Please note while we have highlighted events we believe will be of interest to those who register as Spouse/Guest, as long space permits, spouse/guests are welcome in any session or meeting.

Wednesday, November 3 -  Welcome Reception 
The Associate Supplier Section Board of Governors hosts this wonderful reception and gives them a great chance to meet with our Regular Members before the joint activities with EMDA to fill their schedules for the week.  There is no formal program, so feel free to stop in and leave for dinner as your plans require.

Thursday, November 4 - Joint Opening Session
This breakfast meeting 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, with a breakfast, features Scott Deming presenting “Creating Customers for Life.” 

When Did Customer Service Die?  Does Anyone Remember the Funeral?  Customer service didn't die a sudden, unexpected death.  It has been dying a slow, painfull death for a very long time. Why? Simply put, people stopped caring.  Service today is typical and transactional.  People look at customers as an opportunity for a sale, rather that an opportunity for a meaningful relationship that will turn a customer into a loyal evangelist for life.   Customer service is dying because people simply stopped looking at other people as fellow human beings.

Scott Deming is on a mission - bring emotion, sincerity, caring and humanity back into customer service.  Scott Deming is determined to impact as many people and organizations as possible with a simple message and a tried and true process.  With Deming's nearly thirty years of advertising and marketing experience, he'll show proof positive that advertising is simply awareness. RELATIONSHIPS RULE and building a BRAND through emotional, one-of-a-kind experiences, not just great advertising, is the key to SUSTAINABLE personal and professional success.

Immediately following the Joint Opening Session is EMDA's annual Industry Showcase which brings suppliers, distributors, reps and vendors together with more than 100 booths featuring products and services of interest to all.

Friday, November 5 – Breakfast and Joint Spouse/Guest Event

Enjoy the morning at the Joint Breakfast Buffet before departing for the optional spouse/guest program –  SHOW ME THE MONEY !!!

You'll spend your morning among billions of dollars visiting a "money factory", one of  two world's cash producers, The Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

Witness billions of dollars being produced as you walk along an enclosed elevated walkway suspended over the production floor! See it from beginning to end as blank sheets of crisp paper transform into ready-for-wallet cash.

Did you know the Bureau also prints White House invitations, Treasury securities, identification cards and other special security documents?  Roam two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing the history of currency, and shop at the Moneyfactory Gift Shop for unique gifts like crisp uncut sheets of currency, intaglio prints, "lucky" money and special Collector Editions.

After being surrounded by billions of dollars, you'll enjoy a fabulous lunch at The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, located in Fort Worth's Historic Stockyards District.

Owner/Chef Tim Love has designed a menu influenced by all of the ingredients and cultures that have been an important part of the West. Love has garnered several awards and acclaim from the likes of Wine Spectator, Southern Living, Esquire and The New York Times to name a few.

Chef Love triumphed in a culinary battle with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto on Food Network's "Iron Chef America", and was guest chef on "Paula Dean's Party" and "Rachel Ray's Burger Bash". Registration and fee are required for this event.

You'll wrap up Friday's events with the Joint Industry Networking Hour. This event is a fantastic opportunity to extend your personal network in a relaxed, social environment as you renew old friendships and forge new ones.

Saturday, November 6 – Joint Industry Reception

Your day is free to explore all that Dallas offers. The traditional Joint Industry Reception concludes the convention. Meet your friends for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails at this wonderful party sponsored by the two associations.

Local Tours & Attractions –

Many architectural achievements shape Dallas' attractions and the DART rail and bus system, which has a stop at the hotel, may be able to take you where you need to go. For a DART map of Downtown Dallas destinations click here. 

Dallas has more shopping centers per capita than any other major city.
If you prefer shopping indoors alongside works of art by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, James Rosenquist and many others, head out to Northpark Center.  Northpark Center boasts 2 million square feet of shopping and over 225 stores and restaurants, including Barney's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstroms to name a few.

Although too numerous to mention all, other shopping areas include Galleria Dallas, Grapevine Mills, Irving Mall, Deep Ellum and West Village.
                                                            
Places of Interest – The expansiveness of Dallas offers a wide variety of sites and landmarks that reminds visitors of the city's past amid a thriving urban setting. Tour the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, where Lee Harvey Oswald sealed the fate of President John F. Kennedy.

Enjoy sightseeing on a Segway, the "New Horse in Town". 

Other exciting adventures include the Dallas Heritage Village,  a living history museum portraying life in early North Texas, the Old Red Courthouse (museum),  Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Dallas World Aquarium, where a 22,000-gallon Continental Shelf tunnel offers a panoramic view of reef life.

These are just a handful of the must-see attractions in the Dallas area.