Northwest Aerospace News December 2018 | January 2019 Issue No. 6 | Page 50

Aerospace
Conferences:
A key ingredient to your organization’s success
I
Fiona McKay
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
Deputy Executive Director
www.pnaa.net
PNAA SPOTLIGHT
By Fiona McKay, Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance, Deputy Executive Director
n 2019 Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance will be hosting their Annual Aerospace Con-
ference, Soaring to Success: Productivity and Affordability for the NExT Aerospace Era. Now
in its 18th year, the conference has made its way into the annual calendars of executives across
the Pacific Northwest and beyond. But in a fast-paced world increasingly dominated by social
media it can be easy to overlook conferences, especially in the context of the busy schedules
of small business owners. But the benefits of showing up in person far outweigh the costs of
being out of the office – the long-term gains can be significant. Read on to find out more about
the advantages of attending aerospace events across the state and how to make the most of these
opportunities for your business.
Learn valuable business insights and the latest trends
Conferences are known for providing invaluable content to attendees – and not just in the form of speakers. Provided there is
diverse but cohesive content, conferences can quickly get to the heart of the latest trends and issues in the industry, saving valu-
able internal research time (so more time to work on production) and often providing perspectives and ideas companies have not
thought of themselves. The latest trends, industry forecasts, new techniques, unpublished data, company best practice and more
are all on show at conferences. Being able to dedicate quality time to take it all in can be a rare but welcome opportunity to reflect
on company operations and how they can become more productive.
The learning opportunities extend way beyond the conference hall – the experts hosting exhibit booths can hold a wealth of infor-
mation, while corridor conversations during breaks and workshops provide the opportunity to connect with like-minded people.
For many, this creates a reminder of why they are inspired by the industry and leaves them with a renewed sense of motivation.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS