Annual Meeting | Laboratory Products Association

LPA Annual Meeting
November 10-12, 2024
J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
Scottsdale, Arizona

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Join over 100 members who have already registered for the 2024 LPA Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa from November 10-12. This event, centered around the theme "Driving a Dynamic Tomorrow," features distinguished speakers and market data insights steering LPA Members towards a positive future. Engage in ample business networking opportunities and immerse yourself in a day and a half of professional development, education, and inspiration!

Enhance Your Time in Scottsdale with Optional Outings
• Early-Morning Wellness Walk/Run Meet-Up

• Golf Tournament at Camelback Golf Club

• Foodie Tour in Old Town Scottsdale

• Trivia Event at the Lobby Bar

• eBike & Hike Adventure

All LPA Members, guests, and spouses are always welcome to attend optional events! Don't delay in registering and booking your room and be part of shaping a dynamic and prosperous future.

SCHEDULE
Sunday, November 10
6:00-8:00 AM LPA Women's Forum sponsored Morning Meet-Up
8:00 AM-2:00 PM    Golf Tournament, Camelback Golf Club (optional, off-site)
11:00 AM-2:00 PM Old Town Scottsdale Taste It! Foodie Tour (optional, off-site)
6:00-9:00 PM Opening Reception & Dinner

Monday, November 11
7:30-9:00 AM Open Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:15 AM Welcome and self-introductions by attendees
9:15 AM-10:45 AM     Connor Lokar, ITR Economics, Staying Ahead of the Curve in 2025-2026
10:45 AM-11:15 AM    Break
11:15 AM-12:15 PM Nichol Luoma & Adriana Kuiper, Investing the Future
12:15-1:30 PM Networking Lunch
1:30-3:30 PM Josh Waldman, Cleveland Research Company, Life Sciences Update Roundtable
3:30-3:45 PM Break
3:45-4:15 PM Analytica USA 2025 presentation (tentative)
4:15-4:30 PM Annual Business Meeting
5:00-6:00 PM   LPA Women's Forum Trivia
6:00-9:00 PM Reception & Dinner

Tuesday, November 12
7:30-8:30 AM     Open Networking Breakfast
8:30-10:00 AM   Rob Smith/Tony Hobbs, Regulatory & Legislative Insights
10:00-10:15 AM    Break
10:15-11:15 AM Jeff Havens, Unleash Your Inner Tyrant
11:30 AM Meeting Adjourns
1:00-5:00 PM       eBike & Hike (optional, off-site)

About the Hotel
J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
5402 E Lincoln Dr
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
Reserve your room here
LPA Member rate is $316 per night.
Resort fee reduced to $20 per night.
Cutoff date is October 18
Please call Reservations at 1-480-948-1700 and mention the "LPA Annual Meeting"

Discover JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa, an award-winning resort near Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, AZ. The luxury resort welcomes LPA Members with attentive service, deluxe amenities, heated outdoor pools, garden terraces and desert trails in the Sonoran Desert outside Scottsdale.

Take their free shuttle to the 18-hole championship golf courses or treat yourself to a refreshing massage in the tranquil day spa. Savor gourmet dining experiences or relax in privacy in the resort's large casitas and suites with views of nearby Camelback Mountain.

The pueblo-style, pet-friendly accommodations feature kitchenettes and an array of deluxe amenities, with a select few featuring private pools.

Optional Outings

LPA Women's Forum sponsored Morning Meet-up
Sunday, November 10, 6:00-8:00 AM
FREE!
Attendees are encouraged to participate in the LPA Women’s Forum sponsored Morning Meet-Up, where attendees will meet at the base of Mummy Mountain at 6 AM to begin the Spa Loop together or at your own pace. The meet-up will take place at the Starbucks from 7-8 AM, where participants will enjoy $5 for participation. All are welcome to join in on the early morning wellness event!

LPA Annual Meeting Golf Tournament
Sunday, November 10, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Camelback Golf Club
$295 (includes boxed lunch and golf cart)

The Padre Course at Camelback Golf Club, located in the heart of Scottsdale, Arizona, is an ideal venue for a golf tournament. Designed by the renowned Arthur Hills, this 18-hole, par-72 course spans 6,903 yards and offers a perfect blend of beauty and challenge that can accommodate golfers of all skill levels.

