The NSCA will present a one-hour educational teleconference titled, "Contractor Perspectives on Manufacturer-Contractor Business Program Issues", Thursday, December 13, at 10 am Central time (U.S.).

The second in the Learning Network series, the session will present findings and interpretations of the recent in-depth survey of systems contractors. John Stiernberg, principal consultant with Stiernberg Consulting, and Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director, will provide perspectives on supplier relations and benchmarks for 14 contractor business program elements.

The written report is the first in the series of Market Intelligence Briefings from the NSCA and Stiernberg Consulting. The material is gleaned from a survey of NSCA-member contractors, conducted in October 2001. The full report is available to NSCA members free of charge and to non-members for $500. The conference call will expand on the report in the following areas:
- Differences between manufacturers' perceptions and contractor needs regarding such business program elements as freight allowances, promotional support, and distribution policies.
- Contractors' "hot buttons" relative to supplier relations (survey respondents rated their favorite and least favorite suppliers).
- Analysis and suggestions for optimization of the survey findings by manufacturers.
In addition to the teleconference, participants will follow a Power-Point presentation and participate in a question-and-answer session.

The cost to participate is $49 for NSCA members and $99 for non-members. To register, contact Katie Chism at 800-446-6722 or kchism@nsca.org.