The state of the U.S. and global economy has drastically affected the off-road equipment industry. Senior-level machinery manufacturing executives will gather at the upcoming Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) annual conference to discuss surviving the recession and handling future business challenges.

The AEM annual conference will be held Nov. 15 to 17, 2009, at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Fla.

The theme is “Now is the Time,” with an emphasis that now is the time to reach out globally, to create a culture of innovation, to examine technology trends shaping manufacturing’s future, to better understand the economics of the industry, to connect more closely with customers, and to integrate digital media into the business model.

Leaders from inside and outside the industry will share their insights and expertise, with keynote presentations, case studies and interactive discussions. Special member roundtable sessions will focus on the needs of smaller enterprises and of the Canadian marketplace. AEM also will hold several Board-level meetings and the association’s annual business meeting, with director elections and recap of association advocacy for members and the industry.

Among the conference’s keynote speakers will be Carlos Gutierrez, former Commerce Department secretary and chairman and CEO of Kellogg Company, on how adversity leads to opportunity on personal and corporate levels.

A featured speaker is Alexander Manu, author of “Everything 2.0: Redesign Your Business Through Foresight and Brand Innovation,” who will explore creating a culture to innovate; he’ll be followed by case studies on innovating to stay competitive, from Warrington Ellington, senior manager, government relations with Whirlpool Canada, and Matt Perkins, chief technology officer with Awarepoint.

Manu also will spearhead a discussion on successfully integrating digital media into business models, joined by Shane Green, former vice president, location content with NAVTEQ/Nokia, and Geoff Craig, former vice president, brand building with Unilever.

Providing a customer perspective will be Kip Tom, president of Tom Farms, the largest supplier of seed corn and related industry services worldwide, and Bob Hall, president of Bechtel Equipment Leasing, with the Bechtel construction and engineering firm. Other featured presenters include Mark Vinter, senior economist with Wells Fargo, and Scott Klososky, president of FPOV.org and a technology expert.

For more information, visit www.aem.org.

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