Keynote Session

Captain Gerald Coffee Beyond Survival
Captain Gerald Coffee, CSP, CPAE
Retired U.S. Navy Officer
Thursday, November 6, 2003
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

In sharing the insights derived from seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, as well as his unique life experience since, Captain Gerald Coffee plants the seed of hope that each of us can go beyond mere survival to emerge from our pain and adversity better, tougher and more capable than we would have been otherwise. In his timeless and uplifting presentation, he focuses on leadership under stress, change and uncertainty; teamwork and loyalty to the organization; and communication.

His is not a story of Vietnam, but a story of human survival, a reaffirmation of the invincibility of the human spirit. In using his incredible experiences as a vehicle, Coffee leads his audience through laughter and tears, and ultimately to the affirmation that we are all so much stronger and more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and we each have the potential to survive any ordeal, overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal. His style is genuine, warm and witty; his message unforgettable.

Based upon a poll of 150 corporate and association meeting planners, Successful Meetings magazine named Gerald Coffee among America's top 10 speakers. Due to the life changing impact of his message, he is considered by many of his clients as among their most memorable speakers ever. His highly acclaimed book, Beyond Survival, is viewed by many as the best ever written on the Vietnam War POW experience.

A native of Modesto, Calif., Coffee joined the Navy in 1957 after his graduation from UCLA. He received his Navy wings in 1959 and served his country as a naval officer for 28 years. His early operational flying was primarily in tactical reconnaissance, flying advanced Navy jets from the decks of several aircraft carriers in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Pacific Oceans.

In early 1966, while flying combat missions from the USS Kitty Hawk in the Tonkin Gulf, Captain Coffee's aircraft was downed by enemy fire over North Vietnam. He parachuted safely, but was captured immediately. For the next seven years, he served as a POW in the various prisons of Hanoi. He was repatriated with the first group of POW's on February 12, 1973.

Since his return, Captain Coffee has earned a Masters Degree in Political Science from U.C. Berkeley, graduated from the National War College in Washington D.C., and commanded his own squadron at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii. He currently serves as a Public Affairs officer on the staff of the commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

His military decorations include the Silver Star, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnam Service Medal with 13 stars. He is the recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal presented by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and the National Speakers Association's highest award for excellence in speaking. He is a highly respected observer and commentator on current political, economic and social issues who sees most problems in terms of opportunities yet to be seized by heroic leadership yet to emerge. His first book, Beyond Survival, was featured in condensed version in Reader's Digest, Guideposts magazine and in audio cassette by Nightingale-Conant.

Captain Coffee makes his home on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

General Session Speakers

Thomas J. WinningerMarket Quake 2010 - Capturing the 10 Trends Forces that Threaten Your Future
Thomas J. Winninger
Founder, Winninger Institute for Marketing Strategy
Thursday, November 6, 2003
10:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Tomorrow will bring more change, faster change and more volatile change than ever believed possible. In the next eight years, 78 percent of America's organizations will have to reinvent the way they do business proclaims Thomas J. Winninger in "Market Quake 2010 -- Capturing the 10 Trends Forces that Threaten Your Future."

Learn the answers to these questions and much more:

  • What does the customer want or need?
  • Why do they want or need it?
  • How will it benefit them the most?
  • What other choices do they have?
  • What will motivate them to take advantage of your product or service?
  • What possible niches or gaps exist for your product or service?
  • How best can you communicate with your market?
  • What is sharp angle marketing and how will it get you the most "bang" for the buck?

Find out how you can benefit from these strategies:

  • Target trends
  • Become more innovative
  • Implement trending strategies
  • Get closer to shifting markets
  • Recognize techno-applications

Winninger is founder of the Winninger Institute for Marketing Strategy and author of three best-selling books, Sell Easy, Price Wars and Hiring Smart. He and his company have received many awards including the Blue Chip Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. His market strategies have been featured on CNBC, First Business, Boardroom Reports, Venture and Success Magazine.

Winninger is a unique combination of platform personality with street smarts and book knowledge. His varied background has made him a confidant of business, sales, management and marketing professionals. Bank marketing, telemarketing, advertising, direct sales, sales management and direct mail marketing are just a few of his credits.

An acclaimed speaker, Winninger is a distinguished recipient of the Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE). The award is the highest honor in the speaking industry and is presented annually by the members of the National Speakers Association. He received this highly coveted distinction for outstanding platform performance, presentation skills, material, depth of content, professionalism and client relations. He was also honored with the 1995 Cavett Award.

Carl CullottaChannel Pricing Trends
Carl Cullotta
Vice President/Senior Principal, Frank Lynn & Associates
Friday, November 7, 2003
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Learn how manufacturers are changing their approach to pricing the channel and much more in Carl Cullotta's presentation entitled "Channel Pricing Trends." You'll also find out what services channels can add to benefit from new pricing schemes and what implications exist for using traditional market pricing structures.

Cullotta, vice president/senior principal, Frank Lynn & Associates, works with a variety of clients across a broad range of industrial and commercial market sectors. His areas of expertise include channel business model design, channel capabilities, market evolution and customer decision-making behavior.

During his 18-year tenure with Frank Lynn & Associates, Cullotta has helped build the firm's commercial practice group, which focuses on the residential and commercial construction (new and repair/remodel) markets. Over the years, Cullotta has managed the firm's research and consulting efforts related to the evolution of new channel classes, most notably the big box retailers, in the residential and commercial construction markets.

Cullotta also is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics related to market change and go-to-market strategies in the construction industries. Most recently, these include the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute and the Door Hardware Institute. A contributing writer for a variety of industry and business publications, Cullotta also is a regular presenter for Frank Lynn & Associates' workshop "Marketing Through Distribution Channels."

Cullotta received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1983 and holds a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He currently resides with his wife Kathy and two sons in South Barrington, Ill.


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