OPEI announces plans for 2017 annual meeting

The outdoor power equipment industry will gather in Kohler, Wis., June 20-22 to network, recharge, and meet up with old friends at the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) annual meeting. Attendees will take a virtual trip to Washington and the South Pole — two places not so dissimilar these days — through a roster of world-class speakers.

During the three-day meeting, industry leaders will meet for OPEI’s yearly event at The American Club in Kohler and hear from speakers Ben Saunders, world record-breaking polar explorer; Ann Marie Buerkle, chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Mark Halperin, managing editor of Bloomberg Politics and TV host of “With All Due Respect;” Dr. Alan Beaulieu, award-winning economist and author; and Margaret O’Gorman, head of the Wildlife Habitat Council.

“We have an incredible lineup of presenters coming to the annual meeting,” said Kris Kiser, OPEI president and CEO. “Who better to help us make sense of our current times than Mark Halperin, someone steeped in Washington day-to-day, and Ben Saunders, who’s achieved the impossible by crossing the Arctic? Both places require seemingly impossible feats these days, and we thought these speakers would have some good things to share around navigating uncharted territory.”

Kiser added, “Also, as a testament to the great relationship-building work of our UTV committee and staff, we will reunite with our colleague Ann Marie Buerkle, the new chair at the CPSC. Dr. Alan Beaulieu is a favorite economic speaker for our members, and Margaret O’Gorman will bring a unique perspective around our urban landscapes.”

Open to all OPEI members, the OPEI annual meeting offers speaking events, networking events and social activities such as golf.

“The American Club is a terrific place for us to gather, as it puts us in the heart of where our industry friends and family live and work,” said Kiser. “Kohler also is close to where our members do business. The fact Kohler has some of the best golfing in the country doesn’t hurt.”

The OPEI board of directors also will meet right after the closing of the annual meeting.

For more information about OPEI’s annual meeting, go to www.opei.org.