The fall NexGen, the second one this year, will take place October 5 through 7, 2010, in North Carolina. The three-day event is sponsored by Biesse America, C.R. Onsrud, Inc., Costa & Grissom Machinery, Delmac Machinery Group, Holzma U.S. and Stiles Machinery and includes the addition of an evening educational session and reception in each of the participating companies' major cities. All of the one-hour presentations begin at 5 p.m. and are followed by a reception.

The first evening seminar on Tuesday, October 5, will be at the Comfort Suites Airport, located at 7619 Thorndike Road in Greensboro, N.C. Steve Walker, who is an educator with a furniture manufacturer’s point of view, will present. Walker is an extension specialist for the North Carolina State University Furniture Manufacturing and Management Center (FMMC) but also has more than 20 years of manufacturing management experience with a broad range of furniture companies including The Hon Company, Ethan Allen and Thomasville Furniture Industries. 

In his NexGen presentation, Walker will talk about what he feels are the critical aspects of any “lean manufacturing” implementation. Lean can be applied many different ways in many different environments, but for a company to be successful certain things must be done. With both successful and unsuccessful implementation experiences to draw on, Walker says he knows what matters most and looks forward to sharing his insights.

The Wednesday evening seminar will be at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott, located at 120 Consumer Square Drive in Mooresville, N.C. The presenter is Paul Hoffman, a LEED consultant for Choate Construction Company, a commercial general contractor based in the Southeast. With experience on more than 30 LEED projects across the country, Hoffman has implemented, managed and completed a wide variety of LEED projects and provides training educating employees and companies on sustainable design and construction. He will be speaking on the LEED rating system and the challenges and opportunities presented to the various industries associated with the built industry. In addition to the rating systems, Hoffman with discuss the various government incentives, rebates and allowances that sustainable design brings to building owners, builders and designers such as the 179D Federal Energy Tax Deduction.

The final evening seminar will be on Thursday, October 8, at the Double Tree Hotel, located at 2600 Yorkmont Road in Charlotte, which is conveniently located near the airport. Brandon Uttley, APR and president of Web Business Freedom Inc., will use his more than 20 years’ experience in public relations and web development, to discuss social media and its implications for businesses. 

Uttley began his career in public relations at a firm in New York City before moving to Charlotte to work with several local and regional public relations and full service marketing agencies. In 2008, he founded Web Business Freedom, which specializes in web strategy and social media marketing. In this role, he helps create conversations and connections for a range of clients include Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Duke Energy, Springmaid, WIX Filters and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. He will review the latest trends and how to strategically use the most effective tools, including Facebook, Twitter and more. Attendees will discover how to effectively monitor online conversations, respond to issues and spread messages quickly and cost effectively.

Advance registration is recommended. Online registration and additional information about event can be accessed at www.nexgenevent.com. The site also provides details about the event, the participating companies, and related travel information. Contact the NexGen Event committee at info@nexgenevent.com or 866-285-1958 with questions.