Greetings FCSI-TA Members,

Well, the 2016 FCSI-TA Conference 'Live from Nashville' is just a little over a month away! I had the opportunity to serve on the Planning Committee for this year's conference and, along with the other fantastic committee members and FCSI staff, we have been enjoying planning the schedule for well over a year now. All is in place for what we believe will be the best one yet!

The FCSI-TA Conference is that seldom-held event where we as FCSI Members get the amazing opportunity to truly "share, support and inspire" each other in person, face to face. We will network together, educate together and work together, all to raise the bar and promote the professionalism that comes with being an FCSI Member to our industry and clients.

For me, the educational breakout sessions portion of the Conference are probably what I enjoy the most. I have been in this industry for over 30 years now, and one thing I have learned is that the learning never ends. One of the most important things we can do to better ourselves in our industry and to our clients is continued education.

Whether you're on the Design or MAS side, this year's Conference is again filled with great breakout sessions which are all set up to further educate us about this industry we all are so passionate about. There are a total of twelve sessions over two days addressing topics such as communicating with service agents, restaurant trends, mobile payment and remote ordering, and bar design just to name a few. All the breakout sessions include great speakers and panelists that are well versed and top notch in their class subject.

I know there is a lot to choose from but I am most excited about the session Successful at any Size-the Business of Consulting.  I mean, the title says it all, right?  Whether you are a Design or MAS Consultant, we can all benefit from learning how to be more successful working in and/or running our individual offices, no matter what the size. The presenters are Kristin Sedej, FCSI, President-Principal, S2O Consultants, Inc., Christine Guyott, FCSI, RD, Principal, Rippe Associates and Kathleen Seelye, FFCSI (PP), Managing Partner, Ricca Design Studios. It is important to remember that success is not defined by how big your firm is, how many employees you have, or how many projects you are currently working on, but each of these factors certainly impacts your firm's daily operations and long-term goals. I'm excited to learn from these three outstanding consultants from three different sized firms as they discuss the unique challenges and successes they've each encountered while managing employees and projects. I'm sure this will be one of the sessions most talked about later Friday night as we all enjoy what will be a spectacular evening at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

After writing this, I am even more excited about this fun filled Conference program that will allow for us to share our knowledge and experience through collaborative networking, training and evening entertainment that only Nashville has to offer!

 

In closing, this is my first article in the Direct Connection and therefore my first opportunity to address all the TA Members at large.  I would just like to take a moment to thank all of those who supported and trusted in me for the Western Region Trustee position, which I was honored to officially start first of the year. I feel like a rookie, but I am enjoying learning and working with the other Trustees and FCSI Staff to continue developing FCSI's strategic plan, building brand awareness and promoting the professionalism of FCSI and its members to our industry and clients.

See you in April - LIVE FROM NASHVILLE!

 

Kind regards,

Brent Hall, FCSI, Trustee FCSI-TA