October 1997 • Volume 7 • Number 10

A Chronicle Of APICS Conferences, 1957-1997

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Jack Ging, 1978 APICS President, has been a member of APICS for more than 30 years. Since he retired 12 years ago as an executive for a specialty steel company, he has devoted much of his time to researching the history of APICS and has served as the unofficial society historian. In 1981 and 1982 he was president of the APICS Educational and Research (E&R) Foundation and served on the E&R board of directors in 1994 and 1995. Ging edited the E&R Foundation newsletter from its inception in 1989 through 1994 and currently is the editor of the "Ring," a publication directed to the activities of the APICS past presidents.

By Jack Ging
1978 APICS President

My first experience at an APICS conference was as a delegate from the Pittsburgh chapter. As an APICS history buff, I can attest to the fact that a standard of excellence was established at the early conferences that has provided a benchmark for subsequent conferences. Each year, APICS conferences surpass previous successes as attendance increases, educational sessions become more diversified, the number and quality of exhibitors grow in stature and more educational materials become available.

The mainstay of each conference has been, and will continue to be, the quality of the educational sessions. The early conferences obtained their speakers from within the society membership. Speakers from other professional societies were included as the organization grew and the profession expanded beyond production and inventory control. Members of academia also became an important part of the conferences' educational presentations. In the late 1960s, concurrent sessions allowed attendees the opportunity to choose the session adjudged best to meet their educational and professional needs. From the very early conferences, proceedings were mailed to all members of the society, and in the early 1970s, the complete proceedings were available at conference registration. As early as 1969, audiotapes of each educational session were available as they are today.

APICS has many longtime members who have made presentations for three or more decades — distinguished professionals like George Plossl, Hal Mather, Dick Ling, Walt Goddard, Dave Garwood, Hank Jordan and Dick Bourke to name a few. They remain popular speakers because of their ability to adapt to the changing world. They continue to add to their legacy and contribute immensely to ensure successful conferences.

As time went on, keynote presentations increased in prominence, and the most famous person to address an APICS conference was former President Ronald Reagan in San Antonio in 1993. Last year, in New Orleans, another great American, General Colin Powell (USA-Ret.), kicked off the keynote

presentations. New Orleans also witnessed APICS' love affair with sports celebrities when Fran Tarkenton, a college and professional football hall of famer, spoke. In addition, another sports luminary, Susan O'Malley, first woman to become the president of a National Basketball Association franchise, gave a stirring keynote address at the 1995 Orlando conference.

In past years, other sports figures have been recruited to speak at conference luncheons or banquets. These social functions are very important to the success of a conference because they provide entertainment and a motivating atmosphere for the educational aspects of the conference. John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach, was the luncheon speaker at the 1965 conference in Los Angeles. In 1973, Tom Brookshire, a former pro football star and then a top TV sports announcer, inspired the luncheon attendees in Atlantic City. In 1987, Lou Brock, the baseball hall of famer, was a big hit at the E&R Foundation luncheon at the conference in St. Louis where he starred for so many years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Lucky for APICS that Brock was retired from baseball or he may have been forced to cancel his appearance as the Cardinals were playing the Minnesota Twins in the World Series at the same time.

Exhibitors have always been an integral part of each conference. As early as 1958, five companies participated at the Cleveland conference. The number of exhibitors grew rapidly, and by 1961 there were 54 exhibitors in Chicago. At the upcoming conference in Washington, D.C., more than 192 exhibiting companies will be present, utilizing 52,000 square feet of space.

The importance of the availability of educational materials was recognized from the very first conference. Although in limited supply at the early conferences, the books and other educational materials were always a prized commodity. As authors and publishers recognized the demand, the number of educational books soon increased. Consequently, the APICS Bookstore is a huge success.

The success of APICS' conferences has largely been due to the enterprising conference committees. From the very beginning, each conference committee has not only accepted the challenge but established standards to guarantee success. The role of the conference committee normally requires a two-year commitment and is quite demanding. The conference chairperson has always been a high- profile position, and three of them have gone on to become an APICS president — Wil Volentine, conference chair in 1971 and APICS president in 1973; Gary Landis, conference chair in 1978 and APICS president in 1981; and James "Spike" Kelleher, conference chair in 1979 and APICS president in 1982.

APICS conferences have always provided interesting and unusual events, and this might be the appropriate place to share some additional conference trivia:

•St. Louis and Cleveland are the only cities to host four APICS conferences.

•Toronto was the first city to host an APICS conference outside of the United States in 1972, and APICS returned there in 1985. APICS later went to Montreal in 1992.

•The only conference that failed to generate a profit was in Los Angeles in 1965, which also was the first on the West Coast.

•The first woman to officially register for a conference was in 1960. This number has steadily increased to the point that female registrants comprise a significant percentage of APICS conference attendees.

•The first woman to chair an APICS conference was Lois Cooke in Chicago in 1982.

•In what must be an APICS record, and a remarkable one at that, Paul Bacigalupo, the 1974 APICS president, has attended 35 consecutive conferences; his wife, Bernie, has been to 32.

•A very popular feature that started in 1974 and continued for a number of years was to have the governor of the host state proclaim "APICS Week" during the conference. The state proclamation, the state flag and photographs of the governor signing the proclamation were displayed in the conference convention center lobby. Currently, letters from the President of the United States and the governor usually appear in APICS—The Performance Advantage and the conference onsite guide.

•At the 1971 St. Louis conference, an academy award style banquet made its debut, which highlighted chapter and individual award winners. This popular format stood the test of time for more than a decade.

•Los Angeles in 1980 witnessed a nearly disastrous banquet. Attendees were served squab, an entree not typical of APICS banquets, which caused some grumbling. Also, while preparing to introduce the entertainment, the master of ceremonies fell off the stage and broke his leg. Lerm Smith, the 1980 APICS president, still cringes when he recalls that unforgettable evening.

On another note, it is difficult to comprehend a world without computers and other electronic devices, but you can imagine how impressed attendees were when some 33 years ago, at the conference in Atlantic City, Jack Williams, 1964 APICS president, opened the conference with the aid of an early model computer as he demonstrated a new concept in manufacturing operations. This example demonstrates that, then, as well as now, APICS has always tried to offer leading-edge technology at its conferences.

Trying to project what APICS might be like and where the conference will be 33 years from now taxes one's imagination. However, you can be certain it will be stimulating and innovative. For now, however, we know the 1997 conference will be in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., the first time Washington will host an APICS conference. Hopefully, you will be a part of this memorable event. See you in D.C.!


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