2004 ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE

Conference Schedule. CAM’s annual conference will be held in Salons A, B, C and D at the Toronto Airport Marriott. The event schedule is:

Monday, November 22

8:00 am – Registration and continental breakfast

8:00 am to 5:00 pm – Moving-industry suppliers mini trade show

9:00 am – Introductory remarks

9:10 am – Customer Satisfaction – Dr. Glenn Marshall will open the conference with a presentation that differentiates between customer satisfaction and customer service.

10:10 am – Coffee

10:30 am – Annual General Meeting, including election of officers followed by a panel discussion and open forum on the future and direction of the Canadian Association of Movers.

Noon – Lunch in Salon D

1:30 pm – The Knowledge Revolution in Purchasing – Rod Sherkin will describe how the Internet is revolutionizing purchasing, and how CAM members can seize new opportunities to drive down costs. Help Rod to customize this session for movers. Complete the questionnaire at www.propurchaser.com/survey/survey01.asp?gcode=CANMOV.

2:30 pm – Update to the Federal Government’s Moving Contract – Major Katherine Vigneau will review the current status of the federal government’s moving contract and the new initiatives in it.

3:15 pm – Coffee

3:30 pm – Workers’ Compensation: Safe Profit – Greg Sathmary will provide strategies and methods for reducing your workers’ compensation costs.

4:30 pm – Conference sessions close

5:30 pm – Awards Dinner Reception

6:30 pm – Awards Dinner – CAM will honour two moving industry leaders with its annual awards:
• Founders Award – Peter Naylor
• Distinguished Service Award – Denis Frappier

Tuesday, November 23

9:00 am – Provincial Governments’ Approach to Consumer Protection – Christopher Ferguson will address the direction that provincial governments are taking in protecting consumers from unfair practices and unscrupulous suppliers.
10:00 am – Coffee
10:15 am – Selecting and Financing your Vehicles – Bob Reid, GM Canada, will provide a wide-ranging discussion on how to spec a vehicle for moving services, and the pros and cons of various methods of financing.
11:00 am – A One-year Report on the Certified Canadian Mover Program – In this panel discussion and open forum, CAM members will have an opportunity to find out about the current status of the program and discuss improvements for its future.
Noon – Lunch in Alberta-Quebec Rooms
1:00 pm – A Workers’ Compensation Seminar – Greg Sathmary returns to give a two-hour seminar on optimizing your workers’ compensation with special attention to:
• Pre-injury management and prevention strategies
• Understanding your risk exposure when using sub-contractors
• Evaluating and comparing your workers’ compensation costs with industry standards
• Controlling your compensation claims
3:00 pm – Conference closes

Hotel Update

The deadline for registering at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel has been extended to November 5. CAM’s conference rate is $139 per night, single or double.

The reservation numbers are 1-800-905-2811 or 416-674-9400.

CERTIFIED CANADIAN MOVER PROGRAM

CAM is changing the way in which referrals are performed in the CAM office. Up to now, we have given consumers two or three names and phone numbers for Certified Canadian Movers or members in their area. Effective November 1, we will provide the consumer’s name and phone number directly to members in the area. To implement this, we will initially use the email address or fax number we have for you.

Please send CAM a name and the email address of the person to whom we can send your referrals to ensure they reach you.

INDUSTRY CANADA FLYERS

Industry Canada has posted two flyers: Consumer Checklist for Choosing a Moving Company and Good-Practice Guidelines for Canadian Movers.

DOWNHOMER

Downhomer, a magazine serving Newfoundland and Labrador, has included a public-service advertisement (for the next 12 issues) directing people to CAM for referrals – and CAM is already receiving calls.