Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/166113
Banff, Here We Come! PRESIDENT'S POST 6 B y the time you read this article, we will be just a couple of weeks away from our yearly convention. I hope you have made your plans, and I look forward to seeing you in Banff. For those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to come to the pre-convention tour, we will start in Edmonton with visits to four IDA member companies: Arrow West, Black Cat Blades, Titan Supply and CNC Industries. Each of these companies has been in business for several decades and is a leader in its own field. We look forward to visiting each company and learning more about its products and services. Edmonton is the capital of the province of Alberta, Canada, and Alberta's economy is one of the country's strongest, supported by the oil and gas industry. Alberta is the largest producer of conventional crude oil, synthetic crude and natural gas in Canada and one of the world's largest producers and exporters of natural gas. The Athabasca oil sands have estimated unconventional oil reserves approximately equal to the conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world. Many companies employ both conventional strip mining and non-conventional in situ methods to extract the bitumen from the oil sands. Also, agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy; nearly half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is also one of the top producers of buffalo (bison) for the consumer market. Alberta's Rocky Mountains include well known tourist destinations, such as Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. The two mountain parks are connected by the scenic IceFields Parkway. Our tour will take us from Edmonton to the Jasper National Park. There, we will stay at the Fairmont Hotel Jasper Park Lodge. The following day, we will drive through scenic Columbia IceFields until we arrive Tuesday afternoon at Lake Louise, where we will stay at the Fairmont Chateau Hotel. On Wednesday, the tour will take us to our final destination, Banff Springs Hotel, where our convention will be held. Banff is a resort town and one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations, known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs. Roger Terán IDA President 2011-13 For those not taking the pre-convention tour, your best choice is to fly into Calgary. Ground transportation will be available from Calgary's airport to Banff. The distance is approximately 126 km (78 miles), and it should take about 1-1/2 hours by bus. We have an exciting convention with two keynote speakers on Thursday morning. Sam Richter is an internationally-recognized expert on sales, marketing and leadership. He recently was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in Sales by InsideView. Our other speaker, Steve Miller, helps companies create and maintain long-term customer relationships through strategic marketing and unconventional thinking. He is an author, a professional speaker and a business advisor. Robert McIntyre of Wegman, Hessler and Vandenburg will also be presenting. We are anticipating more than 350 attendees and more than 50 exhibitors from all over the world. This is my last article, as my term as president ends next month at the convention. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of IDA for your support to this great association 55 years strong. Roger Terán IDA President IDA UNIVERSAL September-October 2013