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FOCA is for Petro Networking

See What Others Are Saying About FOCA

FOCA is for Petro Networking

See What Others Are Saying About FOCA

Prepare for the future of petro at this year’s Focus on competitive advantage (FOCA) Event

You have big questions about the future of the Petro industry, and we have answers.  Join us at this year’s FOCA event – you don’t want to miss ITR Economics’ session where they present industry forecasts, data and trends – all important for planning the future relevance of your family business.

FOCA is THE event for family Petro businesses. We are a unique community of Petro marketers working together to solve challenges, gain new insights, and share proven tactics. 

Some of This Year’s Gritty Sessions
GET MORE GRIT

Does your family business have what it takes to excel during hard times?

Grit. We all want it, but few actually have it – that ability to get back up and excel when the going gets tough. Companies with grit enjoy success and longevity.

Our opening speaker for FOCA knows a little something about grit. He’ll be sharing his story and giving you and your team his method for developing the mental resiliency needed to push past challenges and competitors, and become a leader in this changing Petro market.

So who is this grit speaker?  We’re not telling – you gotta join us to find out!

PROTECT YOUR COMPANY FROM HACKERS

Speaker: Hector Monsegur – Hacker turned FBI Informant

The Colonial Pipeline got a lot of attention, but family businesses get targeted every day by hackers.  Have you been a victim yet?  Hector Monsegur is a former blackhat turned FBI informant and now a security research expert.  Known for his controversial hacks of federal contractors and government entities, he was given a chance to reform and then helped the U.S. government prevent over 300 cyber attacks.

Formerly known as “Sabu,” he participated in hacktivist operations alongside Anonymous and LulzSec where he coordinated with other blackhats to compromise key targets in fast-paced attacks around the world. Since then, he has reformed and entered the security industry as a professional, helping thousands of clients with their penetration testing and social engineering including clients AT&T, Humana, JPMorgan, and others.

As Director of Research at Alacrinet Consulting Services, he is active in the InfoSec community and passionate about giving back and using his reach to inspire the next generation of security professionals.

PREPARE FOR THE GREEN NEW WORLD (ECONOMIC FORECAST)

Speaker: Taylor St Germain, economist from ITR Economics

Petro is currently being villainized in the media, and it’s leading to a lot of alarming questions:

“Is there going to be a petroleum industry in 2040?”

“What can family businesses do to be relevant and thriving in the future?”

In this session, Taylor will provide facts, data and trends that will help you make informed decisions on the direction of your family business. ITR has been in business since 1948 and is first in economic forecasts worldwide, with a 94.7% accuracy since 1985.  In other words, they know their stuff.

Expect an overview of world market trends, and impacts specifically for Petro, including alternative energies.  You will leave this session with the foresight needed to successfully manage your company in the changing energy landscape.

GET STUCK LEADERS UNSTUCK

Speaker: Thomas Otley, Meridian

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always got.’  When one or more of your team members is stuck, it’s super frustrating.  Business growth requires change but most leaders gravitate to their comfort zone.  Family businesses typically are missing the tools and techniques to get leaders unstuck.  In this session, you will learn how to guide your leaders and team members from where they are to where they need to be, getting them unstuck!

  • Get critical projects done faster
  • Accelerate growth
  • Drive up efficiency, costs down
MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM

Speaker: Lesley Merlino, Meridian

Motivate Your Team (No Cattle-prod Needed) – Ping-pong, happy hour, massage tables at work are all the rage.  Should you jump on that bandwagon?

Motivating employees does not take fancy breakrooms and expensive relaxation devices.  Retaining employees and attracting new ones is easier than you would imagine when you have the right framework.   In this session, you will learn the essential keys to start unlocking the motivation secrets of your employees quickly.

SPEED UP PROJECTS AND PROFITS

Speaker: Thomas Otley, Meridian

Invisible forces limit the success of a family business.  At a very deep level, low trust is the most common cause of misalignment.  Worse yet, low trust often spawns cliques and silos (us versus them) that constrict a business’ ability to grow and prosper.   In this session, you’ll learn the keys to breaking that invisible barrier by building strong, high trust relationships needed to catapult your company to its next level of success. 

