Louisville, Ky.–Scores of commercial flooring contractors convened here for the kickoff of the 2023 Starnet fall conference, a strong follow-up to the group’s spring meeting held earlier this year in Scottsdale.
“We normally draw about 300 to our fall conference; this year we’re seeing about 290-295 people,” said Mark Bischoff, the group’s president and CEO. “So it’s pretty strong as far as our fall conferences go.”
Among the key draws: a series of relevant educational seminars and workshops focused on the issues commercial flooring contractors are facing today. These included: sessions that keyed in on emerging technologies and their impact on the commercial flooring market; the legal ramifications of language in contracts; valuable advice on succession planning; and member facility case studies and success stories.
The event also featured a keynote presentation by leading futurist Scott Steinberg, who stressed the importance of anticipating change in the commercial construction industry and utilizing technology, innovation and imagination to affect change. The goal, Bischoff noted, was to develop programming that members could learn from and deploy in their businesses following convention.
Other highlights of the event included an opening reception and networking party at the famed Churchill Downs Racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby, as well as an exhibitor tabletop showcase where contractor members conducted one-on-one meetings with their key supplier partners.
(Look for more on this story in the next print edition of FCNews.)