2008 EPTDA ANNUAL CONVENTION IN BRUSSELS

ENTERING A NEW DECADE OF GROWTH AND SUCCESS

EPTDA celebrates its 10^th anniversary with a big bang!

With the theme "Creating Value Together", EPTDA marked its entry into a new decade of success and growth as it celebrated its 10 years anniversary in the European Capital, Brussels. More than 320 CEOs, Managing Directors and business leaders of the Power Transmission and Motion Control industry gathered at the beautiful Dolce La Hulpe Hotel to mark the beginning of a new era for EPTDA. With more than 27 different nationalities represented, including two new members from Japan and South Africa, the event lived up to its theme of creating value together, especially in tough times like today.

A STRONG FOUNDATION

The 2008 Annual Convention was a unique celebration of EPTDA's 10 years history, foundation and valuable members who made it all happen. The association thanked and recognised the following founding members who have, till date, continued to support EPTDA's objectives and activities, and serve as real ambassadors of the association:

Antrifriction Components, Ltd. United Kingdom
Baldor-Dodge-Reliance (former Rockwell), United Kingdom
Baudoin Industriele Toelevering, Belgium
Bianchi Cuscinetti Spa, Italy
Carl Werthenbach Konstruktionsteile GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
Centre Roulement, France
Coll Vilaro, S.A, Spain
Desch Drive Technology, Germany
Diamond Chain (UK) Ltd., United Kingdom
Duff Norton Europe, France
Emerson Power Transmission, United States of America
Epidor S.A., Spain
Josef Blässinger GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
Kraftmek Oy, Finland
Ludwig Meister GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
Martin Sprocket & Gear Inc. United States of America
Minetti Bergamo S.R.L., Italy
Mondial S.P.A., Italy
Nexen Europe Group, Belgium
Orexad (former OREFI), France
Power Jacks Limited, United Kingdom
RBC - Roller Bearing Company of America, United States of America
Reiff Technische Produkte GmbH, Germany
Renold Plc, United Kingdom
Rodamientos FEYC, S.A., Spain
Ruland Manufacturing Co., Inc., United States of America
S&N Osakeyhtiö, Finland
S.I.T. Società Italiana Transmissioni, S.P.A., Italy
Scazikis E. - Marangos L., Greece
Schaeffler KG, Germany
Sefi, France
SKF, Belgium
Sociedad Industrial De Transmisiones, S.A., Spain
Timken Europe, United Kingdom
Tsubakimoto Europe B.V., The Netherlands

WELCOMING 20 NEW MEMBERS

EPTDA's growth chart continues to point upwards despite the ongoing consolidation in the industry and difficult market climate. The association welcomed 20 new members this year, the majority of whom were present at the Annual Convention in Brussels.

SHARING BEST PRACTICES FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES

portrait As this year's keynote speaker, EPTDA invited the celebrated millionaire and businessman, Simon Woodroffe. Simon is the founder, owner and creative force behind the YO! brand. An icon in the entertainment business for the last 30 years, Simon believes in shaking things up. And that's exactly what he did at his keynote speech at EPTDA Annual Convention. Sharing his life's journey and the lessons learned along the way to stardom, Simon demonstrated how his iron-will of never ever giving got him through the most difficult moments in life. He also shared his thoughts on "innovation" and "creativity" and its importance in any business' success.

portrait EPTDA also invited Tom Blackett from Interbrand to share the excerpt of their research on the winning and loosing brands on the Top 100 Best Brands of the World. He brought forward some valuable insights on the importance of building a good brand, fostering its awareness and to preserve the brand values. Tom's presentation made it very clear that Brand is one of the most important assets of a company, which should be carefully managed and protected. He explained that any company's success relies greatly on its ability to continue to deliver on its brand promises consistently.

portrait Growth is much sought by most companies, but how do we make sure that it is continuous and profitable? Dr. Isaac Getz, Professor of Idea, Involvement and Innovation Management at the ESCP-EAP European School of Management (Paris), ranked N°6 in Europe by Financial Times and Visiting Professor at Cornell and Stanford Universities and at the University of Massachusetts, showed how world-class companies involve all stakeholders - from its people to its partners, to drive growth and decrease costs through collaborative out-of-the box initiatives and innovation.

portrait The fourth workshop of the day was conducted by Marc Binnemans, the CEO of Belgium's Group Antilope, which is the market leader in innovative solutions for printing and online communication. Marc demonstrated how a brand can be speeded up with the help of new and effective online tools. This workshop was built around a real-life case study which showed the audience how the implementation of brand guidelines and proper management through modern techniques and online tools can influence your bottom line profits.

EXCHANGING IDEAS

View MD-IDEX (Manufacturer Distributor Idea Exchange) is continuously rated as the most tangible membership benefit by EPTDA members. This year again, the association hosted 53 MD-IDEX tables to provide an open dialogue platform for its manufacturer and distributor members.

DONATING FOR A WORTHY CAUSE

EPTDA is strongly committed to promoting responsible business practices amongst its members and partners. In addition to defining a roadmap for all stakeholders on ethical business practices, the association also invites its members to make a charity donation every year. This year, it partnered with Belgium's King Baudouin Foundation and Vlaamse Vereniging Autisme to support raising the awareness on autism in Belgium. The association's President, Manfred Beitel and Past President, Roberto Cugnaschi, handed a cheque of EUR 10,075 to the representatives of both organisations.

THE ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME

The 10 year celebrations brought a big bang to the city of Brussels. The event kicked off with the "Diamond Welcome Reception", where 10 member companies won a real diamond and the rest took away a souvenir of this magical evening. EPTDA also invited its delegates and spouses to an authentic Belgian evening tasting the signature flavours of beers and other delicacies which the country is known for. With beautiful natural and serene settings, in which the Dolce La Hulpe Hotel (convention venue) is located, the delegates also enjoyed the Opera "La Boheme" at the hotel's very own auditorium. And the grand finale, the "Cotton Club" hosted at the fabulous AutoWorld museum, was the icing on the cake, where the musicians and dancers put on a highly energetic and entertaining show from the 1920's.

EXCELLENCE IN RELATIONSHIPS

Next year, EPTDA heads to Rome for another great event. Mark your diary as the next EPTDA Annual Convention will be hosted from 23-25 September, 2009 in Rome. With the theme "Excellence in Relationships", EPTDA promises to bring you another powerful educational and entertainment programme.

Stay tuned for more, as EPTDA introduces new tangible benefits for all its stakeholders!

Extra links

Convention survey - click here to voice your opinion

The final results of the convention survey (general and onsite), together with the results of the voting machine questions, are now available in the members-only section of the EPTDA website - click here

For any queries, please contact the EPTDA Bureau (info@eptda.org)

List of participants

Final list of delegates, sorted by name - pdf format: download here
Final list of delegates, sorted by company - pdf format: download here
Detailed list of delegates in excel format including contact details (for members only): click here
MD-IDEX tables: click here
Hydraulics & Pneumatics exhibitors: click here

Speakers presentations

Please click here to access the members-only section of EPTDA and download speakers presentations.

Convention pictures

Remember the nice moments of EPTDA's 10th anniversary celebrations - watch the pictures

Contact

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