Courses and speakers galore at NIGP Forum in Orlando (with related video)
The 68th annual NIGP Forum will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla., from Aug. 24 to 28. This is the showcase educational event for the NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement. It is the largest conference of its kind, and provides a once-a-year opportunity to network with others in the public procurement community and speak to vendors. The NIGP Forum is exclusive to the public procurement profession, so all parts of the conference, from educational sessions to vendor presentations, will relate to the needs of public procurement professionals.
Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with more than 200 suppliers during the product exposition that takes place during the Forum. Additionally, visitors will gain hands-on experience with the latest products and services available to government entities. The NIGP’s ninth annual golf tournament takes place Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Hawk’s Landing Golf Club in Orlando
Attendees can choose from more than 60 workshops and formal networking events during the 2013 NIGP Forum. Topics range from coding construction products, to running effective meetings, to legal aspects of procurement, to the ever-changing role of social media. Five NIGP courses will also be available, all of which will earn participants points toward Universal Public Procurement Certification Council certification or recertification. Some of the NIGP courses will be offered on Friday, Aug. 23.
Four keynote speakers will deliver presentations at the 2013 NIGP Forum.
Simon T. Bailey is the opening speaker on Sunday, Aug. 25, with a talk titled “Release Your Brilliance.” He is the author of a book of the same title, and has just released a follow-up work, “The Vuja de Moment — Shift from Average to Brilliant.” Bailey teaches audiences how to creatively release leadership and organizational brilliance, drive productivity, increase accountability, shift thinking and ignite creativity. His expertise stems from his work with 1,000 organizations through the Brilliance Institute as well as his past leadership role at the Disney Institute.
On Tuesday morning, Aug. 27, Lowell Catlett will give a talk, “Understanding The World’s Largest Economy and Tomorrow’s New Future.” Catlett is a Regents Professor in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business and Extension Economics and the dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University. He is a futurist whose knowledge of technologies and their implications for the way we will live and work will be addressed in his presentation.
Catlett, an expert in the commodities futures markets, is a consultant to the U.S. departments of Agriculture, the Interior, Defense and Labor, as well as Fortune 500 companies.
Janet Lapp, a psychologist, author and consultant for workplace transformation, will present a talk on Wednesday morning, Aug. 28, titled, “Plant Your Feet Firmly in Mid-Air: Thrive During Fast Change.” Lapp is known for her ability to create optimism, energy and an intense emotional connection while sharing decades of evidence-based research results derived from years of experience. She is rated one of the top three speakers worldwide by Toastmasters International.
Lapp is a registered nurse who holds a Ph.D. in psychology from McGill University in Montreal. She is the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated series “Keep Well.” Lapp and her team have helped hundreds of organizations around the world design systems to overcome resistance to change and expedite workplace transformation.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, Doc Hendley serves as the closing speaker of the 2013 NIGP Forum. Hendley will discuss his fundraising organization, Wine To Water, in his presentation. In 2003, Hendley came up with the idea for Wine To Water while bartending and playing music in nightclubs around Raleigh, N.C. In January of 2004, he held his first fundraiser, and by August he was living in Darfur, Sudan, and installing water systems for victims of the government-supported genocide. When he returned home in 2005, he continued growing the organization.
In 2007, Wine To Water earned its tax-exempt status, and Hendley’s dream became a reality. Wine To Water aims to help the 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean water. Hendley was named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009. He is the author of “Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World.”
AT A GLANCE
What: 68th annual NIGP Forum
Where: Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.
When: Aug. 24 to 28
The NIGP Forum products exposition takes place Aug. 26 and 27 in the new Cypress Ballroom at the World Center Marriott
For more information, click here.
View the 2012 NIGP Forum opening video here.