Up for the Challenge

The New Year is proving to be a challenging one for the scrap recycling industry. Low scrap prices, a credit crisis and a weak global economy are only a few of the problems recyclers are dealing with. During these tough times, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI), Washington, D.C., says it’s more important than ever for recyclers to maintain strong relationships with their colleagues and suppliers.

One way recyclers can stay connected and gain valuable business insights is through industry events such as the 2009 ISRI Convention & Expo to be held April 26-30 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

This is ISRI’s second consecutive year in Las Vegas and its third visit to the Mandalay Bay. "The city provides the entertainment and dining options that our attendees enjoy, and currently the Mandalay Bay is the only hotel in the country that can house our attendees, workshops, meetings and exhibits all under one roof," Carr says about ISRI’s choice of venue.

Even though the location is the same, ISRI says it has a lot of new things in store for attendees at this year’s convention.

"With ‘change’ as this year’s theme, the entire convention focuses on the challenges and, more important, the opportunities that arise when the scrap recycling industry finds itself in its current position in the ever-cyclical economy of this industry," Carr says.

To help attendees learn to cope with challenges and seek opportunities, ISRI has put together a program consisting of 50 different workshops, spotlights and general sessions that focus largely on the economy and the business of scrap recycling. Workshop topics include trade and commodity finance; hedging; creditors’ rights; and the economic outlooks for China, India and Southeast Asia.

ISRI also plans to once again host a one-day metals identification workshop, which is open to both fully registered and trade-show only registrants.

Some new things attendees can expect at this year’s convention include expanded commodity spotlights and a special session spotlighting the economy. The spotlights on ferrous scrap and on electronics are Tuesday, April 28, from 2 to 3:15 p.m., followed by the Spotlight on Nickel/Stainless. The spotlights on copper and on tires/rubber are Wednesday, April 29, from 2 to 3:15 p.m., followed by the spotlights on lead/zinc and on paper. The commodity spotlight sessions conclude Thursday with the Spotlight on Aluminum from 2 to 3:15 p.m.

The new Spotlight on the Economy session is scheduled for Wednesday morning and features a panel of leading economic analysts providing the latest on economic conditions in the U.S. and around the world, according to ISRI.

ISRI also has added its Tire Recycling Business Summit to this year’s show schedule. "For several years, ISRI’s tire and rubber members held their annual meeting in conjunction with the commodities roundtable meeting in Chicago," Carr says. "This year, that commodity-specific program joins the ISRI Convention with a much expanded list of programs." The summit’s programming includes workshops covering topics such as fire safety, trends in shredder design and developments in the synthetic turf market.

Conference attendees also can expect to see some changes regarding the exhibit hall. With more than 240 exhibitors expected at this year’s show, ISRI has moved its exhibit hall to the space next door to last year’s exhibit space. The new location consists of more than 70,000 square feet of equipment exhibit space, making it the largest equipment hall in ISRI history, Carr says.

At this year’s ISRI Convention, attendees have the opportunity to hear Michael Josephson, the president and founder of the Los Angeles-based Josephson Institute, give the keynote speech at the Tuesday Chair’s Breakfast.

The Josephson Institute is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the ethical quality of society by changing personal decision making and behavior. Josephson has led more than 1,000 ethics programs for more than 100,000 leaders in business, government, media, law enforcement and education.

Josephson’s address will be followed by an ethics in business workshop.

The ISRI Convention & Exhibition also can be an good place for recyclers to expand their business networks and to explore new equipment offerings from suppliers to the industry. ISRI provides attendees with a number of networking opportunities, including the Monday night Gala Opening in the exhibit hall and the Thursday night Consumers’ Reception.

"The goal of every ISRI Convention is to provide attendees with new contacts and new information that can help their businesses survive and thrive," Carr says. "The 2009 ISRI Convention & Expo will offer up the strongest program that ISRI has ever produced, combined with first-class food and beverage and the very latest in equipment and services available to the industry."

The most up-to-date schedule and programming information is available at www.isriconvention.org.