Final Thoughts

We are not using the Marriott for the Pre-Summit program as we have outgrown their facility. Everything will be in the Georgia International Convention Center (www.gicc.com) this year. We will occupy all of the southern end of the building and, during lunch, we will also take over part of the northern end of the facility.

We will be close to standing room only. Please keep that in mind, especially on Tuesday morning when we begin promptly at 8 a.m. ET.

If you want to network, there will be plenty of time.  We tend to see people coming into the convention center as early as 7 a.m. (Tuesday and Wednesday) and we expect they will be arriving around 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

Dress: Business casual, and we highly recommend golf shirts with your company logo emblazoned on the shirt. Jackets are not necessary, and ties only get in the way.

Networking Receptions will be held on Monday and Tuesday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.. Everyone attending the conference is invited (highly encouraged) to participate. Monday’s reception is hosted by Steel Dynamics and Tuesday’s by Heidtman Steel.

SMU Events App (pictured to the left) is important to anyone attending the conference. It contains names and a way to contact each of the attendees. Speaker biographies and their presentations can be accessed in the App, the most up-to-date schedule is in the App, information about sponsors and exhibitors is in the App. We also have a two-question poll live in the App right now. Please take two minutes to complete the polling questions (you can find them at the top of the activity feed by pressing the little house in bottom left hand corner of the App). At the beginning of the conference, we will work with the App, and later in the day we will have an interactive program using the App. You can download the App for free by using your cell phone or iPad App store. Look for Steel Market Update Events App. If you have any questions about the App, please contact: Brett@SteelMarketUpdate.com

I apologize in advance, I am not going to be able to do one-on-one private meetings during the conference. You are welcome to tackle me during breaks, lunch or receptions. Otherwise, my focus is on making sure everyone is enjoying themselves and getting something out of the conference.

CRU will have a large contingent at the conference, as will SMU. We want to meet you. We want to learn more about you and your company. We both will have booths in the Exhibition area. Come see us.

We have one hotel with rooms still available at $151 per night (10-20 rooms are all that are left). It is the Atlanta Airport Marriott hotel and you can access our room block by calling 888-239-1203 or by clicking on this link.

Our Steel 201 workshop is beginning to fill – we still have plenty of seats – but we want to remind you that this new workshop will be unique with two tours (AK Steel Research and Innovation Center and the Middletown steel mill), new instructors (including a number from AK Steel). We are offering this first 201 workshop at a exceptional price for SMU member companies, companies that have sent people to one of our past workshops or to a SMU Steel Summit Conference. To obtain the 50 percent off pricing, use this code in the discount window: special201

For those interested – our next Steel 101 workshop is scheduled for Dec. 11-12 in Toledo, Ohio. We will begin taking registrations toward the end of next week.

For those of you who would like for me to produce more articles, more cutting-edge content – once the conference is over and I have a few days to recuperate, I will be right back in the saddle.

As always, your business is truly appreciated by all of us here at Steel Market Update.

John Packard, President & CEO