By Stephen R. Kay
The IBWA Annual Convention and Trade Show is literally the ‘town meeting’ of the bottled water industry where all facets of the trade come together to exchange information and learn from the pros in diverse fields. This event provides knowledge assets that can be utilized to build businesses and product standing.
The International Bottled Water Association will host the 2006 IBWA Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino from October 3-6, 2006.
Among the opportunities that can be culled from the IBWA convention are the facts, figures and strategies that can be turned into action—beyond the boundaries of a desk, plant, lab, warehouse and distribution center or manufacturing facility.
Each of us has an occasion, nearly every day, to communicate about bottled water to a range of important audiences. Just look at our universe of opportunity: current or prospective customers, the media, regulators and legislators and those health, civic and government folks vital to our business. With all of these camps, knowledge and the ability to communicate about bottled water makes all of us bottled water ambassadors.
Education that builds on a knowledge base or introduces new ways of thinking and talking about bottled water is widespread at the IBWA annual meeting. Attendees can take advantage of educational sessions featuring speakers that bring information about the latest innovations and systems that help us produce ever-better products and deliver them to customers and consumers by efficient and profitable means. But everything at the convention and trade show is not wrapped in the mantle of innovation or the newest and latest. Several learning opportunities revisit current knowledge or reinforce existing processes and information to help ensure that the industry remains grounded in the basics.
Convention attendees will have access to the most advanced educational opportunities for both new and seasoned professionals and trade show exhibitors will highlight the many innovations in the bottled water industry. Sessions presented by experts will cover hot topics such as:
- Discovering the real growth opportunities in bottled water
- HOD roundtable
- Bottled water technical and regulatory primer
- A Fast Track to Professional Selling and Marketing with Rock Solid Results by Bob Janet
- Recycling
- Plant operations and bottling
- Filtration basics
- Communications and marketing
- Quality control in the bottled water facility
- All Politics is Local: A Groundwater Prospective
- Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
These outstanding educational sessions will provide an opportunity to earn up to 24.5 continuing educational units (CEUs) for Certified Plant Operator accreditation and will provide ideas and technologies specifically targeted to the bottled water industry. Because bottled water consumption continues to grow at a robust pace, the need for the latest and best information is greater than ever.
“The 2006 IBWA Convention and Trade Show has no rival when it comes to educational seminars and showcasing the services and advanced technology of the bottled water industry,” stated IBWA President Joseph K. Doss. “As the leader in the bottled water industry, IBWA will continue its commitment to quality and help our industry’s leaders prepare to meet all future challenges and opportunities.”
IBWA’s convention is the single-best event for professionals in the bottled water industry to meet with peers and share tools, techniques and best practices. While walking the trade show floor, attendees can expect to find a state-of-the-art, bottled water-specific showcase that features the premier processing, packaging, equipment and services for the global bottled water industry.
Water Conditioning and Purification readers should know that exhibit space at the 2006 IBWA Convention and Trade Show is selling at a fast pace. By May 2006, over 65 percent of exhibit space was booked with new exhibitors signing on every day.
Exhibiting at the 2006 IBWA Trade Show provides several benefits. The show will:
- strengthen awareness of your brand, products and services;
- generate new leads;
- increase sales and profitability;
- provide time for face-to-face meetings and product demonstrations;
- produce real-time feedback on your new innovations and existing lines;
- offer a unique networking opportunity to meet the real decision makers in processing, packaging, equipment, technology and service purchases.
Online registration is officially open for both attendees and exhibitors on the convention and trade show website at http://www.bottledwater.org/public/conv2006/.
About the author
Stephen R. Kay has served as Vice President of Communications for the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) in Alexandria, Virginia since 2000. He directs the Association’s communications, media relations and public affairs initiatives and is the principal spokesperson for IBWA. Kay has significant beverage industry experience as he joined IBWA after serving as Public Relations Manager for the National Association of Beverage Retailers (NABR), which represents off- and on-premise alcohol beverage retailers. He is also a published writer in the beverage trade media. Contact him by writing Stephen R. Kay, Vice President, Communications, International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) 1700 Diagonal Road, Ste. 650, Alexandria, Va. 22314 or via telephone, (703) 683-5213 or fax (703) 683-4074 or email: [email protected]
About the association
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product) and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual, unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA’s web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members’ brands.