Sunday, Sept.11
Golf Tournament
8 a.m. Shotgun Start – shuttles will depart the hotel at 7 a.m.
Grey Rock Golf Course
*Extra fee and pre-registration required. A portion of this event’s registration fees are donated to the ALA Education Foundation.
Enjoy a round of golf at the beautiful Grey Rock Golf Course. This course is located about 16 miles from the hotel and transportation will be provided to and from the course. Participants will receive breakfast tacos to go and drink tickets. As always, there will be prizes awarded following the conclusion of the tournament. Tickets will be sold for mulligans and a 50-50 skills contest with proceeds benefiting the ALA Education Foundation.
CLC Class - Lighting for Complex Ceilings
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Peter Romaniello, IALD | Conceptual Lighting, LLC
Meeting Room 501
Almost every project has at least one room with something other than a flat ceiling. How does that affect our approach to lighting? What clues does each type of ceiling give us in terms of the approach and direction of light? In this class, we will look at solutions for cathedrals, trays, coffers, vaults and other ceiling types. Understanding how ceiling pitch affects placement of fixtures, how to design coves correctly, how to meet expectations of what the architecture "gives us," and other important topics will give you confidence to design these areas correctly.
New-Member/First timer & Sponsored Showroom Orientation & Reception
4:30 – 5:45 p.m.
On Propery - Zanzibar Lounge (Pool Terrace)
All new members, first-time conference attendees, sponsored showrooms and sponsoring manufacturers are invited to a brief orientation followed by a private reception. Please take the elevator to the pool level, and you will see directional signage to the private reception space.
Opening Reception
6 - 9 p.m.
Bull & Bowl
Reconnect with your industry peers and make new acquaintances over delicious food and drinks while partaking in fun bar games. The venue provides pool tables, three duckpin bowling lanes, and, best of all, a mechanical bull! Members can choose to take in the sites of Austin and walk the short walk from the hotel, just under one mile. Or, shuttles will be on loop back and forth to the Austin Marriott Downtown.
Monday, Sept.12
Opening Breakfast General Session
8 - 9:45 a.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
Keynote Presentation
They Buy Your Because
Gerry O’Brion | Brand Strategist, What Brand Know
Learn a framework of innovation and influence that will show you how to become the number-one choice in the lighting industry. Create disruptive strategies and messaging to attract your ideal customers and close sales in a competitive, sometimes commoditized, market. Customers BUY YOUR BECAUSE. Gerry’s Power of BECAUSE framework has been used by retailers, manufacturers and distributors to clarify their message, drive referrals and close sales. This presentation is a fun, thought-provoking dialogue that reveals the four critical questions you should be asking to stand out in the sea of sameness.
Breakout Education Sessions
10 - 11:30 a.m.
Follow Up on Keynote Session
Gerry O’Brion | Brand Strategist, What Brands Know
Waller Salon C
After Gerry's keynote, attendees will have an opportunity to apply Gerry's Because Framework to their businesses. Roll up your sleeves and get to work answering his four questions for your business. Participants will leave being able to implement the framework in their businesses and share it effectively with their teams. Participants will do individual work using worksheets and be invited to share their ideas and get input. Two volunteers will be put on the hot seat to work directly with Gerry and receive feedback from the group during the session.
Returning to Normal Sales Calls - If There is Anything “Normal”!
Bryan Shirley, CPMR | Former CEO of MANA
Waller Salon E
How to use a hybrid selling methodology—some in person, some on ZOOM (or MS Teams). This will be our new reality as we return to going out in the field to sell. Don’t be idling in the comfort of your home office—sales is a contact sport and we must be face-to-face. Learn tips and techniques to getting appointments and making sales calls as we get back out there!
Invisible to Visible - Succession and Talent Pipeline Planning
Steve Hernandez, SHRM-SCP | Talent Management Professional
Waller Salon D
Succession planning is critical to the success of any type and size of business. This session will provide a practical succession planning and talent review framework so you can leave with straightforward tools and resources to build a pipeline of potential successor candidates in your own organization or family business. No two businesses are the same. Uncover the types of activities to consider in a succession planning process so you can tailor the approach to meet your specific and unique needs to ensure a successful succession planning experience.
The Pathway to Purchase and Beyond- the habits of your shoppers and the journey customers take to your store.
Felix Gorfin | Manager, Lights America, Inc.
Justin Banner | President & CEO, XO Logic Corp.
Waller Salons AB
For those looking to understand and improve shoppers' pre-store experience on their path to your business. Learn practical steps for helping shoppers navigate both your website and your in-store experiences for improved sales and customer satisfaction. Plus, leave armed with new knowledge for improving shoppers post-purchase and post-store experiences.
