2012 NLM Conference Focuses on Service and Training

BEND, OR  (February 14, 2012) The United Brother of Carpenters & Joiners (UBC) along with the Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association (EACA) and the Exposition Service Contractors Association (ESCA) sponsored the 2012 National Labor Management Conference (NLM) in Las Vegas last week on February 7-8, 2012.     The theme for this year’s quadrennial event was a focus on customer service and training.

UBC General President, Douglast McCarron, reaffirmed his organizations’ commitment to "continuous and ongoing training” as a means to maintain its competitive edge in the business or providing a highly skilled workforce for trade shows and events.   Recognizing that trade unions must operate as "an efficient and competitive business” in supplying labor for trade shows, McCarron’s remarks were confirmed by the incredible investment that the Carpenters have made in their multi-million dollar International Training Center in Las Vegas, the host venue for the 2012 NLM Conference.

Other sessions at the 2012 NLM Conference included:

•          An Industry Overview presented by Doug Ducate of CEIR on our the state of the trade show industry.    One of the most interesting nuggets of information that was revealed in this presentation is that the trade show industry outperformed the economy in 2011.

•          A presentation Terry McGann, UBC counsel,  on the "Chicago Story" - the saga of the labor reforms at Chicago's McCormick Place.    This presentation was followed by a panel discussion of the current state of the McCormick Place reforms which included Frank Libby, Business Representative of Carpenters Local #10 in Chicago, Doug Van Ort of Freeman, David Causton, General Mgr. of McCormick Place, and John O’Shea, Director of Field Services for Czarnowski.

•          A presentation on Customer Service by Randy Eppard, Ph.d, Director of Education & Training for the Carpenters who tailored his remarks to focus on the "Utlimate Question 2.0” a book by Fred Reichheld.   The ‘Ultimate Question’ for any business is "On a zero to 10 scale, how likely is it that you would recommend us to a friend or colleague?”  This book shows how companies can put themselves on a path to true growth – growth that occurs because their customers and employees love doing business with them and sing their praises to neighbors, friends, and colleagues.  The practical application of that question is to find out what percentage of your current customers would respond positively (your companies’ promoters) less the percentage who would not (your companies’ detractors).        

From the standpoint of those in attendance, the Net Promoter Score for the 2012 National Labor Management Conference was quite high as many were "wowed” not only by the terrific hospitality served up the by the Carpenters, but also for their amazing facilities and the outstanding  meal functions that were catered by our hosts.

The Exhibitor Appointed Contractors Association is the tradeshow industry's only association dedicated solely to "raising the level of service excellence on the showfloor."

The EACA seeks to unite the nation's tradeshow community by representing and supporting the interests of EACs and other exhibits services professionals that work on the tradeshow floor.   The association is currently comprised of more than 200 member companies representing more than 12,500 full time trade show professionals, and more than 45,000 part time trade show workers.

The association is headquartered in Bend, Oregon.

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