For golf club rentals at the Padre Course at Camelback Golf Club, you should contact the golf shop directly. When calling, it’s helpful to provide details about your rental needs, such as the number of sets required, preferred brands, and any specific requirements.
Phone: (480) 596-7050

Course Features and Layout
Fairways and Greens: The course features lush, meticulously maintained fairways and fast, undulating greens that demand precision and skill.
Bunkering and Hazards: Strategic bunkering and water features come into play on several holes, requiring thoughtful shot planning and execution. Notable holes include the 9th, with its island green, and the 18th, which features a challenging water hazard along the left side.
Varied Terrain: The layout incorporates a variety of terrain, including elevated tees, rolling fairways, and dramatic desert landscapes, providing a visually stunning and engaging golfing experience.
Signature Holes: The signature 7th hole, a par-3, is particularly memorable, with a picturesque setting and a well-protected green that tests both accuracy and nerve.

Amenities and Services
Clubhouse: The elegant clubhouse offers a full range of amenities, including a pro shop stocked with the latest golf apparel and equipment, locker rooms, and luxurious dining facilities.

Tournament Experience
Hosting our golf tournament at the Padre Course ensures a memorable experience for all LPA Members. The combination of a beautifully designed course, top-notch amenities, and the stunning backdrop of the Scottsdale desert creates an unparalleled setting for competition and camaraderie.

Old Town Scottsdale Taste It! Foodie Tour
(optional, off-site)
Sunday, November 10, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM
$160 (includes transportation, 3 restaurants, 2-3 cocktails, and 1 dessert)

Embark on the "Taste It Foodie Tour" of Old Town Scottsdale for an unforgettable culinary adventure. This guided tour offers an immersive experience through some of the area's best eateries, from trendy restaurants and charming bistros to hidden gems. Each stop features handcrafted dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, alongside perfectly paired beverages like craft cocktails, fine wines, and local brews. The tour is led by knowledgeable guides who provide fascinating insights into the history and culture of Old Town Scottsdale, enhancing your appreciation for both the food and the surroundings. The "Taste It Foodie Tour" offers a flexible and convenient way to explore Scottsdale's vibrant culinary landscape, leaving you with lasting memories of exceptional food and culture.

This is a walking food tour. Please be prepared for a moderate amount (1-1.5 miles) of walking, spread out between food stops.

Mild-to-moderate walking; some stairs included; often sat at high-top tables. What to bring: Appetite, Hat, Sunglasses, Sunscreen

LPA Women's Forum sponsored Trivia
Monday, November 11, 5:00-6:00 PM
R Bar (Lobby Bar)
FREE!
All are welcome to enjoy this fun trivia event sponsored by the LPA Women's Forum Committee at the lobby bar before heading to the official reception and dinner. You will need your phone in order to participate. No food or drinks will be provided but you will have the oppotunity to order whatever you like.

eBike & Hike Camelback (Optional, off-site)
Tuesday, November 12, 1:00-5:00 PM
$175 (includes an transportation, an intro to eBikes, tour through the Scottsdale area, and a hike up the Cholla Trail)

The eBike & Hike Camelback tour offered by Segways of Scottsdale provides a thrilling and unique way to explore one of Arizona’s most iconic landmarks. This adventure begins with a scenic eBike ride, allowing participants to effortlessly glide through the beautiful surroundings while enjoying the fresh air and stunning views. The electric bikes make it easy for riders of all fitness levels to cover more ground without getting too tired, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the journey.

After the eBike ride, the tour transitions to a hike up Camelback Mountain (Cholla Trail), one of the most popular hiking spots in the Phoenix area. The guided hike takes you along well-marked trails, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the valley below. The hike is both challenging and rewarding, with the summit providing a perfect spot for photos and a well-deserved rest. Knowledgeable guides accompany you throughout the tour, sharing interesting facts about the local flora, fauna, and geology, as well as ensuring your safety and comfort.

Combining the excitement of eBiking with the exhilaration of hiking, the eBike & Hike Camelback tour offers a memorable adventure that showcases the best of Arizona’s stunning landscapes.

About the speakers

Connor Lokar
Senior Forecaster
ITR Economics

Staying Ahead of the Curve in 2025–2026

2024 has included a tapestry of conflicting economic trends, with some industries enjoying ongoing growth and others in overt recession. Manufacturing and much of the industrial portion of the economy experienced a mild recession, but that decline will soon give way to rise and additional opportunities in 2025 and 2026 for well-prepared businesses. The services sector of the economy slowed in its rate of rise in 2024 and is expected to increase its rate of rise in 2025 and into 2026.

Join us for our outlook for key industries over the next two years. We will discuss consumer spending, inflation, interest rates, the labor market, and key leading indicators. Our examination will extend to global markets and their impact on the domestic landscape. This presentation will provide information on necessary tactics and strategies that will prepare you for an upswing in the business cycle post 2024. Knowledge gained from the presentation, in conjunction with ITR Economics’ time-tested analytical tools, will provide you the means to maximize profit in the years ahead.

