Our much enjoyed and ever so beneficial 2017 National Conference will be held in conjunction with our Rockin’ Rookies Americraft manufacturing adventure and homecoming for all to enjoy! There is nothing more invigorating than to visit the Americraft green-certified facilities, meet the people we support and pushing the button on a 250 ton press while crafting our own cooking masterpiece. Many of the pros have not experienced this and we can’t wait to bring everyone together for inspiration and education while having fun with our comrades.
Daily Schedule
Keynote Speakers
Round Tables
Hotel & Transportation
Daily Schedule
Monday, December 4th:
Daily Schedule
Attire: Business Casual Arrive Monday, December 4th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel by 12:00 noon.
Keynote Speakers
12:00 - 1:00 Meet, greet and lunch 1:00 - 2:30 Welcome & Introductions Dave and Bryan Hurley 2:30 - 3:30 What’s New at Kitchen Craft
Round Tables
3:30 - 4:30 Tim Martin – What’s Your Grit Factor 4:30 - 5:00 Dave Hurley – The Power of the Testimony Meet in the Hotel Lobby at 5:45 to go to dinner at the famous Mader’s German Restaurant 6:00
Hotel & Transportation
Tuesday, December 5th: Attire: Business Casual 8:00 - 12:30 Inspiration and Education Round Tables with Team Speakers: Sal Anschuetz – Work Habits Chuck Fowler – Audience Building Rob Ballinger – Working Your Business Mark Temares – Selling the Walk Up Ken Perry – Pushing the Print Button 12:30 - 1:30 Working Lunch 1:30 to 2:30 Break and Transition to the 1940’s (dress in the 40’s as a soldier, nurse, sales rep, Bomb Girls, Rosie, etc.)
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Mader’s German Restaurant
2:45 Meet in the Hotel Lobby 3:00 to 3:30 Bus to the Americraft Manufacturing Factory 3:30 to 4:00 Welcome to the Great American Cookware Factory Bryan Hurley – Our Competition Has Changed 4:00 to 6:00 We’re Going to Work 6:00 to 9:30 Awards Dinner 9:45 Bus back to the hotel
Wednesday, December 6th: Attire: Business Casual 8:00 - 12:00 Inspiration and Education Breakout Panel with Team Speakers (continued): Kab Benefield – Building Value Steve des Islets – Overcoming Objections Nicholas Castellano – Whatever It Takes! Dave – What Are We Working For? 1:00 Depart for home with a new appreciation for your great career at Kitchen Craft!
Keynote Speakers Dave Hurley Dave’s degrees are from the “University of Experience, Hard Knocks, USA”, where he learned there was no substitute for hard work. He has personally sold over a million dollars in cookware each year, for over 20 years. Today he is known as “the ghost” who visits and assists every rep in the company at least once each year helping them reach their dreams. This enables him to be the visionary who brings new ideas to the sales organization and keeps us well in the forefront of our competitors.
Daily Schedule
Keynote Speakers
Round Tables
Bryan Hurley “Bryan Hurley…born in a one quart.”
Hotel & Transportation Bryan grew up in the cookware industry, attending shows and conventions alongside his father Dave his entire life. In 2004 Bryan opened and built the factory we use today, Americraft, in West Bend, Wisconsin. Americraft is a state-of-the-art E-Green certified factory that makes multiple lines of cookware for different companies. Bryan and his wife Beth have a blended family of six children. They have five sons and one daughter. Bryan is very passionate about keeping and building jobs in America.
Tim Martin Tim is the only rep that lives in Mount Dora, Florida. He is the closest chef to the corporate office and has worked closely with everyone there implementing different initiatives passed down from our illustrious leader. He is in his 7th year with Kitchen Craft and loving his life more and more every day. Just recently, he decided to take his wife Stephanie and two children, Avery and Mikayla, on a year-long RV adventure. They have rented out their home and are living on the road. This experience was made possible because of Kitchen Craft. Tim’s philosophy in life and business is to treat people fairly and honestly. Be the best you can be at what you do and the money will follow. But remember life and family balance come first. Dave gave Tim the incredible opportunity to take on the role of Company Coach a couple of years ago and this has enabled him to play a integral part in the development of our reps and our company as a whole. He is extremely excited about his bright and promising future with Kitchen Craft.
Nicholas Castellano I knew my life would revolve around food creativity from an early age. I can remember watching Oscar Meyer commercials and seeing pictures on the TV of a beautifully made sandwich with the deli meat folded gently, the corners of the cheese sticking out just right, with bright green lettuce and a perfectly red tomato. As early as age 6, I would go into the refrigerator and recreate what I had seen on tv and feed it to my Dad. His reaction was all I needed. I attended the Culinary Institute of America after high school and haven’t stopped cooking since. The importance of nutritional cooking and wellness was spawned during my career at Whole Foods Market and my waistline. With a new found focus and discipline I was able to lose 75 lbs and gain a wealth of knowledge. Promoting healthy lifestyles and wholesome foods by example has helped many of my friends and family.
