Instead of flying from city to city to meet with key architectural specifiers, imagine having them congregate in one location in a format that allows you to have one-on-one meetings and networking opportunities.

This is the "speed dating" concept of building product sales calls. Like the social speed-dating programs where the ladies get in without charge, specifiers will attend these junkets on an all-expenses paid basis. Manufacturers pick up the tab, starting at $6000 per sponsor.

Forums like this, from Arc-US and others, are already part of many manufacturer's marketing mix. Now, the Construction Specifications Institute has decided to play matchmaker, too.

CSI has announced a "Master Specifiers Retreat" to be held March 8 – 10, 2012 in Tucson, AZ. It will "bring together senior specifiers from across the country for an intimate gathering of focused education, group networking, and one-on-one meetings with building product manufacturer executives." The event, they say, is for:

"Expert specifiers who specify millions of dollars of products, and who are ready for a high-level discussion about specifying.
"Manufacturer executives who are ready to develop profitable, mutually beneficial relationships with these specifiers."

The mix of attendees is likely to be different than those at the Arc-US events, attracting more people with titles like "director of specification" or "specification consultant" and fewer people with titles like "project manager" and "principal." This is a useful cohort for manufacturers in many product categories.

For more information, contact Susan Konohia, skonohia@csinet.org or 703-706-4744.