About Connor
Few young economists present their insights with the authority, accuracy, and humor that Connor Lokar brings to the stage. From the intimate executive retreat to the standing room-only keynote, he delivers with charm and candor, rousing and enlightening all who attend his talks.

As a millennial, Connor brings a new perspective to the world of economics, delivering ITR’s industry-leading accuracy to current C-suite executives while forging connections with the next generation of business leaders.

Connor specializes in construction but consults and presents to businesses across all industries, helping them grow revenue and remain profitable through an everchanging business cycle.

Jeff Havens
Humorist and Comedy Speaker

Unleash your inner tryant!

The first of its kind, Unleash Your Inner Tyrant! helps managers and executives become better leaders by showing them everything they should avoid – including how to create a culture of fear and mistrust, how to oppress and demoralize employees, and how to stand firm in the face of all change – before wrapping up with a serious conversation about the kind of leaders we should all strive to become.

Covering four main areas of leadership – creating a healthy corporate culture; management/employee relations; crisis management; and change management – Unleash Your Inner Tyrant! is every bit as content-rich and intensively researched as a more traditional leadership seminar but has the added benefit of an unparalleled delivery style that will have your audience laughing the entire time they’re learning how to become more effective leaders. Simply put, there is nothing else like this in the business world, and no better way to energize your management team while providing them with invaluable training they will remember for months and years to come.

Takeaways

How to create a healthy, vibrant corporate culture through open communication and active accessibility
How to inspire trust and loyalty in your employees by setting reasonable expectations and delivering truly constructive criticism when necessary
How to approach change in order to achieve seamless integration of new product lines, marketing strategies, department mergers, and other new initiatives
How to employ one simple technique to move employees from satisfied to engaged.
How to become the kind of leader others are excited to follow

About Jeff
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jeff Havens began his career as a high school English teacher before following his father Rex Havens into the world of stand-up comedy, where he worked with some of the brightest lights in American comedy and honed the art of engaging audiences through laughter. But his impulse to teach never faded, and soon he began looking for an avenue to combine both of his passions into entertaining and meaningful presentations.

The results are "Uncrapify Your Life!"; "How to Get Fired!"; "Unleash Your Inner Tyrant!"; and "Becoming a More Annoying You!", and since their introduction Havens has brought his unique, side-splitting, message-based presentations to General Electric, Ford Motor Company, US Bank, McDonald's, and hundreds of other corporations in the United States and Canada. Original, informative, hilarious and powerful, Havens' ability to help people achieve success in leadership, customer service, communication, generational issues, corporate culture and more by talking about what they should and shouldn’t do guarantees that his audiences manage to laugh and learn at the same time. His goal? To provide all the content of a traditional presentation with all the entertainment value of a comedy show.

Havens is also a regular guest on Fox Business News and has been featured in "BusinessWeek," the "Wall Street Journal," CNBC, AOL, and dozens of other regional and national media outlets. His latest book is "Unleash Your Inner Tyrant!: Proven Strategies to Help You Become a More Horrible Boss."

Tony Hobbs
Associate Vice President
Platinum Advisors

Regulatory & Legislative Insights

About Tony
With over a decade of political and policy experience, Tony provides a breadth of tactical knowledge and expertise on a wide range of issues. Tony provides Platinum’s clients with real-time, in-depth analysis and updates on key policy and political discussions in DC and beyond.

Prior to joining the Platinum team, Tony was the Legislative Director in the office of US Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01). There, he directed the legislative efforts of the Congresswoman’s DC staff, formulated and implemented the Member’s legislative agenda, and managed an expansive legislative portfolio including appropriations, energy, labor, and financial services policies. Tony also has extensive experience in the political arena – directing the field efforts for successful congressional campaigns that involved massive voter outreach and volunteer coordination efforts.

When not in D.C., Tony can be found sailing the Potomac River in his small sloop, Rocinante, or hiking in the Shenandoah forests.

Adriana Kuiper
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Knowledge Enterprise
Arizona State University

Investing the Future: How two R1 Universities are leveraging research and partnering with suppliers big and small to advance society

About Adriana
Adriana Kuiper is the Associate Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Knowledge Enterprise at Arizona State University. In this role, she is a senior member of the leadership team responsible for the execution of strategic, operational, and cultural changes. Kuiper leads large-scale, complex projects on behalf of the enterprise, and oversees a variety of operational units including project management, business analysis, quality management, analytics, marketing and communications, human resources, and research facilities.

