Note from the Chairman of UPMG
Mr. Bob Self, The Southern Company

Change may drive us crazy at times, but it offers opportunities that did not previously exist. That's what this year's UPMG Conference is all about – "Thriving in the New Reality".

Dr. John Izzo, the co-author of "Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work" will inspire us with the essential elements of leadership and its ever-changing role.

Our featured speaker, Dr. Richard A. Muller, a Berkeley professor will dare to debunk the popular wisdom about the future of energy. Timothy Gill, Director of Economics for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association will share his insight on the ever-changing economic picture. We'll also hear from Mike Niggli, the President & COO of San Diego Gas & Electric and Jeff Anthony of the American Wind Energy Association.

These and many more distinguished speakers will arm us with nuggets of truth that will help us develop our own strategies for supply chain success.

Join us for the annual conference of the Utility Purchasing Management Group. Register today and take advantage of the reduced, early registration rates.

Dr. John Izzo to deliver keynote address at UPMG Conference.  John is the author of “The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die” and co-author of Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work”. 

Dr. Richard A. Muller is well known for a course he teaches at UC Berkeley called, “Physics for Future Presidents”.  In a recent interview with Forbes Magazine he was quoted as saying that “coal and nuclear fission are good sources of energy.  Hydrogen and electric-powered cars won't do much to save either our atmosphere or our balance of trade and that solar panels on residential rooftops make no economic sense.”  His main concern is that the U.S. doesn't understand the science behind important policy issues.  In his session at UPMG he won't tell you what to believe but he will help you understand the issues so that you can come to a reasoned conclusion yourself.  You won't want to miss this session.

Each year UPMG brings an economist to help you understand the impact the economy will have our supply chain for the next year.  Timothy Gill the Director of Economics at NEMA.  He will focus on economic conditions affecting the outlook for the electrical equipment sector and for related industries such as construction and manufacturing.  He has been with NEMA for 15 years and was with the American Petroleum Institute prior to that. This session will help you understand how to plan for the near future and how to act today to protect your supply chain.

People like to talk about themselves. They also love to hear stories about experiences familiar to them. The famous theme song from Cheers said it best, "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name." The Water Coolers take that concept, add hilarious comedy, original music and parodies of familiar songs, and use comics and singers to celebrate the crazy, funny, maddening and yet somehow universally comforting insanity of every day life. The Water Coolers created the act originally for the meetings industry but, since their Off Broadway run in 2002, The Water Coolers has found an enthusiastic and devoted audience in the mainstream entertainment world.

Constantly updating material is an ongoing process, since people approach them with ideas for songs at every show they do. The interesting thing is, say a song idea is given to them at a meeting or corporate event for senior management in Seattle. They'll develop it and, when they perform it months later for a convention of sales reps in Boston, someone will run up to them exclaiming, "Hey! That's my life!" It seems that by musically and comically celebrating what everyone goes through, The Water Coolers are providing, for a few minutes anyway, that place where everybody knows your name.

The local host of this year's conference, San Diego Gas and Electric has selected the Veterans Village of San Diego as the recipient of this year's UPMG Charity Golf Tournament.  The Maderas Golf Club, a Johnny Miller and Robert Muir Graves masterpiece is the host of the tournament.  It is one of the best golf courses in San Diego offering beauty, challenge and plenty of thrilling shots as it winds through the cliffs, rock outcroppings, creeks and forests of the inland hill country. The designers and builders have created 3 lakes, 5 waterfalls, and over 40 acres of native wildflowers seen throughout the course. The natural foliage provides twelve months of natural color and beauty. Maderas offers superb playing conditions, meticulous maintenance practices and unmatched service standards. This semi-private course promises to be a memorable experience for golfers of all skill levels. The tournament will take place on Sunday morning, September 26, 2010.

To sign-up for this event and support the Veterans Village of San Diego, check the appropriate box when you register.  Space is limited so register early!

Sponsorships for the golf tournament are available and may be secured by checking the "Golf Pin Sponsorship" box on your registration form. 

UPMG 2011 Golf Tournament Chairman:
John Nobriga,
Portland General Electric

Lonny O'Rourke presents "Lifetime Achievement Awards" from UPMG to Richard Rich, C.P.M., A.P.P., Seminole Electric and Jocelyn Thornton, Progress Energy.

A view of the Joint Supplier Networking Session held on Monday, September 21st.

The 79th Annual
UPMG Conference

Sept 26 - 28, 2010
Manchester Grand Hyatt,
San Diego, California

IFRS - Implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards

In this article from the Institute for Supply Management, Todd Neely explains how Implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) will impact supply management. Click here.

REPORT: Inventory Optimization in the Electric & Gas Industry

Earlier this year, ScottMadden, under the auspices of both the Utility Purchasing Managers Group (UPMG) and the Utilities Materials Management Benchmarking Consortium (UMMBC), conducted a series of surveys on the subject of "Inventory Optimization" within our industry. The results of these surveys were partially presented at the UPMG Conference in September 2009. ScottMadden issued the full report in late October. A copy of the report, entitled 2009 Inventory Optimization In the Electric & Gas Industry Survey, is available here for download.

Our thanks to Lonny OíRourke at National Grid, Don Dougherty at Denali Group and the folks at ScottMadden for preparing this insightful analysis.

UPMG Networking Sponsors

View a list of companies that exhibited at the 2009 UPMG Conference