July 12, 2010
Sheboygan, WI - Wired For Success, which is a fully funded 2 ½ day educational seminar for orthodontic residents, recently added Chicago, Illinois as its third seminar location for 2011. Wired For Success seminars, which are sponsored by leading companies in the orthodontic industry, provide experts that expose residents to the business side of running an orthodontic practice, to office designs and equipment options, to new technologies and marketing tools, and to the criteria that help young orthodontists evaluate their career options at graduation. Originally envisioned by Bruce Livingston, the president of Boyd Industries, Wired For Success was launched in February 2000 with 35 residents attending the first seminar. For 2011, the number of residents attending Wired For Success seminars, which are located in Florida, California and Illinois, will expand to 150 with each venue capped at 50 residents.
Wired For Success is fully funded by corporate sponsors including American Orthodontics, Boyd Industries, Hu-Friedy Instruments, Kodak Dental Systems, and Treloar & Heisel, Inc. Other orthodontic companies provide additional support too. Jeffrey Smith, the Director of Marketing for American Orthodontics, adds “the vision of Wired For Success is to provide an educational experience for residents and to assist them in making some very critical decisions, especially when they start to realize that they are going to be a small business owner some day.” Because of corporate sponsorship, there is no course fee for residents wishing to attend the 2 ½ day seminar. Reservations are made on a first come first serve basis and residents in their final year have priority over other attendees.
According to Bruce Livingston, “the main reason that the number of residents has grown over the last ten years is due to the feedback from alums. Past attendees are spreading the word to their respective programs that this is a ‘must attend’ program.” Topics such as Practice Transitions and Life Planning, Making Sound Staffing Decisions, and Operating a Practice in a Turbulent Economy are just a few of the presentations that benefit residents nearing graduation. The format at all three venues is very similar with business experts from a variety of backgrounds sharing insights into managing a private practice.
The East Coast Wired For Success seminar is Feb 18 – 20, 2011 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, FL. The West Coast seminar is Mar 4 – 6, 2011 at the Laguna Cliffs Resort in Dana Point, CA. New for 2011 is the Midwest seminar scheduled for Aug 19 – 21 at the Marriott Downtown in Chicago, IL. For more information about attending one of the Wired For Success seminars contact Kim Damrow at kdamrow@americanortho.com or visit www.Wired-For-Success.com.
American Orthodontics (AO) has been manufacturing products in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for the orthodontic specialist since 1968. AO stands as the largest privately held manufacturer of orthodontic products in the world. With sales in every developed country and with over 98% of its products manufactured in the US, AO prides itself on the quality of its products, the timeliness of its service and the integrity of its customers and business partners. In its 42 year history, AO has exceeded prior years’ sales each and every year and is fortunate to have never experienced lay-offs, which is largely due to its ability over the years to innovate new products and manufacturing technologies. AO’s commitment to orthodontic education is part of its core values and is demonstrated by sponsoring seminars and by donating resources to universities and other organizations that support clinical education such as the AAOF.