Sal Anschuetz I like to reinvent myself every six or seven years, and the last two careers I had fit perfectly with the position as a cooking show host. I was a high school physics and astronomy teacher. I was voted “The Teacher I Learned the Most From” and also “Teacher With the Best Personality” by multiple senior classes. If I can keep a bunch of 16 and 17 year olds interested in physics I can definitely entertain adults with food.
Charles Fowler Charlie and Monica have been with Kitchen Craft for 2-1/2 years. They are lifelong educators. Just six weeks after entering sales, Betty Hahn found Charlie and Monica and invited them for a closer look at the Kitchen Craft opportunity. She saw their potential to succeed and to lead a team. Betty is their biggest cheerleader. Timing is everything and they feel blessed by God because they were trained by Dan Galligan. Their first year at Kitchen Craft was highly competitive and Charlie and Monica earned the Rookie Couple of the Year award. They’ve already traveled on incentive reward trips to both Panama and Switzerland. Charlie and Monica have three grown children; a teacher, a police officer and a part-time Kitchen Craft rep. Their son Charles has joined them for the last two fair seasons. They have two grandchildren – a 5 years old and a 2 years old. They love the extra time they have with their family, thanks to their career with Kitchen Craft!
Rob Ballinger I have lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland my entire life. Katie and I, having stable jobs, bought a house in 2008 close to our parents on the Eastern Shore. In 2009 we were married, and a year later Katie lost her job with Legg Mason. In 2011 the company I was working for went out of business. I started with Kitchen Craft in 2011 with no background in sales, no trailer, and no idea what I was getting into. After memorizing the script I drove from the Eastern Shore of MD to West Bend for training and to pick up a display. I rented a Uhaul to bring the display home, unloaded it into my living room and announced, I guess I am buying a trailer. Six years later I am still at it and I am even happier because my wife Katie has been able to work by my side for over a year now.
Mark Temares Mark Temares has a 38 year background in the cookware industry. At the age of nineteen, Mark was performing dinner parties and going door to door demonstrating Miracle Maid cookware. He continued his sales career while enlisting as a corpsman for the US Marines and Navy. Shortly after being discharged, Mark connected with Dave Hurley and joined his team selling Lustre Craft Cookware at dinner parties and fairs throughout the Midwest. Together they designed and developed the show program that is being used today at tradeshows across North America. In his career in personal sales, he sold over 20 million dollars and estimates that he has performed over 21,000 cooking demonstrations, (that’s a lot of carrot cutting). His spare time is spent enjoying his new puppy Milo, his children and grandchildren in St. Louis. If he’s not at a Cardinal’s game, you will probably find him in his work shop making beautiful ink pins and pepper mills. He looks forward to many more years of great sales and is committed to helping train and develop new distributors for the Kitchen Craft/Lustre Craft Cookware family.
Steve des Islets I began selling Waterless Cookware in September 1988 with a company called Health Craft. I was Rookie of the Year 1989, Salesman of the year 1990, Field Trainer of the Year 1991 & 1992, Divisional Director of the Year 1993, 1994 & 1995, and Regional Director of the Year 1996 through 2002. I left the business in 2003 and did several things culminating in the purchase of a 6 acre tree and shrub nursery in Hilliard Florida in 2006. When the economy fell in 2008-2009 I sold the nursery and then later moved to Arizona in January 2010. In 2011 I started working with Kitchen Craft as the West Coast Sales Director, and subsequently obtained my own show schedule. In 2012 we moved back to Florida to assist with the care of our nephew who was suffering from kidney failure. I went to work in a Flea Market in Jacksonville Florida doing demonstrations on the weekends. From there I worked a show schedule primarily focused in the eastern part of the US. In December 2014 we moved back to Arizona. This is where my West Coast saga began and continues to this day. My wife Susan and I live in Florence, AZ and together we have 4 children and 4 grandchildren with another Grandson due in November 2017.
Kab Benefield Kab has been involved in public speaking since the age of 10 and got most of his experience during his twelve years of ministry. In 1988 Kab changed directions and pursued the business field as a national manager for a franchise corporation, then later became a financial advisor and a business analyst. When 9/11 effected our country, many of us found ourself looking for a new career. Thank God for Kitchen Craft! Kab has two children and three grandchildren. He loves to travel, nice cars, home projects, golf and visit his grandchildren. Sophal grew up in a small country village in Cambodia. When her country was under siege by the Khmer Rouge, her family and village were attacked and many were executed. Sophal’s family escaped by foot to Thailand and was sponsored by a church in North Dakota. She spent most of her younger years living in the upper Midwest and Northeast. She attended college at an all girls school in Boston studying interior design, and has been to all 50 states! Sophal has three girls who are all attending college. Now that the girls are older she teams up with Kab full time. Sophal also loves to travel and has a passion for photography, working out, and has recently taken up knitting.
