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Like it or not, the only constant in today’s business world is change. Suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and designers must adapt or be left behind by competitors who see disruptions as opportunities.
Accordingly, change, disruption and the opportunities they bring will be key themes during the 2018 Material, Technology & Design Symposium @ CPA Fall Meeting, set for Sept. 23-25 in Nashville.
Leading the discussion at the second annual symposium will be powerhouse speakers Todd Bracher and Tom Wujec, both internationally known for spurring creative thought, envelope-pushing innovation and strong market growth among their top-shelf business clients.
Bracher is an acclaimed industrial designer who is founder and creative director of Todd Bracher Studio. As a design strategist, he has guided some of the world’s leading brands to realize differentiation through design, including 3M, Herman Miller, Humanscale and Cappellini.
“Our strategic design process helps our clients leverage their unique assets to achieve market growth, elevate brand visibility and evolve product portfolios for a contemporary audience,” Bracher said.
Bracher is recognized as the pre-eminent voice in American product design. He has more than 75 products on the market and two dozen patents and has won numerous global design awards, including being named a Top 100 Global Design Influencer by Wallpaper magazine and a two-time International Designer of the Year.
Bracher designs products with the intent to offer his clients a competitive advantage in the marketplace. His designs are aesthetically pleasing, but he also considers business objectives, contemporary culture and human needs to create products that help businesses evolve and grow.
Wujec is chief disruptor at Autodesk—the Oscar-winning industry leader in 3D computer animation technology and one of the world’s largest software companies—and he revels in sharing today’s exciting opportunities during his celebrated talks on innovation.
Wujec has worked with a diverse range of clients, from the largest automotive and consumer product manufacturers to visual effects and gaming companies. In his talks, he explores why innovation matters, why it is a vital engine of economic growth and how to foster it within any organization—from plucky startups to billion-dollar legacy companies.
Working closely with Fortune 100 companies, he is counted on to create innovation practices at all stages, from strategic planning to design and implementation. Now—and with his latest book, The Future of Making—he brings his vision of disruptive innovation to global audiences, demonstrating how the entire process of imagining, iterating, constructing, manufacturing, distributing and selling products has changed in unprecedented ways.
The symposium is a high-powered, must-attend event that brings together leaders of the composite panel and decorative surfaces industries, along with users and specifiers of those products. For the second year, the symposium is being co-sponsored by Surface & Panel magazine and the Composite Panel Association in conjunction with CPA’s Fall Meeting.
Among attendees are CEOS, architects, cabinet makers, component suppliers, distributors, furniture manufacturers, industry suppliers, interior designers, store fixture manufacturers and students.
“The event provides a unique opportunity for companies that use composite wood to network and learn from each other and from our CPA members, who represent the very best panel producers and surfacing companies in North America.” said Jackson Morrill, president of CPA.
Besides top speakers such as Bracher, Wujec and trailblazers in the industry, the symposium features an exhibit hall with dozens of companies displaying innovative products ranging from the latest in textured composite panels to creative new surface materials and components.
“We at Surface & Panel are passionate about panel processing and providing a platform for this remarkably dynamic industry to highlight the latest and greatest in all facets of the business–from technology to design to application,” Publisher John Aufderhaar said.
The 2018 symposium will be at the brand-new JW Marriott in downtown Nashville, adjacent to the Music City Center and just steps from the bars and restaurants of Lower Broadway.
For more information on the Material, Technology & Design Symposium – including registration and room reservations – go to sandpsymposium.com.