Business Lunch
12 - 2 p.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
Panel Discussion
Thriving Through Chaos
Panelists: Mike Hadank (Moderator) | Principal, Thrive Consultants
Tim Flannery | Executive Vice President, Minka Group
Paige Farrey | Farrey's Lighting & Bath
Ryan Berlin | Managing Partner, Spectrum Hulett Group
Allan Margolin | M&M Lighting
To say things have changed over the last few years is an understatement. While many businesses have gone into survival mode, others have chosen to seize the moment as an opportunity to grow by “riding the wave of change." Join us for this very important panel discussion to hear how manufacturers, sales agents and showrooms have addressed the many vital changes our industry has faced over the last two to three years. Topics will include supply chain issues, cash flow, employee retention and new hires, returning to in person meetings, and more.
Breakout Educational Sessions
2:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Creating and Conducting an Effective Rep Council to Grow Sales
Bryan Shirley | Former CEO of MANI
Waller Salon E
The best marketing intelligence comes from the feet on the street—REPS! Come give your inputs and ideas on how to create and/or continue a highly effective Rep Council. From choosing attendees to structure and format and examples of surveys to send out to your field sales. We will create a template so you can help to make Rep Councils super successful. We’ll also explore strategies of having a VCR- a Virtual Council of Reps via video chat meetings.
Using Google Effectively To Build Your Brand
Cecelia Cox | Head of Brand Marketing, Google
Waller Salon C
Learn to bring your brand to life online with tools from Google. Research shows 70 percent of consumers use Google Search before they make a purchase. In this session, we'll share the tools you need to ensure you're found online and reaching new customers.
Circadian Lighting for the Home
Jennifer Brons | Research Program Director, Light and Health Research Center
Mark Rea | Professor, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
Waller Salons AB
Circadian lighting is based upon the idea that humans need bright days and dark nights to entrain their circadian rhythms for a healthy sleep/wake balance. What better place to implement circadian lighting than in the home where most people start and end the day. Working with fixture manufactures, ALA’s “Better Light – Better Sleep” program is designed to develop new residential fixture designs that will provide the proper amount of light when and where it is needed for kitchens, bathrooms, home offices and other spaces where people expect to be at the beginning, during, or end of the day. This session will include ideas about how these new types of fixtures will look, their operational characteristics, and how they should be applied and used in the home environment.
Intentional Success - Develop the Mindset, Habits & Game Plan to Reach Your Next Level
Betsy Allen-Manning | Founder of Motiv8u Enterprises
Waller Salon D
What do you really want in your life and in business? Are you ready to stop focusing on the past few years and start focusing on a more helpful future? Studies show that in order to stay positive during challenges, you need to let go of what you can't control and focus on what you can. This presentation is designed to help you create your vision for the future and will help you develop the actions you need to take in order to achieve your best this year. You'll learn the importance of setting goals in the 7 most crucial areas of life, and you will get a five-step strategy for achieving any goal. You will walk away with a schedule that is packed with actions that lead to your future success. It's time to dream bigger, develop a game plan, overcome your challenges, and prepare for the life you were born to live.
Women in Lighting Event
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Waller Salon C
Special Presentation: Impact Leadership: Develop Talent, Create a Sense of Purpose, and Build a Culture People Love
Betsy Allen-Manning | Founder of Motiv8u Enterprises
Are you ready to develop high achievers and valued leaders who are driven by success, service, and IMPACT? Based on Betsy's TEDx talk, this presentation provides a blueprint for becoming a more effective communicator and creating a sense of purpose beyond the paycheck. You will get insights into how forward-thinking companies build an attractive culture with strong values, create a leadership mindset within their team members, and sustain growth by preparing staff for future leadership roles. Through her experience leading at five-star hotels and her dedicated research, Betsy shares what top companies have done to secure a "future-ready" workforce. When it comes to Purpose vs. Paycheck, people work harder for Purpose every time.
This event will kick off with Betsy's 50-minute presentation, followed by a book signing with books available for purchase. Then, enjoy a cocktail reception and networking with peers. All Conference attendees are welcome to attend this event.
Young Executives Event
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Waller Salons EF
This year, we will be giving back to a local Austin charity. We will start off with a fun networking game to separate into teams to build a total of 10 bikes to give to Austin-area children. There will be a professional mechanic on site to ensure everything is assembled properly, so attendees can also enjoy and open bar.
Manufacturer-hosted Tailgate Event
7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
Nothing says Texas like football and tailgating! Dress in your favorite college or NFL team gear and join our ALA manufacturers for tailgate games and food while we enjoy a live stream of the Seahawks vs. Broncos game. Plus, take part in a friendly squares game. You can purchase your selected squares at the event and before kickoff for $10 per square. There will be winners announced throughout the game at every quarter. All showrooms, sales reps, associates, and participating manufacturers are welcome to come for food, drinks, and friendly competition.
Tuesday, Sept. 13
Breakfast General Session
8 - 9:45 a.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
Keynote Presentation
The Future of Housing - Forecast & Consumer Shifts
John Burns | Real Estate Consultant
John will share his firm's views of shifts in the housing market, digging into the details of what is happening across the country with insights from some of the biggest names in the construction industry. John will share opportunities in remodeling due to demographic and lifestyle shifts. The housing industry includes both the tremendous growth opportunities as well as affordability risks. During the keynote session we will also discuss the temporary and possible permanent changes that will come about in the housing industry due to the pandemic.
