"Re-Imagine Your Business" is the theme for MHEDA's 57th annual convention on 5-9 May in Miami Beach, Florida.

Jerry Weidmann, president of Brookfield, Wisconsin-based Wisconsin Lift Truck Corp, is 2012 convention chairman for the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association.

The event will include 21 presentations - the most ever for a MHEDA convention - along with a three-hour tabletop showcase with more than 80 exhibitors, networking roundtable sessions facilitated by industry leaders and organised tours of local attractions.

The presentations will address issues for the materials handling industry including the economy, business branding, financial trends, social media, winning new business, banking relationships and customer service automation.

Speakers for general sessions include Walter Bond of Medina, Minnesota, an American former professional basketball player; Alan Beaulieu, an economist with the Institute for Trend Research in Boscawen, New Hampshire; David Avrin, The Visibility Coach of Castle Rock, Colorado; Bob Currie, president of Currie Management Consultants Inc of Worcester, Massachusetts; and William Walker, president of The Walker Consulting Group of Glen Allen, Virginia.

The exhibitors' showcase is held from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm May 8, with exhibitors and attendees having the opportunity to reconnect during a reception from 4-5 pm.

The networking roundtable sessions take place from 2:45-4:00 pm on May 7, enabling attendees the opportunity to discuss issues in a structured, facilitated format.

Organised local activities will include a speed boat tour, tour of the historic Italian Renaissance-style Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and a golf tournament at the Miami Beach Golf Club.

Convention registration is USD1,295 for MHEDA members and USD1,695 for non-members. The convention takes place in the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Vernon Hills-based MHEDA is a national trade association dedicated solely to improving the proficiency of the independent materials handling equipment distributor.