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Mary H. King, Senior Manager
APICS Communications Division
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For Immediate Release

2005 APICS International Conference and Exposition
Speakers, Program Selected for October in New Orleans

Alexandria, VA (January 25, 2005) APICS The Association for Operations Management announces its general and featured speakers for the 2005 APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 16-18, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. “Speakers, through their experiences, will provide operations management professionals with the tools they need to maximize their skills development and career advancement opportunities,” said Anne Haberkorn, CFPIM, CIRM, Jonah, chair of the 2005 APICS Conference Committee.

Mike Ditka, former head coach of the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, and Ken Schmidt, former Harley-Davidson Motor Company director of communications, are the general session speakers. Ditka highlights the key characteristics of attitude, character, and enthusiasm that people need to achieve their personal and professional goals. With first-hand experience from his long association with the National Football League, both as a player and coach, this Pro Football Hall of Fame member motivates audiences with examples and humorous anecdotes that have immediate impact and take-home value for conference attendees.

Schmidt tells a story of building an entirely new corporate culture, rekindling relations with customers, and reaching out to new ones in untraditional ways. His ideas, presented with energy and passion, offer companies ways to be distinct, enabling them to stand out from their competitors. Schmidt believes that every company “makes noise” and when current and potential customers talk, it’s the positive word of mouth that builds a company.

Featured speakers are Norman Bodek, president of PCS Press, a publishing, training, and consulting company and author of Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean, and Gary Maxwell, senior vice president, merchandise and replenishment, U.S. Wal-Mart Stores Division.

In addition to these speakers, nearly 100 educational sessions will focus on the latest emerging trends and strategies for demand management, global supply chain, lean strategies, operations improvement, operations management essentials, personal and professional development, and project management.

The exposition will feature more than 130 leading companies in software, systems, manufacturing business technology, information technology, supply chain management, MRP/ERP, planning and scheduling, training, RFID, business analytics, product life cycle management, enterprise asset management, MRO, systems integration, logistics/distribution, and business consulting.

For more information about the 2005 APICS International Conference and Exposition, visit www.apics.org.

APICS The Association for Operations Management is the global leader and premier source of the body of knowledge in operations management, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing, and logistics. Since 1957, individuals and companies have relied on APICS for its superior training, internationally recognized certifications, comprehensive resources, and worldwide network of accomplished industry professionals. To learn more about the APICS community, visit www.apics.org.

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Members of the press receive complimentary registration to the 2005 APICS International Conference and Exposition, October 16-18, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. Please call the APICS Marketing and Brand Management Division (800) 444-2742 or (703) 354-8851, ext. 2351, for information regarding press registration.