September 22, 2004
Wolfgang Candy Company to Host 2004 National Conference for Guest Relations Association
Conference brings the leading companies in American industry to York County
YORK, Pa. - Wolfgang Candy Company Inc. today announced that it is hosting the annual national conference of the Guest Relations Association (GRA), an organization of guest relations professionals from a diverse group of companies, which offer public and/or private tour programs. This year's conference titled �New Beginnings� will take place October 3 - 5, 2004, at the Yorktowne Hotel in York, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1957, the GRA is one of the oldest and most valuable non-profit resource organizations in the United States, with a current membership of approximately 75 companies. Member companies represent a broad spectrum of industries and include Anheuser-Busch, Toyota, Ben and Jerry's, Miller Brewing Company and Jelly Bell Candy Company.
The three-day event will feature a number of breakout sessions, focus groups and informative workshops such as �Eleven Characteristics of a World Class Tour Program� and �Building and Enhancing �WOW' Customer/Visitor Experiences.� Also on the conference agenda are tours of some of York County's factories, including GRA members Wolfgang Candy Company and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
�As a member of the GRA and proud citizens of York County, we are honored to host the association's 2004 national conference,� said Rob Wolfgang, managing partner ? operations at Wolfgang Candy. �The GRA is extremely active in furthering the interests of the guest relations industry, and we are pleased to welcome our peers from across the country to �The Factory Tour Capital of the World.'�
Keynote speakers at this year's GRA conference are Lori Glover, CMM, senior advisor and consultant in collaborative environments for Stellar Vision, Inc., and James H. Gilmore, co-founder of Aurora, Ohio-based Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design ways to add value to their economic offerings.