  • Learn how to pinpoint trust deficits
  • Understand how lack of trust derails projects, growth and profits
  • Learn how to build trust within the organization
  • End result -team unity which speeds projects and profits
CREATE A HAPPY TEAM, FOR HAPPY CUSTOMERS

Speaker: James Berner, Meridian

The energy an employee or a team can bring to the office, the warehouse, a customer, or a meeting can be the difference in high engagement or low productivity. Happy employees are a competitive advantage. In this session, you will learn:

  • The causes for unproductive and disengaged employees and teams
  • The cost of team member happiness
  • Why happiness matters
  • How to generate profit by increasing employee happiness
UNIFY YOUR TEAM DESPITE AGE DIFFERENCES

Speaker: James Berner, Meridian

What are the similarities in a cup of black coffee and a venti, non-fat, raw sugar, mocha powder, caramel drizzle? No this isn’t the starter of a good joke…

You might be noticing that your team’s blood is getting a little younger, but that isn’t stopping your seasoned veterans. In this session you will learn about:

  • Why teams with age gaps are growing apart
  • The cost of a gunfight
  • The similarities between generations
  • Leveraging generations through harmony
GROW THROUGH STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

How to choose the right companies to buy to grow quickly and profitably
MAKE WINNING BUY OFFERS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

Do you want to win that deal?  Here’s how to beat the competition without sacrificing ROI…

PREVENT POST-ACQUISITION CRAZINESS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

The first 6 months after a buy can be a tough integration period. Here’s how to smooth out those snags using a process that can be applied to any acquisition.

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Speakers
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Gritty Sessions
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Targeted Roundtables
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Times ROI

It’s Time to Cowboy Up in Cowtown!  Join us Sept 22-24 in Fort Worth, TX at the iconic Hotel Drover.

GET MORE GRIT

Does your family business have what it takes to excel during hard times?

Grit. We all want it, but few actually have it – that ability to get back up and excel when the going gets tough. Companies with grit enjoy success and longevity.

Our opening speaker for FOCA knows a little something about grit. He’ll be sharing his story and giving you and your team his method for developing the mental resiliency needed to push past challenges and competitors, and become a leader in this changing Petro market.

So who is this grit speaker?  We’re not telling – you gotta join us to find out!

PROTECT YOUR COMPANY FROM HACKERS

Speaker: Hector Monsegur – Hacker turned FBI Informant

The Colonial Pipeline got a lot of attention, but family businesses get targeted every day by hackers.  Have you been a victim yet?  Hector Monsegur is a former blackhat turned FBI informant and now a security research expert.  Known for his controversial hacks of federal contractors and government entities, he was given a chance to reform and then helped the U.S. government prevent over 300 cyber attacks.

Formerly known as “Sabu,” he participated in hacktivist operations alongside Anonymous and LulzSec where he coordinated with other blackhats to compromise key targets in fast-paced attacks around the world. Since then, he has reformed and entered the security industry as a professional, helping thousands of clients with their penetration testing and social engineering including clients AT&T, Humana, JPMorgan, and others.

As Director of Research at Alacrinet Consulting Services, he is active in the InfoSec community and passionate about giving back and using his reach to inspire the next generation of security professionals.

PREPARE FOR THE GREEN NEW WORLD (ECONOMIC FORECAST)

Speaker: Taylor St Germain, economist from ITR Economics

Petro is currently being villainized in the media, and it’s leading to a lot of alarming questions:

“Is there going to be a petroleum industry in 2040?”

“What can family businesses do to be relevant and thriving in the future?”

In this session Taylor will provide facts, data and trends that will help you make informed decisions on the direction of your family business. ITR has been in business since 1948 and is first in economic forecasts worldwide, with a 94.7% accuracy since 1985.  In other words, they know their stuff.

Expect and overview of world market trends, and impacts specifically for Petro, including alternative energies.  You will leave this session with the foresight needed to successfully manage your company in the changing energy landscape.

GET STUCK LEADERS UNSTUCK

Speaker: Thomas Otley, Meridian

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always got.’  When one or more of your team members is stuck, it’s super frustrating.  Business growth requires change but most leaders gravitate to their comfort zone.  Family businesses typically are missing the tools and techniques to get leaders unstuck.  In this session, you will learn how to guide your leaders and team members from where they are to where they need to be, getting them unstuck!

