Featured Speakers

Copper Market Overview
7:30 a.m. (PST), Thursday, March 29
Editors from American Metal Market magazine

With metal prices increasingly volatile, it has become harder and harder to forecast just what is in store for the copper industry and your business.

Metal Bulletin's research team and editors from American Metal Market magazine have crafted an informative presentation that will help bring into focus the global factors influencing copper prices – supply, demand and market psychology – so you can get a handle on the market.

Panel Session: Challenges and Solutions to Operations
9:15 a.m. (PST), Thursday, March 29

Panelists: Barbara O’Donovan, Editor, American Metals Magazine (Moderator); Mark Azzaro, Vice President, Williams Metals & Welding Alloys, Inc.; Dan Becker, President, A.J. Oster LLC; Garret Herringdon, General Manager, Southern Copper & Supply Co., Inc.; Robert Brookes, Jr., President, E. Jordan Brookes Co., Inc.

Leaders from CBSA service centers and mills will share insights into some of the most challenging issues facing service centers and mill operations. Join this panel session in discussing creative ways to minimizing rising health care costs, finding qualified skilled workers (machinists and specialized trades) and other operational issues. This facilitated panel will allow for open discussion of some of the most pressing issues facing CBSA members. CBSA attendees will be allowed to submit questions in advance of the convention for the panel to address, as well as engage in interactive dialogue during the discussion.

What to Expect from Congress and the President
9:15 a.m. (PST), Friday, March 30
Jade West, Senior Vice President-Government Relations, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

Jade West will provide an inside look at what you can expect from Congress and the president as they bring the first quarter of the year to a close. The 2012 presidential election will bring legislative action in Congress to a standstill as November approaches, but there is still plenty you need to know – and worry about. 

West will update you on the most pressing issues affecting CBSA members, including debt, the deficit, taxes, labor issues and the relentless regulatory agenda. She’ll also give you a sneak preview of this year's critical elections and tell you how you can get involved. 

2012 Economic Forecast
10:45 a.m. (PST), Friday, March 30
Alan Beaulieu, Institute for Trend Research

Maximizing the future is all about separating fact from fiction. The fear and uncertainty about the global markets are enough to cause any business leader to wonder if the recovery is durable or not. Alan Beaulieu, the president of ITR® will discuss the economic outlook for our industry and for the global economy with the clarity that business leaders have come to expect from ITR. Attendees will have no doubt as to the sustainability of the recovery. They will also learn how long the good news will last, the dangers from coming inflationary pressures, what to expect from interest rate movement, the impact of the Super Committee and what strategies and tactics should be undertaken now if businesses are to maximize their profit potential in the years to come. This is a must meeting for leaders looking to prepare for the changes that are coming over the next few years.