I attended the 2009 conference and exhibition, presented a paper, mentored two young college students and took part in a play ‘Global portraits now’ – so I was rather busy. If you have never attended an APICS International conference, plan to do so. It is a wonderful experience in reinforcing your interest and your enthusiasm in the value of APICS. In addition, you get to see some very interesting places and meet some very dynamic professionals.

The conference was held at the Metro Toronto Convention – a very impressive and well designed meeting venue. An added benefit to visiting Canada is meeting gentle, friendly and very helpful locals. Due to the recession, attendance for participants and exhibitors was down.

There were a large number of foreign attendees - Australia, South Africa, Europe, India, Far East and Middle East – and statistics revealed that the current CPIM and CSCP certifications abroad exceed that of the States. There is survey evidence that having a CPIM and/or a CSCP increases the likelihood of employment in the USA and abroad, and, adds a 15% to 20% additional salary premium.

Business thought-leader and best-selling author Jason Jennings opened the 2009 APICS International Conference & Expo. After studying more than 120,000 companies around the world, Jennings told attendees that he would teach them how to inspire employees, build a powerful company culture, and become highly effective stewards of their organizations.

Stewardship, he explained, "means” service over self-interest; abandoning power over other people; preserving natural and human resources; and being nurturing, authentic, and selfless... The world's greatest leaders see themselves as stewards of capital, people, resources, vendors, suppliers, and shareholders."

The conference had six Learning Paths:

• Lean - Today’s economy requires you to do more with less.
• Global Supply Chain - Remain relevant in the global marketplace.
• Basics of Operations Management - Set your career and skills on solid footing.
• Demand Management, Forecasting, and Sales and Operations Planning
• Professional Advancement - Prepare to take your next professional step.
• Special-Interest Topics - Complement and deepen your knowledge base.

I attended a few sessions and found them very educational. I also spent time in the Exhibition and checked out the latest optimization software.