Impressions of a First-Time PMPA Attendee

The 2016 PMPA Management Update Conference was held at the beautiful Loew’s Portofino Bay Hotel, offering many venues for attendees to gather and socialize. 

I recently attended my first Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA) Management Update Conference. Held at the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, it was one of the most collegial and informative events I’ve experienced. While the sessions covered a range of interesting topics—everything from developing transformational leadership skills, to creating positive interoffice environments, to reaching out to millennials in a mutually beneficial way—it was the energy and involvement of the audience that I found particularly gratifying. No matter what type of exercise the presenters asked them to engage in, everybody was up for it and sitting on go.  

When a “Speed Networking” session forced everyone out of their comfort zone, the roar of conversation and laughter coming from the hall grew until it was nearly palpable. When speaker and facilitator Izzy Gesell asked the audience to try and convey an idea to each other speaking only gibberish during his “Transformational Thinking” session, everybody was game. When Diane Thielfoldt presented “Meet the Millennials,” the thoughtful comments made by those in attendance displayed an honest desire to reach out and overcome barriers. And when PMPA Executive Director Bernie Nagle invited the association’s young leaders to join him in a roundtable discussion, the turnout was triple what he’d hoped for.

I’d like to thank the association for inviting me and my colleagues at PM to attend this event, and all the great people I met for making me feel so welcome. Your energy and engagement—along with the association’s professional and capable staff—is what makes the PMPA such an effective and successful organization.  

The Venetian Ballroom was buzzing with conversation as Izzy Gesell roamed among the tables during his “Transformational Thinking” session.