  • Get critical projects done faster
  • Accelerate growth
  • Drive up efficiency, costs down
MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM

Speaker: Lesley Merlino, Meridian

If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always got.’  When one or more of your team members is stuck, it’s super frustrating.  Business

Motivate Your Team (No Cattle-prod Needed) – Ping-pong, happy hour, massage tables at work are all the rage.  Should you jump on that bandwagon?

Motivating employees does not take fancy breakrooms and expensive relaxation devices.  Retaining employees and attracting new ones is easier than you would imagine when you have the right framework.   In this session, you will learn the essential keys to start unlocking the motivation secrets of your employees quickly.

SPEED UP PROJECTS AND PROFITS

Speaker: Thomas Otley, Meridian

Invisible forces limit the success of a family business.  At a very deep level, low trust is the most common cause of misalignment.  Worse yet, low trust often spawns cliques and silos (us versus them) that constrict a business’ ability to grow and proper.   In this session, you’ll learn the keys to breaking that invisible barrier by building strong, high trust relationships needed to catapult your company to its next level of success. 

  • Learn how to pinpoint trust deficits
  • Understand how lack of trust derails projects, growth and profits
  • Learn how to build trust within the organization
  • End result -team unity which speeds projects and profits
CREATE A HAPPY TEAM, FOR HAPPY CUSTOMERS

Speaker: James Berner, Meridian

The energy an employee or a team can bring to the office, the warehouse, a customer, or a meeting can be the difference in high engagement or low productivity. Happy employees are a competitive advantage. In this session, you will learn:

  • The causes for unproductive and disengaged employees and teams
  • The cost of team member happiness
  • Why happiness matters
  • How to generate profit by increasing employee happiness
UNIFY YOUR TEAM DESPITE AGE DIFFERENCES

Speaker: James Berner, Meridian

What are the similarities in a cup of black coffee and a venti, non-fat, raw sugar, mocha powder, caramel drizzle? No this isn’t the starter of a good joke…

You might be noticing that your team’s blood is getting a little younger, but that isn’t stopping your seasoned veterans. In this session you will learn about:

  • Why teams with age gaps are growing apart
  • The cost of a gunfight
  • The similarities between generations
  • Leveraging generations through harmony
GROW THROUGH STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

How to choose the right companies to buy to grow quickly and profitably
MAKE WINNING BUY OFFERS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

Do you want to win that deal?  Here’s how to beat the competition without sacrificing ROI…

PREVENT POST-ACQUISITION CRAZINESS

Speaker: Betsi Bixby, Meridian

The first 6 months after a buy can be a tough integration period. Here’s how to smooth out those snags using a process that can be applied to any acquisition.

WHY ATTEND FOCA?
Paul Powell
Paul Powell
Boswell Oil Company

“Enjoyed each day of the event. It was very informative, helpful, and motivational. Really enjoyed the fellowship with other companies.”

Jeff Chase
Jeff Chase
Fast Break

“The Meridian team is amazing. They are passionate, energized, and caring. Also, the other family businesses were great to work and share with.”

Keith Suppes
Keith Suppes
Parish Oil Co., Inc.

“The amount of knowledge that gathers here is incredible. If you are looking to grow your productivity, revenue, profitability, and your business as a whole, this is the place to be!”

Matt Strauch
Matt Strauch
Strauch Company

“I appreciate being able to hear my company’s thoughts throughout the program. It’s encouraging to be in alignment.”

Eric Vallier
Eric Vallier
Ed Staub & Sons, Ed’s Trucking

“Best networking conference I have ever attended. Awesome event. I’ll be back next year.”

Shelly Fruge
Shelly Fruge
Guillory Oil Co.

“I personally gain more with each Meridian event I attend. Always new information to take in. I have learned to never think something doesn’t pertain to me because you never know!”

Greg Parish
Greg Parish
Parish Oil Co., Inc.

“Meridian helps us develop relationships within our company and helps us make decisions to improve our company operations.”

September 22-24, 2021
Drover Hotel
200 Mule Alley Drive Fort Worth, TX 76164
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
WHEN
FOCA 2021 Sept. 22nd-24th
WHERE
Wild Dunes Resort,
Isle of Palms, SC

Meridian Associates Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org.

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