Los Angeles Rolls Out Red Carpet for Procurement Stars

Los Angeles Rolls Out Red Carpet For Procurement Stars

City of Angels hosts the National Purchasing Institute’s 36th Annual Conference and Products Exposition

Above, the Wilshire Grand Hotel, site of NPI’s 2004 conference. ©2003, Wilshire Grand Hotel. Left, downtown Los Angeles sparkles in the sun. “Downtown Skyline With San Gabriel Mountains” by Michelle and Tom Grimm. Photo courtesy of LA Inc. The Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The “Hollywood Sign” in the hills above Los Angeles is an icon of moviedom. The Hollywood Sign & © Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Licensed by Global Icons, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Photo courtesy of LA Inc. The Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Procurement’s rising stars from across the country will converge this fall on the Wilshire Grand Hotel in glitzy downtown Los Angeles for the National Purchasing Institute’s 36th Annual Conference and Products Exposition to be held Oct. 17 through 20, 2004, in the City of Angels.

NPI members representing city, county, and state governments, federal agencies, educational institutions, airports, utilities, nonprofits, districts, and taxsupported and other public entities, and who are responsible for purchasing decisions for millions of dollars in products and services, will attend four days of presentations, workshops, case studies, and roundtable discussions designed to enhance their professional development and network with colleagues to share work experiences and take home fresh perspectives on procurement operations.

Coming Attractions
Highlights of the annual conference include the 9th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Awards program that recognizes successful agencies for organizational achievement, which will take place at the opening breakfast on Monday, Oct. 18. The products exposition on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 20, will showcase the latest in new products, technologies, and services designed to add value to the procurement process and make it more manageable. There are no sessions scheduled during the exposition to allow delegates the opportunity to visit the exhibit floor and exhibitors the chance to interact one-on-one with attendees. In addition, an incentive program will encourage attendees to visit every supplier booth to be eligible for gifts and door-prizes.

As a special feature, an Internet cafe sponsored by Dell, Inc., will be available for attendees’ use during regular conference hours.

On Saturday, Oct. 16, before the conference officially begins, participants may attend review sessions for the Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) exam that will be administered on site on Sunday, Oct. 17. Space is limited and exams will be scheduled according to availability on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants should register and remit payment for the computerized exam by Sept. 26, either with their conference registration form or separately online at www.govinfo.bz/4205-214.

Full conference registration includes access to all educational sessions; the C.P.M. exam review on Saturday, Oct. 16; the welcome reception on Sunday, Oct. 17; the keynote breakfast on Monday, Oct. 18; the round-table luncheon, products exposition, and president’s banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 19; and the continental breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 20. There is an extra charge for optional preconference seminars and the C.P.M. exam. Single-day conference registrations that include tickets for that day’s meal events also are available. An early-registration discount applies if received by Sept. 1. Mailed-in, faxed, or online forms will be accepted through Oct. 15. After that date, paid registration will be accepted at the conference site.

Retired NPI members and delegates’ spouses and guests may attend the educational sessions, products exposition, and welcome reception at no charge, but must purchase individual tickets for other meal events.

Feature Presentation
On-site registration begins Sunday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m., followed by the first-time attendees’ reception at 5 p.m. and the general welcome reception at 5:30 p.m.

The conference kicks off officially on Monday morning, Oct. 18, with the opening breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by the keynote address given by Scott Case of the Center for a New American Dream, Reading, PA, and the presentation of NPI’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Awards by Wayne Casper, C.P.M., City of Tucson, AZ.

Delegates will get down to business in morning and afternoon sessions covering subjects such as vendor protests, dispute resolution/negotiations, environmental purchasing strategies, paperless purchasing, best-value procurement, employment recognition and appreciation, performance contracting, and more.

Scheduled events also include NPI’s annual business meeting; the Buyer/Supplier Round Table Luncheon with more opportunities for idea-sharing; the President’s Banquet, featuring dinner, entertainment, award presentations, and installation of NPI officers; Exhibit Tabletop Presentations; and a drawing for prizes after the final general session on Wednesday.

