2016 Marketing Activities to Date

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Spring is a busy season for the APEX team. The APEX staff attend strategically selected trade shows and conferences to build connections and promote the region’s business and industrial assets. Read more to learn about the events that APEX took part in year-to-date.

SHOT Show

In January, APEX and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) attended the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, NV. The show is considered the largest and most comprehensive trade show for all professionals involved with the shooting sports, hunting and law enforcement industries. The SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Site Selectors Guild

APEX attended the Site Selectors Guild annual conference held in Nashville, TN in late February. The conference brings together site selection consultants from throughout the world who provided location strategy to corporations in every industry, sector, and function.

Industrial Asset Management Council

In March, APEX attended the Industrial Asset Management Council’s Professional Forum held in New Orleans, LA. The council hosts forums twice each year for  corporate real estate professionals, site consultants and economic developers. Brian Hanson joined a representative from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development at the conference. “IAMC attendance is very valuable because it provides direct access to both corporate and site selection professionals,” stated Hanson.

MN Aviation Maintenance Technician Conference

In late March, members of the APEX and NORTHFORCE teams joined investor-members AAR and Lake Superior College to attend and booth at the annual MN Aviation Maintenance Technician Conference organized by the State of Minnesota’s Department of Transportation (DOT). The conference was attended by 400 exhibitors, industry professionals, A&P Mechanics, students and retirees, while featuring industry specific and educational breakout sessions and an aviation trade show floor. APEX Senior Business Developer, Ian Vincent, along with AAR’s Jennie Sage, were able to address all of the students in attendance regarding the benefits of living and working in northeast Minnesota.

Data Center World

APEX joined the Minnesota Marketing Partnership at the Data Center World Spring conference in Las Vegas, NV in early April. The event is considered the premier international conference and expo for data center and IT infrastructure professionals. The conference draws upon the knowledge and experience of the more than 3,500 AFCOM members, the association for advancing data center and IT infrastructure professionals, to create an end-user driven agenda that focuses on real solutions for today’s key challenges.

SME Minnesota

In mid-April, APEX attended the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) show in Duluth, MN. The annual conference provided insight on regional trends, changes in process technologies, current and future regulatory compliance standards, mining education in the 21st century and professional networking with mining operators, managers, industry services, suppliers and vendors. At the show, APEX met with a business prospect that will be an important supplier to Polymet and other mining companies in the future.

Aerospace and Defense Supplier Summit

In mid-April, APEX attended the Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit (A&DSS) in Seattle, WA for the first time. Brian Hanson joined investor-member, Great River Energy and IRRRB at the supply chain event that brought together aerospace and defense primes, tier suppliers and contract-manufacturers. The event, an unconventional conference, paired engineering, procurement, supply chain, fabrication, commodity teams, suppliers and service providers from around the world through pre-arranged one-on-one meetings. APEX represented the region’s manufacturing, fabrication and aviation capabilities and credentials at the conference.

If you’d like to speak with the APEX team regarding marketing efforts, or to learn more about the conferences, please contact Brian Hanson or Ian Vincent.

Vital 2016 tech+work

Vital 2016 had excellent attendance on April 20, 2016 with over 450 individuals from the tech world here in Duluth as well as our region. APEX and NORTHFORCE shared a booth and had a great turn out of job seekers as well as businesses.  In addition, APEX Business Developer, Tamara Lowney, delivered a breakout session on the current economic climate for our region.  She worked with resources from DEED, Northland Connection and the Iron Mining Association to detail out current statistics on unemployment, labor force and other trends.  We congratulate investor-member, Citon Computer Corporation, for hosting such a successful event.

Category: Marketing