Students! Consider the process control industry as a future career.

MCAA’s annual Industry Forum is scheduled for April 19-21, 2015 in Scottsdale (AZ USA). Over 200 attendees are expected experience an educational event featuring expert speakers, breakout sessions, roundtables, and peer networking opportunities.

As the trade association for providers of instrumentation used in industrial process control and factory automation, MCAA’s members are particularly affected by a “brain drain” as older, knowledgeable workers begin to retire. Therefore, Workforce Development is a critical issue that MCAA’s members are addressing in a variety of ways. Area college and university students have been invited to attend this meeting free of charge. Students will take part in topical discussions and meet with corporate leaders to discover more about the varied and exciting career opportunities within the automation industry. MCAA is planning an even bigger outreach to students at the 2016 Industry Forum in Nashville.

The theme of this year’s Forum is “Work”. The keynote address will be delivered by Brian Hayes, Global Business Development Manager for ABB, Inc. With over three decades in the instrumentation industry, he will discuss the changing nature of customer requirements and examine ideas for opening future markets.

Inventor, author, and entrepreneur Doug Hall, founder of the Eureka! Ranch, will inspire and educate participants with his original strategies for increasing innovation and creativity.

Respected economist Jeffrey Dietrich from ITR Economics will bring an intelligent and insightful perspective to his market forecast that goes beyond the “lead and bleed” headlines.

Technological trends and their impact on management is the focus of a presentation by venture investor and technology expert, Dave Berkus.

Breakout and roundtable sessions led by industry experts will focus on specific industry sectors and highlight issues critical to success in the 21st-century workplace. Attendees will have an opportunity to delve into the oil & gas markets, social media, negotiating techniques, digital communications, sales and marketing, manufacturing, and workforce development.

MCAA exists to help the management teams of process and factory automation product and solution providers run and grow successful businesses by offering timely, unique and highly specialized resources acquired from shared management benchmarks where proprietary company information is secure—with opportunities for industry peers to learn and network at events such as the Industry Forum.