If a workshop covers information that can be commonly found in trucking magazines and web sites, it should not be offered. Workshop time should be given to topics that are as close to real-life expediting as possible and given by presenters who are as close to real-world expediting as they can possibly be (note that the expediting world is diverse, one person's world is not anothers).
To review your list:
"Would you like to more workshops on the industry such as CARB or even the changes in the 2010 engines. What about the new Diesel Exhaust Fluids (DEF)."
No. All of the above should be omitted. All of that information will be well covered by the trucking magazines and radio shows. Because the information is commonly available, the topics provide no reason for people to come to the Expo. These topics will be important to people buying trucks. If a truck-buying workshop is offered, they can be touched on there.
"What about a workshop with a DOT officer discussing scales and logbooks?"
Hell no! DOT officers have their scales. We have the Expo. Logbooks are discussed at orientation. Newbies will learn all they need to know there. Use Expo time for topics that will not be covered elsewhere. Log book practices (including electronic logging) are diverse and vary from carrier to carrier. The only one that matters is the one with the carrier you are currently with. This is a topic for carriers to teach, not EO.
"How about a few more sessions on the business aspect of Expediting?"
A favorite topic of mine but be careful of overkill. Even if you dedicated a full two days of workshops to business topics, it would not be enough to teach everything business-wise an expediter should know. The same is true of all other topics. Go not for depth but breadth, exposing Expo attendees to a wide variety of topics instead of drilling deeper into a selected few.
"What about a session on Canada?"
Where is Canada?
"What about having a keynote speaker start off the Expedite Expo?"
The Expo is not a convention where all attendees pre-register and arrive at the same time to participate in a series of events. It is an event where people come and go, often on a whim. If a keynote address is to be given, have it at a Friday night banquet after the show closes for the day to maximize attendance and not pull people off the floor and away from sponsors' booths. Instead of one keynote speaker, consider three CEOs from three expedite carriers that each have 20 minutes to share their view on the future of expeditng.
"What about a series of mini workshops including Leo's thoughts on Fuel Tax, Dave's thoughts on getting your own loads, polishing your truck, how to cook in the truck, exercise, tricks to save fuel ...."
Is not that exactly what happened at the Moderator workshop? If you are going to schedule a longer moderator workshop next year, work those topics into it; or, have a one hour general workshop and breakout sessions on the above topics that follow.
If you intend to share thoughts on fuel tax and getting your own loads, offer more than "you should" or "you can" save money on fuel tax and get your own loads. Offer "how to" save money on fuel tax and get your own loads, to include actual examples of making the calculation or a live online demonstration of how loads are actually booked.
Like fuel milage and tales of Las Vegas wins, talk of great accomplishments in getting your own loads is often made but seldom substiantiated. If the topic is to be covered at a workshop, more than myth should be offered. Attendees should be able to see how getting your own loads is actually done. Failing that, they should be given information, including names and resources, that can be used to book their own loads.
Raye Ackerman's load board demonstration in his workshop "Increasing Revenue With Load Board Technology" included such a demonstration. Seeing is believing.
"What would you like to learn more about at a workshop?"
A panel of newbie expediters (one year of experience or less), representing a number of carriers, and who are succeeding in the business, would be of great interest to expedite wannabees, newbies, old salts and carrier representatives. We live in changing times. Some of what as true of expediting 1, 5, and 10 years ago is not true today. Let us hear from the newbies who are making it. What are they doing to succeed? What do they see that the experience of the old salts blinds them to?
Another workshop or perhaps an ongoing display to consider is one of freight securement. Maybe form a parking lot circle of three trucks, backed into circle with their doors open. The people can stand in the center. The drivers can have 10 minutes each to explain their layout and demonstrate their equipment use.
This is something no trucking magazine can cover in the way it would be covered here. How many of us learned our securement tips and tricks by seeing them used or demonstrated by other drivers? I believe this would be of interest and value to newbies, old salts and vendors alike. Run the mini workshop a few times a day to provide scheduling flexibility for Expo attendees.
It takes longer than 10 minutes to explain our truck body layout and securement techniques. That's OK. The rapid-fire, introductory approach is preferred to pouring a lot of time into this one topic, when there is so much more to see and do at the show.
