AFMA Meeting To Address Changing Role Of Information Technology

Furniture World Magazine

"The Changing Role of Information Technology in Effective Business Strategy" is the theme of the annual meeting of the IT Division of the American Furniture Manufacturers Association next month in Asheville. A variety of speakers, including Frank Hood, chief information officer of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, will address the topic. Hood will discuss the evolution of IT surrounding the company’s phenomenal growth. The meeting will be held Aug. 1-3 at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel. Additional speakers include Chuck Poirier of Computer Sciences Corp., who will discuss Internet strategies/business models; Karen Reubenstrunk, META Group, who will offer insights on moving IT from a cost center to a strategic position in the company; and Art Raymond of A.G. Raymond & Co., whose topic is using information technology to make manufacturing more competitive. "As all our companies become global competitors, the pervasiveness of IT in all facets of our operations requires updated models and approaches," said Talmadge Fish, president of AFMA’s IT Division and vice president of information services at Hooker Furniture. "Any company executive involved in determining their company’s IT strategy and direction will benefit from this meeting." The meeting opens with a 6 p.m. reception on Aug. 1. The business session runs from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 2, and from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 3. The cost is $365 per person for AFMA members and $525 for non-members. For more information, call Michele Callahan at AFMA, 336/884-5000, ext. 101. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association is headquartered in High Point, N.C. – the furniture capital of the world – and represents more than 200 leading U.S. furniture manufacturers and 250 suppliers to the furniture industry.