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Collaborative Product Development: Best Practices, Challenges, and Tools

The Carolinas chapter of the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) will hold a professional development and networking event the evening of November 20 at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg.

For most companies collaborative product development is no longer an optional business strategy, but rather a necessity to achieve growth targets and remain competitive. But what does it take to develop, implement, and profit from a co-development effort? And how does a company take its current collaborative innovation business strategy to the next level?

 What are current best practices of leading organizations?
 What tools are available to facilitate the process?
 What pitfalls have others encountered? And how do you avoid them?

Event details:

Who:
Professionals and decision-makers at all levels as well as entrepreneurs who have interest in innovation and co- development, including product development managers, R&D managers, product managers, and innovation managers are encouraged to attend.

What:
PDMA Professional Development and Networking sponsored by VantagePoint.

Collaborative Product Development: Best Practices, Challenges, and Tools
This panel discussion will be moderated by Ralph Hulseman, president of Hoowaki, LLC. Panelists include Bart Thompson, innovation engineer, Michelin North America, Inc., Caron St. John, associate dean for graduate programs and research and professor of management, Clemson University (CBBS), and Michael Bolick, CEO of Selah Technologies.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour the Milliken Product Gallery prior to the panel discussion.

When:
Thursday, November 20, 2008

Networking & Registration 6:00 - 6:45 pm

Panel discussion and Q&A 6:45 – 8:30 pm

Where:
Roger Milliken Center, 920 Milliken Road, Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Fees:
Early Bird Rates (until Friday, November 14, 2008): $20 members (PDMA and other eligible organizations), $25 non-members.
Regular Rates: $25 PDMA members, $30 non-members
Students/academics/volunteers (with ID): $15
$5 surcharge for walk-ins
Dinner and soft drinks included.

Registration and details available online at www.pdma.org/carolinas