The Airport Purchasing Group will hold its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This portion of the conference requires separate registration. Log on to the www.govinfo.bz/4205-215 Web site for more information.

Star Tours
While conference attendees are working, their spouses and guests are invited to discover some of the city’s many cultural and tourist treasures through two optional excursions. A day-long Los Angeles Grand Tour on Monday, Oct. 18, will depart early morning from the Wilshire Grand Hotel to visit Venice Beach, the Santa Monica Pier, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive; see the movie stars’ homes, Avenue of the Stars in Century City, Sunset Strip, Mann’s Chinese Theater, and the Walk of Fame; then take a ride to the iconic Hollywood sign, Hollywood Boulevard, and Mulholland Drive, with stops along the way for lunch (not provided) and to shop, enjoy the sights, and take plenty of photos. Tuesday’s excursion will take the DASH bus (fare is $.25 each way) to Union Station, from which visitors will walk to historic Olvera Street, the oldest part of the City of Los Angeles, and enjoy its traditional Mexican-style plaza, outdoor cafes, and enticing shops filled with souvenirs and hand-crafted Mexican wares.

The Los Angeles Grand Tour and the conference’s ticketed meal events are an extra cost. Guests are encouraged to register in advance.

After Hours
During the four-day conference, attendees will have many opportunities to discover and enjoy the charismatic City of Angels.

Los Angeles traces its birthday to Sept. 4, 1781, when a group of Spanish, Indian, Black, and Mestizo (mixed ancestry) settlers from the Mexican provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa made their home in what is now downtown L.A.

Today ranked as the second largest U.S. city behind New York, Los Angeles also is the largest government center outside Washington, DC, and the 10th largest economy in the world based on its five-county area, behind Brazil and ahead of Mexico. The Los Angeles area ranks professional business services, tourism, and health sciences/ biomedical as its top-three leading businesses, and the region’s “Digital Coast” fills more multimedia jobs than Silicon Valley and New York City combined. The Port of Los Angeles is the leading import/export port in the nation, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is third in the world based on passenger volume. L.A. also is the birthplace of the Internet, Barbie, the DC-3, bicycle motocross (BMX), and the Space Shuttle.

Of course, Los Angeles shines brightest as the entertainment capital of the world, boasting the largest historical theater district on the National Register of Historic Places; concert halls, theaters, convention centers, amphitheaters, and sports venues that hold audiences from a few hundred up to 92,000 people; over 20,000 restaurants; more than 93,000 hotel rooms; and a motion-picture/television production industry that generates more than $31 billion annually.

But L.A. also is a cultural mecca, home to more than 300 museums, and a veritable giant in education with 176 colleges and universities, both public and private, and more college graduates than anywhere in the country.

As for climate, the city’s Southern California location offers the perfect blend of warm sunny days, gentle ocean breezes in summer, and low humidity, with an average mean temperature of 66.3°. Topography around Los Angeles includes desert basin, mountains, rivers, and 81 miles of coastline stretching from Malibu to Long Beach.

Closing Credits
Founded in 1968, the National Purchasing Institute establishes cooperative relationships among its members for the development of efficient purchasing methods and practices in the areas of governmental, educational, and institutional procurement. Its mission is to facilitate the educational and professional development of its members. Membership is open to individuals engaged in purchasing and supply management as procurement and supplies managers, purchasing agents, and buyers for federal, state, county, and municipal government entities, public school systems, universities, and other public and non-profit institutions in the U.S.

In 1990, the NPI affiliated with the National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM), now the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), a nonprofit association of over 48,000 private and public-sector purchasing and supply-management professionals.

For information about member-ship or programs, contact NPI at 702-260-7114 or visit the National Purchasing Institute’s Web site at www.govinfo.bz/4205-214.

NPI 36th Annual Conference and Products Exposition

Grand Wilshire Hotel, Los Angeles, CA Program of Events

(schedule subject to change)