What is the Fastener Summit?
The Fastener Summit is an event being put on by the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC) that includes a lineup of industry related speakers. But it is quite a bit more than that.
The Fastener Summit is the FIC’s first attempt to get all the fastener associations from around the country pooling their efforts to come up with a national, industry wide program, sponsored collectively by members of the fastener industry.
To learn more about the specific speakers, go to the Fastener Industry Coalition (FIC) website at www.fastenercoalition.org . You can also look on the Fastener Tech ’17 website as they have the details listed there too. The date of the Summit is June 7, 2017, at 1:00 p.m – 6:00p.m. and it will take place immediately following the end of Fastener Tech ’17 in Rosemont, Illinois.
The organizers of Fastener Tech ’17 have generously offered the FIC this time slot immediately after Fastener Tech ’17 and it is also the day before the Midwest Fastener Association’s golf outing which takes place on June 8, 2017. The Fastener Summit is sandwiched between two of the MWFA’s largest events of the year! Many thanks out to Nancy Rich and the MWFA board for their generosity and also to Mike McNulty and the staff of Fastener Technology International for letting the FIC piggyback on their great trade show.
The FIC was formed in the 1980s, and was instrumental in effecting change to the Fastener Quality Act. Since then, there have been few industry related issues that have required the FIC to come together and take action. The Fastener Summit is the FIC’s first attempt to proactively pool their efforts and offer programming on a national level.
While this first Fastener Summit is being held in conjunction with the MWFA’s Fastener Tech show, the expectation is that future Fastener Summits will be held in other regions and possibly, one day, be a stand alone event. Largely, it depends how well this event is attended and supported.
Many regional associations host speakers and conduct panel discussions, but nothing really exists on a national scale. Some associations are constrained by small memberships and they simply do not have the resources to attract national speakers. In the past, the NFDA has hosted national speakers but they reported that their attendance was disappointing. On the flip side, STAFDA has national speakers year after year, but the admission price of going to the STAFDA show is substantially higher than that of the fastener shows. And, you have to buy into the whole package – so if you want to walk the trade show you’ve pretty much got to buy into the whole event.
The FIC Fastener Summit in June will be more than a baby step but it is still just the first step. Please consider attending Fastener Tech ’17 (which I believe is the 2nd largest fastener show based in the U.S.) and then stick around and attend the Fastener Summit. If you belong to any regional or national association, you are also a member of the Fastener Industry Coalition! Take a look at the lineup of speakers and hope to see you there.
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