Iowa's Can't-miss Business Conference is One Month Away

May 3, 2018 | Mike Ralston

Mike Ralston, President, ABI

As you read this column, the 2018 Taking Care of Business Conference, ABI’s 115th annual convention, is a month away. Ladies and gentlemen, it will be a terrific event, and believe me when I say you don’t want to miss it.

The Iowa City/Coralville area is a fabulous region, eager to host ABI members from across the state. Officials there have been working with our organization for well over a year to ensure you experience a truly world-class meeting. Exciting venues (such as historic Kinnick Stadium), fantastic nationally known speakers, golf at one of the Midwest’s finest courses and absolutely the very best business networking in Iowa are yours for the taking when you join us there on June 5-7. If you haven’t yet done so (and literally hundreds of you already have), go now to ABITakingCareOfBusiness.com and register for this event!

You will not believe the growth and change in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing District since ABI was last there a decade ago. Shopping, restaurants, bars, attractions—all that and more—can be found at Iowa River Landing.

Related to the conference, people ask all the time if ABI staff members are busy getting ready for it. The answer is yes. But ABI is involved in so much more than simply one event.

For instance, during this couple of weeks, as is typical for ABI, our association is hosting a series of meetings and events. Regional public policy meetings, an event related to ABI’s Elevate Advanced Manufacturing initiative, three separate events for the ABI Board of Directors, a meeting of the Executive Committee, two sie visits related to the 2020 annual conference, a three-day session for the Leadership Iowa class, a professional development seminar, and other member and foundation meetings and programs … all of that was/is happening now.

You know what I say about being busy. Being busy is good. But that in itself isn’t the point. Being busy producing value for ABI members … THAT is the point.

Whether it is in public policy advocacy, member meetings and events, or ABI Foundation programming, it’s clear ABI is experiencing another in a string of terrific years. The reasons for that are simple. It is due to the investment you and your employees make in the work of the association, and it’s due to exceptional leadership by the ABI Board of Directors. We never take those things for granted. On behalf of ABI Chair David Zrostlik and our other officers, THANK YOU. See you in Coralville/Iowa City!