Ken Perry Ken was born in Arlington, Texas. At the age of thirteen, he was working for the local newspaper going door-to-door selling subscriptions. He was making money and winning trips around the world. Later in life, he married a wonderful woman named Mavel. Ken and Mavel have two children named Ivett and Ken. For fifteen years prior to joining Kitchen Craft, he was selling at home and garden shows. Ken has been with Kitchen Craft for five years.
Round Table Our Round Table and their team members will be making their presentations
Sal Anschuetz: Work Habits –
Daily Schedule
Learn timeless work habits to boost your productivity. • Dan Clauser • Sam Levinson • Paul Bugenhagen • Michele Cope • Jeff Wright • Brandi Winch • Kyle Sexton
Chuck Fowler: Building Relationships / Building Audiences – Thinking and going
Keynote Speakers
Round Tables
Hotel & Transportation
outside the box to get them in the chairs. • Matt and Linda Lutz • Charles Fowler • Amy Dease • Betty Hahn
Rob Ballinger: Working Your Business / Reducing Cancellations – All the little things that make a big difference in building your business. • Mike Kelch • Dean Mills • Ted Froese
Mark Temares: Selling The Walk Up – How to sell as much between your demos as you do during your presentation. • Glenn Schurdell • Lloyd Garms • Randy Dye • Jay Cotrell • Nicholas Castellano
Steve des Islets: Overcoming Objections – Watch the master of objections teach you how to overcome the most difficult situations. • Steve Devincenzi • David Monge • Charles Dellipizzi • Mark Rudie • Dave Whipple • Dave Phelps
Tim Martin: What’s Your Grit Factor – Take the test to determine your grit factor. • Cheryl Morales • Brian Moxon • Amanda Champ • Julie Prince
Kab Benefield: Building Value – It’s not about price, it’s all about value. • George Decossio • Lorin Igo • Ross and Jennifer Monet • Karyn Sherburne
Ken Perry: Pushing the Print Button – They are all just sitting there, no one is writing! How to get the ink rolling.
• Cindy Hostbjor • Miguel Gonzales • Chelene and Michael Nightengale • Stuart Mayo • Doug Cook
Nicholas Castellano: Whatever It Takes! – Beating all odds!
Bryan Hurley: Our competition has changed –
Find out Who is the real competition and how to beat them.
Dave Hurley: The Power of the Testimony – Learn from the industry leader how to find your testimonies, how to use them, how to treat them, how to make them the star of your show and allow them to increase your sales.
Hotel & Transportation
HYATT REGENCY MILWAUKEE
333 West Kilbourn Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 53203 Tel: +1-414-276-1234 | Fax: +1-414-270-6120 • Contemporary Accommodations: Relax in spacious rooms and suites with plush Hyatt Grand Beds®, complimentary Wi-Fi, 32” flat screen TVs, and in-room coffee makers. • Business Friendly Amenities: Stay connected with free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, a full-service business center with 24-hour access, and 23 high-tech meeting rooms.
Daily Schedule
Keynote Speakers
Round Tables
Hotel & Transportation
• Parking and Transportation: Hotel self-parking rates are charged by the hour with a maximum daily limit of $28. Valet parking is also available by the hour maxing out at $31 per day. For additional parking resources visit the following website: http://www.parkmilwaukee.com • Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD): (DO NOT FLY INTO CHICAGO MIDWAY AIRPORT)
TRAIN: The subway leaves every 10 minutes to LaSalle Street Station from ORD (45 minutes). Then take a taxi or walk to the Chicago Union Station (4 minutes / 1/2 mile). Continue on and take an Amtrak to the Intermodal Station (1 hour 29 minutes to Milwaukee). Then take another taxi to the Hyatt Regency (total travel time is approximately 2-1/2 hours). Please take into consideration that the Conference starts promptly at 12:00 noon when making your travel arrangements. RENTAL CAR: Costs approximately $30/day - keep hotel parking in mind. BUS: Coachways costs $114.00 from ORD to Milwaukee http://www.coachusaairportexpress.com Click here for a helpful travel planner link: http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Chicago-O-Hare-AirportORD/Hyatt-Regency-Milwaukee • Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport (MKE): is located 10 miles from hotel. UBER or TAXI: costs approximately $23.00 from MKE. BUS: Go Riteway Airport Shuttle is $15 one way / $29 round trip per person. http://book.goriteway.com • Driving Directions: Click on the Google map link for driving directions to the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee: https://goo.gl/maps/sgWAiDKWJMt
Please set up your Uber accounts before you leave for Milwaukee!