With nearly a month into STAFDA registration for its November 7-9 Convention & Trade Show in Phoenix, things are off to a solid start. To date, 505 booths have been sold versus 441 for its ’09 Atlanta show.  Also to date, attendance is stronger with 51% more distributor companies registered, 12% more associates, and rep registrations have tripled over last year!  Even though the economy is still slow, it has stabilized and STAFDA members are more optimistic about this year. Many Phoenix exhibitors have upgraded their booth size from ’09 when many downsized because of the economy. This is encouraging.

One of STAFDA’s three hotels is nearly full. The Sheraton Phoenix is at 80% capacity with the Wyndham and Hyatt at about 40%. Unlike other cities where there is an abundance of hotels at a variety of rates, downtown Phoenix has only three main properties.  The Sheraton is not yet two years old and the Hyatt and Wyndham underwent recent renovations so all three hotels are essentially “new.”  Plus, with the expansion and renovation of the Phoenix Convention Center, the Center and hotels are running at capacity levels through early December. All three hotels are a block away from the Convention Center and the surrounding area has undergone a major renaissance the last two years. And it’s safe.

STAFDA’s educational sessions will cater to today’s important business sessions with the most pressing being credit and banking. Most STAFDA members spent ’09 cutting and slashing their operation to make them as lean as possible. At the same time, the financial industry underwent a major overhaul which significantly tightened up lending. Banking and credit appears to be the #1 concern to the construction/industrial channel.  STAFDA will have a panel of banking experts, plus an official from the Federal Reserve Board, to talk about the construction industry and financing. 

Sarah Palin will be STAFDA’s keynote speaker.  Love her or hate her, people will show up to see her.  As the face of the grassroots movement, the Tea Party, FOX News analyst, among a host of other titles, Ms. Palin has been in the news a lot this year.  Has STAFDA gone political or endorsing a candidate?  No. STAFDA has had other conservative speakers and U.S. Presidents as keynote speakers over the years:  President Ronald Reagan; President Gerald Ford; former Secretary of State, Colin Powell; and two presidential candidates, Jack Kemp and Bob Dole.  STAFDA’s audience skews conservative and pro-business.

In addition to its Convention & Trade Show, STAFDA offers a host of services with over a dozen business consultants that members can contact for free advice during the year. STAFDA also produces educational training manuals and important benchmarking reports.  Annual membership dues are $350, less than a $1/day.  Learn more about STAFDA at www.stafda.org.