Renowned Innovation Expert Tom Kelley to Provide Keynote at WESTEC 2012

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- WESTEC, the premiere manufacturing biennial event for the Western United States, recently announced that renowned innovation expert and business leader Tom Kelley will deliver the keynote on March 27.

Tom Kelley is the general manager of IDEO, the famous design and development firm that helps organizations innovate, build business and grow. He is also one of the world's most respected experts on how businesses can be more creative in their products and services, and in their thinking and processes.

Kelley will present a talk on "Growing Manufacturing Through Innovation," which will include his unique perspective on nurturing a culture of creativity. He will also offer attendees an inside look at his wildly imaginative and energized company to reveal the strategies that turn out hit after hit for leading organizations around the world.

"As a driving force behind innovation, Tom Kelley is the perfect complement to WESTEC 2012, which is all about the latest manufacturing techniques and tools," said Christine Longroy, WESTEC event manager. "In the same way that Tom helps companies succeed, WESTEC is about the solutions, industries and ideas that can keep manufacturing strong for years to come." 

IDEO was previously named one of The World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.  A core component of its success comes from Kelley's philosophy that you don't have to be a genius to have a great idea and that companies that encourage this creativity will excel.

Kelley was named the first-ever Executive Fellow by the dean of the Haas Business School, University of Califor­nia Berkeley, and received the 2009 Kellogg Award for Distinguished Leadership from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also the author of two outstanding books on innovation and creativity: The Art of Innovation, which describes IDEO's deep dive approach to successful product creation, and The Ten Faces of Innovation, which covers ten unique strategies for making sure that good ideas make it to market.

WESTEC, produced by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, has evolved into a signature West Coast manufacturing event, addressing the trends that will shape manufacturing today and in the future. Featuring top national and international equipment manufacturers, WESTEC will showcase new ways to learn and discover solutions, be inspired, highlight new products and processes and forge new alliances that will drive West Coast manufacturing.

The formula for success is shifting and the knowledge-based economy is being overtaken by a creative-based economy. BusinessWeek reports that "the new core competency is creativity." This creativity, innovation and imagination will be spotlighted at WESTEC, where the focus will be on how the industry is being redefined.

"Tom Kelley epitomizes the creative thinking that has made manufacturing what it is today and will be vital to its success in the future," said Longroy. "We know he will inspire attendees to make the kind of changes in their plants that spur creativity and growth."

Tom Kelley will be speaking at WESTEC on Tuesday, March 27 from 9-10 a.m. 

WESTEC 2012 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 27-29. For more information on WESTEC 2012, visit www.westeconline.com or call 800.733.4763.

About WESTEC
WESTEC, the region's definitive manufacturing event, returns in 2012 to the Los Angeles Convention Center. A true manufacturer's think tank, WESTEC is a platform where creativity, vision and strategy join forces to spotlight the promise of ground-breaking products for vital global markets.

About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its many programs, events, magazines, publications and online training division, Tooling U, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technologies and to the most up-to-date manufacturing processes. SME has members around the world and is supported by a network of chapters and technical communities. A 501(c)3 organization, SME is a leader in manufacturing workforce development issues, working with industry, academic and government partners to support the current and future skilled workforce.

Media Contact: Melissa Spraul, MWW Group (213.405.3783 / [email protected])

SOURCE WESTEC