NATM heads to The Biggest Little City in the World for annual convention and trade show
Dec 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Rick Weber
THE National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) is taking its annual convention and trade show to Reno, “The Biggest Little City in the World.” Given that the NATM event is the biggest trade show targeted specifically for light- and medium-duty trailer manufacturers, it should be no surprise that the theme is “Reno 2010: The Biggest Little Trade Show in the World.”
The event runs from March 1-6 at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. The NATM will return to Reno in 2012, with the convention set for Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 2011 and Charleston, South Carolina, in 2013.
This year's event features a slight change in format, with the addition of a day of workshops prior to the convention.
“This was a suggestion from many of our members,” NATM president Pam O'Toole says. “Our attendance was down some at the 2009 show (in Charleston, South Carolina). We found is that we had the same number of manufacturers (companies), but that each company didn't bring as many individuals or stay as long. To help get as many manufacturers there and to give them the opportunity to attend both the trade show and educational workshops, we will be having workshops on both Wednesday and Saturday. That gives manufacturers several options to work the convention into their schedule.
“We also negotiated a room rate of $109 per night — no fluctuation between weekdays and weekends, as we have experienced in Las Vegas. This low room rate and a great facility should make the convention even more affordable for our members.”
Playing off keynote speaker Stan Slap's topic of “Tough Times: Tougher Teams,” the focus for the convention will be to offer educational opportunities and information to help members remain successful and prosper in a harsh business climate. The NATM hopes additional workshops and a new workshop schedule will facilitate that goal.
Workshops
Wednesday, March 3
Paint Performance: Proposed Industry Criteria/De-Icing Agents and the Corrosion Problem
Presenter: Ron Yarnell, OEM Sales Manager, PPG Industries, Inc; Rick Achterhof, Industrial Product Manager, Diamond Vogel Paints; and Gary Sales, OEM Business Manager, Diamond Vogel Paints.
This presentation will first focus on several common tests established in the paint industry and will break down quality levels and how they may fit as standards in the trailer industry. The second part of this presentation will focus on corrosive reactions caused by de-icing agents. Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in corrosion, especially on over-the-road products and architectural coatings near roadways. There has been speculation on the composition and quality of the steel; however, the focus is now shifting to what is actually corroding the steel.
Compliance Update: What it Takes to Become NATM Compliant
Presenter: Greg Soden, NATM compliance consultant.
This session is intended for the trailer manufacturers that are either new to the association or have yet to take advantage of the complimentary compliance consultation. Soden will cover in detail each item on the NATM checklist that is used to verify compliance. Documents will be provided, questions answered, and recommendations will be offered to assist in easily understanding and meeting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's requirements that are referenced during the consultation.
Demystifying GVWR and Federal Excise Tax
Presenter: Bob Cirilli, instructor for retail tax law; and Clint Lancaster, NATM technical director.
Calculating GVWR can be confusing. Learn the important elements you need to know about calculating GVWR for your trailer and certification label. There are many ways a manufacturer can calculate a trailer's GVWR, but the IRS also has their way. Mistakes in applying and collecting Federal Excise Tax (FET) can be costly. This workshop will explain how to calculate GVWR for the certification label and how GVWR may be calculated separately by the IRS for FET purposes.
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