park

The St. Louis Zoo is rated #1 according to Zagat and features more than 5,000 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered.   The city of St. Louis set aside 77 acres in Forest Park for a zoo and named a Zoological Board in 1913.  State legislation provided that "the zoo shall be forever free," which has kept the zoo accessible to millions of visitors ever since.

Open every day from 9a.m. to 5p.m.  Some attractions require a fee.


Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to honor well-known people from St. Louis who made contributions to cultural heritage.  The Walk of Fame consists of sets of brass stars and bronze plaques honoring those individuals.

Among those honored on the St. Louis Walk of Fame are:

•  Acting:  Phyllis Diller, Buddy Ebsen, Redd Foxx, John Goodman, Betty Grable, Kevin Kline, Virginia Mayo, Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price and Shelley Winters

•  Music:  Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, Johnnie Johnson, Leonard Slatkin, Willie Mae Ford Smith, Clark   Terry, Grace Bumbry and Tina Turner

•  Sports:  James "Cool Papa" Bell, Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst


Anheuser Busch Brewery
Take a complimentary tour of the world's largest brewery.  Your tour will guide you through a blend of rich brewing heritage, state-of-the-art technology and extraordinary architecture.  Visit the historic Budweiser Clydesdale Stable, Beechwood Lager Cellars, historic Brew House and Bevo Packaging Facility.


The Old Courthouse
St. Louis' Old Courthouse is listed in the National Park Service's National
Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.  The Network to Freedom recognizes sites, programs and facilities with verifiable associations to the Underground Railroad.  The Old Courthouse is linked with the story of the Underground Railroad, and with that of slavery, as a property associated with legal challenges to slavery.  It was a public forum as well as a courthouse.  Slaves were auctioned from its steps in estate settlements, while one man's suit for freedom helped plunge the country into Civil War.


Visit NIGP's FREE St. Louis  to see what's free in the beautiful city and host of the 64th Annual Forum.



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