EMDA’s 2023 Fall Convention will be held October 31 – November 2, 2023 at the Sheraton Kansas City hotel at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Registration material for the 2023 Convention will be available in mid- to late-July, 2023

EMDA 2022 Convention Registrants Spouse/Social Program

2022 Spouse/Social Program at a Glance (PDF)

 

This 2022 Schedule will give you a good idea of what to expect this fall in Kansas City.

Meeting and networking opportunities are the main reason attendees and exhibitors participate in the Fall Convention and EMDA strives to provide the most effective structured means to enable such interaction. But, while Business Program registrants are filling their time with manufacturer and supplier interviews, spouse/guest registrants can take part in the numerous social events. 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Arrival day for most attendees.

Registration Desk & the Communications Center – Be sure to stop by the Registration Desk to pick up your badge. The Communication Center features profile cards for each convention attendee.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Joint Opening Session & Breakfast – The EMDA and FEMA Joint Opening Session is designed to bring the members together to “kick-off” their conventions with a dynamic presentation that will set the tone for an intensive week of appointments and meetings.

The Joint Opening Session will feature Lt. Col. Mark Sweeney presenting “Pressure Cooker Confidence” Integrity, Commitment, Enthusiasm: They’re the attributes of great leaders, great team members and great humans. They’re also the attributes that make Lt. Colonel Kevin Sweeney a nationally respected and recognized expert on leadership, the value of being a great teammate, and performance under pressure. He’ll share his unique insights into leadership, teamwork, and putting yourself into position to have superior performance under pressure. Kevin’s real life story describes a combat mission during which the two engines on his left wing were totally ripped off in mid-air, in the darkness of night, while at maximum weight and on a combat mission. It is a compelling story illustrating how your team can overcome any obstacle facing them.

Spouse/Social Program Tour: Winter Park

Think you know Orlando? If you’ve only experienced the tourism districts, think again. Throughout the area, unique cities and neighborhoods offer outstanding restaurants, vibrant arts and culture, bespoke retailers, and outdoor adventures, and the City of Winter Park is one of the best. If you haven’t been there yet, you owe yourself a visit — here’s why! Approximately 20 minutes northeast of downtown Orlando, and not to be confused with Winter Garden to the south, Winter Park gained its name after the arrival of the South Florida Railroad in 1880. The highly rated Rollins College – Florida’s first four-year university – opened shortly thereafter, heralding the city’s refined future. Today, Winter Park’s epicenter is Park Avenue, a tree-lined, cobblestoned street bursting with acclaimed eateries, museums and some of the Orlando area’s best shopping.

Of the many unexpected pleasures awaiting visitors to Central Florida, none may be as dazzling as a guided stroll through the galleries of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933). The Tiffany collection at the Morse includes the designer’s jewelry, pottery, paintings and art glass, as well as his famed leaded-glass lamps and windows. Highlights include the restored Byzantine-Romanesque chapel interior that Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Morse is also home to a nearly 6,000 square foot, permanent exhibition of surviving art and architectural objects from his celebrated Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall. In the Museum’s galleries, visitors will also find exhibits of American art pottery, Art Nouveau furnishings and objects, works from the Arts and Crafts movement, and late 19th- and early 20th-century American paintings.

Following the Museum tour, you’ll stroll over to a popular lunch spot. Specializing in fresh, made to order meals, blu on the avenue serves lunch in a casual atmosphere which mirrors Winter Park’s charm. blu on the avenue brings modern West and East coast cuisines together with a twist.

Before heading back to the hotel, enjoy free time to browse the many shopping options on Park Avenue. You’ll adore Winter Park’s exquisite array of retailers, many of which are on and near Park Avenue. Bordered by a central park that plays host to concerts at art festivals, Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park is a vibrant cosmopolitan shopping district. This walkable 10-block area boasts 100 one-of-a-kind boutiques and well-known luxury brands.

The group will depart from Winter Park by 2:30p and should arrive back at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista hotel by 3:15p

The EMDA Partners Party – Wednesday concludes with a fun tradition, the EMDA Partners Party bringing reps and distributors together with the manufacturers that they do business with. The party is a “Thank You” to the manufacturers who understand the value that the EMDA network of distributors and reps provides in bringing their products to the marketplace.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Joint Industry Breakfast Buffet – When you don’t need to schedule a full-blown private appointment, but still need to make contact with certain suppliers – why not meet for breakfast at the Joint Breakfast Buffet.

Joint Industry Reception – Thursday concludes with the Joint Industry Reception. Meet your friends for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at this party sponsored by the two associations party – a celebration of great meeting completed – and the perfect time to get in some last minute face-to face with attendees from both FEMA and EMDA.

Joint Farewell Outing – NEW this year – Join us for one final joint networking event. FEMA and EMDA staffs are working out final details for a fun, off-site “farewell” outing. Shuttle buses will run from 6:45p to 9:15p.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Main departure day to head home from Orlando. Or take advantage of group rate at hotel and extend your stay for the weekend.