Prior to this role, Kuiper served as Associate Vice President of Strategy and Chief of Staff. Before coming to the Knowledge Enterprise, Kuiper served as a leader for multiple research-centric projects including the National Cancer Institute Physical Sciences in Oncology Center; the establishment of ASU as the first university in the United States to receive ISO 9000 certification; and setting up the ASU international offices in Vietnam, Mexico and Malawi. Kuiper also served on multiple task forces for the HIBAR Research Alliance and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), specifically in evaluating the characteristics of use-inspired, society-oriented research. She also co-published, with colleagues at Kings College London and the Global Federation for Competitiveness Councils (GFCC), a report on Leveraging Extreme Innovation. She is currently a board member for the Future Talent Council’s Faculty and Staff Development board, and a member of The National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers for the Council on Competitiveness.

Kuiper holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. She has been recognized as one of the top 50 women leaders of Arizona for 2022. She has served as president of ASU’s Project Management Network and has served on the board since its inception, is an active member of the Commission for the Status of Women, and mentors aspiring professionals in and outside of the university. Kuiper is also an accredited Project Management Professional (PMP) and an active member of the Project Management Network (PMI), National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA).

Nichol Luoma
Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Chief Administrative Officer
Washington University in St. Louis

Investing the Future: How two R1 Universities are leveraging research and partnering with suppliers big and small to advance society

About Nichol
Nichol L. Luoma, a distinguished leader with over two decades of global business operations experience, has been appointed Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Chief Administrative Officer at Washington University in St. Louis.

Luoma leads core administrative divisions, including human resources and institutional equity, procurement, supplier diversity, environmental health and safety, and information technology. Additionally, she will direct operations spanning facilities management, public safety, university services, global travel, and coordination with the School of Medicine’s administrative functions. Luoma serves on Chancellor Andrew Martin’s cabinet, collaborating with other executive vice chancellors and vice chancellors.

A first-generation college graduate and alumna of Arizona State University (ASU), Luoma served since 2012 at ASU, where she oversaw multiple enterprise-wide operations. She was responsible for supply chain management, auxiliaries, employee health, parking and transit, sustainability practices, risk and resilience management, physical security initiatives, emergency management, and environmental health and safety.

Luoma has extensive leadership experience in transformative initiatives at ASU, which have garnered national recognition. Under her leadership, ASU’s operations received multiple national awards, including recognition as an AASHE STARS Platinum school. ASU also received praise for its crisis management response in 2021.

Prior to her tenure at ASU, Luoma held leadership roles in juvenile products companies and spent nearly a decade at Intel Corp., managing international supply chains. Luoma’s dedication to higher education earned her the 2022 National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) Rising Star Award. She has also been recognized for her sustainability efforts and leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Luoma holds a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management from ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business and a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University.

Rob Smith
Senior Vice President
Platrinum Advisors

Regulatory & Legislative Insights

About Rob
A Republican operative who originally hails from Oklahoma but now splits his time between Oxford, MS and Washington, DC, Rob represents a diverse client base, including the defense, healthcare, tribal issues, environmental, financial services and transportation sectors.

Rob began his career on Capitol Hill as the military legislative aide to House Armed Services Committee Member, Congressman Joel Hefley (R-CO), where he worked on defense procurement and military construction issues. He later went on to serve as legislative director for Congressman Wes Watkins (R-OK), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, where he focused on trade and tax issues.

Upon leaving the Hill, Rob joined Sun Microsystems, where he represented the company on numerous legislative and regulatory matters, including domestic and international tax, broadband, employee compensation and benefits and accounting and export controls.

Throughout his time in Washington, D.C., Rob has remained politically active. In 2004 and 2008, he served as a professional volunteer in the Official Proceedings Division of the Republican National Committee. In that role, Rob was responsible for the logistics and hospitality of over twenty members of Congress and VIPs. Additionally, he serves on the steering and finance committees for many elected officials and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Club Association.
Rob earned his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.

Josh Waldman, PhD, MBA
Equity Research, Life Science Tools & Diagnostics industries
Cleveland Research Company

Life Sciences Update Roundtable

About Josh
Josh is currently a Research Associate at the research firm, Cleveland Research Company (CRC) where he and his team are responsible for coverage of the Life Science, Managed Care and Ophthalmology industries. Prior to CRC, Josh held a business development position at Forest Labs (now Allergan) in addition to working with several early-stage biotech start-ups where he held both business development and benchtop research positions.

Josh holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on transplantation immunology, and an MBA from the University of Toledo. He completed his undergraduate work in biochemistry at Bowling Green State University. He currently lives in Pepper Pike, OH with his wife Erin and daughter Charlotte.

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