? New Members ? Industry News ? Revamp SMMA WebSite ? Spring Conference
 SMMA Fall Technical Conference Chair, David E. Beth, vice president engineering, Emerson Tool Company, recently announced the Conference theme, ?Energy Efficiency and Inflation ? The Motor Design Challenge.? Scheduled for October 15-17, 2008, SMMA members and prospective members will meet at the Sheraton Westport Hotel in St. Louis. Presentations will focus on knowledge and resources necessary for motor design engineers faced with an increased demand for efficiency and the rising cost of materials.
 Beginning Wednesday, October 15, 2008 with a Beer and Pretzels Reception, the SMMA 2008 Fall Technical Conference will adjourn Friday, October 17 at noon. In addition to Conference sessions, attendees will have ample opportunity to visit the table top exhibits of motor and drive industry suppliers.
Those interested in making a presentation at the SMMA 2008 Fall Technical Conference should contact Bill Chambers, bill.chambers@smma.org.
A number of pre-Conference options are available Wednesday, October 15, 2008 including three SMMA Motor & Motion College courses and an EMERF [Electric Motor Education & Research Foundation] Workshop. Separate registration is required. To review pre-Conference options, or to register for the SMMA 2008 Fall Technical Conference, go to www.smma.org/ConfReg_Fall08_rev3.pdf.
SMMA has arranged special group rates of $152 at the Sheraton Westport Hotel in St. Louis. Reservations are available by calling 314.434.5010 or online at www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/SMMA . For additional information about the hotel, visit http://www.sheratonwestport.com/.
The following companies have joined SMMA since the April newsletter:
Shaun Donnelly, Senior Director, International Business Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, recently sent an email to Betsy Chambers, executive director, SMMA, regarding the EU's new REACH regulations. REACH is an acronym for ?Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals.? According to Mr. Donnelly, although the REACH regulations took effect a year ago, their impact to the business community will take place in the second half of 2008 upon the June 1-November 30, 2008 ?simplified pre-registration period.? He continues to advise that the REACH regulations are detailed and complex covering many products that ?might not intuitively seem to be chemicals.?
 A May 2008 NAM UPDATE ON EU REACH CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - Are You Affected by REACH and Is Your Product ?REACH Compliant? is available at online. Background information and related links are included. According to NAM, the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) has made major efforts in both Washington and Brussels to assist U.S. companies, especially small and medium-sized exporters, in understanding and complying with REACH. Those who are interested can use the links in the NAM UPDATE or go to http://export.gov/eac/index.asp to locate the nearest USDOC Export Assistance Center.
 An email survey of the SMMA membership indicates that the most valued additions to the site are
- Technical articles
- Ask the Experts
- Free Resources
SMMA staff and a task force of volunteers will work on format and content of each addition listed above. Those interested in assisting with the web enhancement, or contributing technical articles should contact bill.chambers@smma.org. The site will also receive an aesthetic makeover as well as improvements to navigability.
To review the web survey summary results, click here. To visit our website, click here.
 Attendees to the SMMA 2008 Spring Management Conference gave high marks to the pertinent presentations and networking opportunities at the May event. Addressing the ?Strategic Thinking? focus, speakers discussed workforce development, strategic planning and web strategies. Featured SMMA Spring Management speaker Alan Beaulieu, Institute for Trend Research (ITR), provided an informative and entertaining economic overview, ?The Future is Your Decision.? Highlighting U.S. and global industrial production, the presentation also included ?Phase Management Objectives.?
 With 5 high, attendees ranked the Conference a 4.60 and the hotel a 4.03. Suggested topics for 2009 include economic outlook with afternoon breakout session; alternative energy as related to motors; business valuations/combinations; application needs and wants; and increasing product sales. Click here to read the complete Spring Evaluation Summary.
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