The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) has announced the agenda for its 2003 Fall Meeting at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC, on Oct. 26-29. The schedule will include a presentation by Carl Cullotta and Scott Sims from Frank Lynn & Associates entitled, "Maximizing Your Sales Force Effectiveness." Cullotta and Simms will outline the steps a company's sales force can use to spur profitable growth by optimizing the value delivered from key customer segments. In addition, Laura Koss from the Federal Trade Commission is scheduled to speak on "Made in the USA" labeling issues, while a representative from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection will discuss "Country of Origin" labeling. Later, leading expert Ken Schoonover of KMS Associates, Inc., will discuss accessibility regulations and issues that affect the entire plumbing industry. That presentation will be followed by a special appearance by Jack Bacon, systems integration engineer at NASA, who will discuss the inner technology that makes space exploration "seamless" for so many. The schedule also includes a keynote presentation by political impressionist/satirist Jim Morris. Visit www.pmihome.org to view the full meeting agenda.

In other news, 30 PMI members from 13 plumbing manufacturers converged on Schaumburg, IL, July 29-30, for PMI's third Information Technology Forum. The forum's first day focused on the initiative by hardlines retailers to synchronize data and utilize a common format for presenting products. Presentations on data synchronization were made by Mark Healy, senior director of merchandising operations at The Home Depot; Matt Deeter, vice president of merchandising operations at Lowe's; Greg Lenard, director of inventory control at ACE Hardware Corp.; and Kristen Mascenik, account representative for UCCnet. The presenters announced a deadline of Jan. 1, 2004, by which any company that does business with them will have to follow their vision of data synchronization.

In related news, as a result of the successful response to its Codes and Standards Workshop held in July, PMI announced that it will offer a repeat of the program on Jan. 27-28 in Schaumburg, IL. For more information on the meeting, contact the Institute at 1340 Remington Road, Suite A, Schaumburg, IL 60173, ph. (847) 884-9PMI (9764), fax (847) 884-9775, or visit www.pmihome.org.