Breakout Education Sessions
10 - 11:30 a.m.
The Future of Housing – A Deeper Dive
John Burns | Real Estate Consultant
Waller Salons AB
During this session, John Burns will dive deeper into the keynote presentation topic on the housing industry. He will share the results from this firm’s New Home Trends Institutes’ consumer and design research on smart home trends, and the importance of lighting in the home both to protect privacy and to enable quality working from home. There will be time for Q&A for any questions that may arise during the keynote and break session.
Managing Multiple Priorities
Eric Papp | Professional Speaker and Management Trainer
Waller Salon C
People everywhere are feeling the pressure of time. They are challenged with doing more with less: Navigating changes, meeting deadlines for projects, and dealing with the increasing complexity of life. All of this can be overwhelming. Having the right thinking tools can make all the difference between continued success and constant struggle. Participants will leave feeling confident and in control of having practical solutions to help them cut through complexity. Eric is one of the top experts on effectiveness. He is the author of the Priority Planner and is consistently in the top 1% of time management trainers in the US.
Lighting Layout and Design Techniques
Peter Romaniello, IALD | Conceptual Lighting, LLC
Waller Salon D
Repetition is key to success, no matter what the discipline. Practicing good lighting techniques over and over may sound tedious, but it is incredibly important to continue to practice your craft. We ALL get better by reviewing what we do, making sure it works, or correcting if it doesn't. In this class, we will review "typical" techniques for a variety of spaces so you have the confidence to know what you put on paper will absolutely work - every time - and that the fixtures you select/specify will do what you expect them to.
Increase Employee Engagement? Increase Employee Connection!
Darren Ford | ProCulture Consulting LLC
Waller Salon E
During this session, Darren will help attendees better understand the challenges of connecting employees throughout an organization and examine a strategy for building a culture where all employees are connected, respected and valued.
Networking Lunch
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
This lunch has quickly become one of the most popular events during the conference. This lunch offers a unique opportunity to network with your peers across the industry and discuss leading topics facing the lighting industry today. Topics for this event include a discussion on color and design, supporting women in the lighting industry, and more.
Breakout Education Sessions
2:15 - 3:45 p.m.
Managing Promises, Not People
Eric Papp | Keynote Speaker and Management Trainer
Waller Salon C
A supervisor’s primary role is managing the workflow and performance of a department. In reality, day-to-day activities and “firefighting” distract managers from successfully achieving their primary objectives as supervisors. Many put off coaching conversations and fail to address performance issues. This contributes to the development of an “Abdication of Accountability” environment, where performing employees have more work and less time and underperforming employees have less work and more time. As a result, team performance, morale, and communication decline. So, how can you develop and lead a self-managing team? Effective leadership training teaches supervisors to manage a promise and not a person. A self-managing team allows the manager to focus on what’s most important: coaching, strategic planning, and growth.
Employee Engagement - Employee Experience
Darren Ford | ProCulture Consulting LLC
Waller Salon D
This will be a workshop-style session with attendees working in groups to explore how building a healthy work environment leads to higher employee engagement and, ultimately, higher organizational success.
The Future of Lighting in the Connected Home
Panel moderated by Terry McGowan, FIES, ALA Director of Engineering
Panelists:
Timothy Vislay | Director of Sales - Lighting Showrooms, Legrand
Tom Stimac | VP of Engineering Smart Home, GE Lighting
Andrew Guzkov | Sales Director, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Waller Salons AB
This panel will provide a focused look at the control technologies, as well as the types of smart lighting products expected to be the market leaders over the next few years, as control choices grow, the market expands, new smart lighting products are developed and energy-saving smart home energy management systems (SHEMS) are standardized and implemented by integrators, developers, manufacturers, and electric utilities.
With more than 40 different "app-based" lighting and home control systems already on the market, it is a confusing time for consumers as well as industry members. Bring your questions, our panelists are ready to help you sort out the lighting control and system choices.
Closing Reception and Dinner
7:30 - 11 p.m.
Waterloo Ballroom
Come say farewell to fellow Conference attendees and see the 2022 Lighting Hall of Fame induction. Stick around after the ceremon for a live Texas Country performance from Chad Cooke Band.
2022 Hall of Fame Inductee
Clark Linstone | President & COO, Lamps Plus
President and COO of Lamps Plus Clark Linstone is well known across ALA and the lighting industry for his successful leadership and dedication to the betterment of the industry. Over the years, Clark has worked closely with ALA staff and committee member volunteers to support association efforts. He served on the ALA Board of Governors from 2009 to 2015, including as chairman in 2014. Some of his most notable impacts on the industry and ALA have been through his role in supporting ALA’s government engagement efforts. He currently serves as chair of the Government Engagement Committee. He has also served as chair of the ALA Political Action Committee, treasurer on the Board of Governors, chair of the Membership Campaign Committee, and is a member of the Electronic Technology Committee. Clark has twice been honored as an ALA Pillar of the Industry (2000 and 2008) and received Residential Lighting’s Industry Leadership Award in 2013.