Join CFESA, Attend the Conference, and Boost Your Network
By JR Weber – General Parts Group’s Director of Sales
One of the many benefits of joining CFESA is access to its annual conference. CFESA’s annual conference is a traveling conference that takes place in a different city each year bringing together the top leaders in commercial food equipment service. The conference spans three days during which attendees will have the opportunity to learn, attend motivational sessions, and social events, and most importantly make new friends and build long-lasting relationships that will foster growth and innovation.
If you are not already familiar with CFESA, it is the trade association that supports the food equipment repair industry. CFESA sets the standards for service excellence in our industry by providing resources, training, and education to support service company members. Often, the conversations we hear about CFESA are focused on technician training, recruitment, and retention. CFESA offers much more than just technician training and certifications.
Did you know that CFESA also has a management training program that gives young professionals the tools to help grow their careers in a managerial aspect? CFESA has much to offer anyone that works in the food equipment repair industry no matter your role. There are many groups and committees that you can join as well as attend regional meetings, but my personal favorite is CFESA’s annual conference.
The 2023 CFESA Annual Conference takes place October 8th through October 11th in San Antonio, TX. If you are planning on attending for the first time, or haven’t attended in a while, the best way to maximize your time will be to get involved. If you are a young professional, you will find a home in the Young Professionals Committee (YPC). CFESA 2022 in Nashville included a workshop for members of the YPC where they could improve their public speaking and communications skills. On day one of the conference, there will be a CFESA 101 session which will gather first and second-time attendees in a workshop setting that will provide a roadmap of how you can make the most of your conference experience.
Once you have gone through CFESA 101, take some time to go through the conference agenda and create a plan for the next few days. Take a look at the sessions that interest you and join in the fun! The vendor fair is a great place to learn about new products and services that can help you and your business. The peer-to-peer discussions are a great place to hear about real issues our industry is facing and possible solutions and be sure to join in, you just might have the solution to a challenge we all face! As a first-timer, the most important thing to remember is to get involved and network. While attending the sessions, sit by somebody you don’t know and introduce yourself. Attend all of the social events and mingle with industry leaders. CFESA members will make sure you feel welcome and will make sure you have a great experience.
I hope to see you there!
To learn more or join CFESA please visit. https://cfesa.com/