ThinkZinc once again proved to be a great learning opportunity and a fun filled few days for all who attended. ThinkZinc 2017 had a high level of attendance, with 34 employees coming from 14 different companies; including three from two of  our sustaining member companies! Attendee experience ranged from many years of experience within the industry, to those who were new to the galvanizing world. With the addition of the two sustaining members, the discussions were very lively with plenty of new questions; and the interactive activities created a fun learning atmosphere. 

The introductory class, TZ101, introduced marketing in the galvanizing world and featured an interactive panel activity where students split into groups and attempted to convince an owner, fabricator, specifier, or architect hot-dip galvanizing was the solution for their project.

In TZ201, which focused on effective marketing and sales tactics, students were once again split into groups for a brainstorming activity. Each group came with an advertising campaign addressing a specified benefit of hot-dip galvanizing, such as cost, sustainability, aesthetics, etc. This year, we had some new advertising concepts we have not seen before, which was exciting. All of the groups developed great concepts and really enjoyed sharing them with the class. 

Also in TZ201, students learned the Galvanize It! seminar and presentation pointers to assist them with giving the seminar to architects and/or engineers in the future. Marketing Coordinator, Hannah Anderson and Marketing Director Melissa Lindsley teamed up to teach tips and how to effectively and properly give the seminar. When it came time for the students to present their part of the seminar, Executive Director Phil Rahrig noted he felt the individual presentations were executed well and all the information was prepared and given effectively.

TZ301, which introduced the technical aspects of HDG, featured a role playing activity in which attendees took a mock call, similar to calls received at the AGA office, and worked with the caller to figure out the basis of their issue with the galvanized material. To add to the fun of the activity, all other attendees in the class knew the issue the group was trying to discover. AGA Corrosion Engineer Alana Hochstein and Melissa had fun trying to stump them and playing the grumpy customer role. Everyone enjoyed this activity and got to see what it is like being on the other end of the technical questions. At the end of TZ301, all attendees were broken up into groups to play Galvanizing Jeopardy, a ThinkZinc staple, led by Melissa and Alana. 

Although TZ401 did not have any group interactive activities, students worked through life-cycle cost calculation as well as the online calculator with Phil and asked questions and had great dialogue regarding the sustainable aspects of hot-dip galvanizing. The AGA and Market Development Committee (MDC) feel it is important for all members to understand sustainable development as well as the sustainable benefits of galvanizing. This was the first year Melissa taught about the new Environment Product Declaration (EPD), which was finalized in 2016. The students seem to appreciate having new, updated information.

While education is the main focus of ThinkZinc, there is always time for fun. This year, the networking event was hosted at TopGolf. The attendees enjoyed two hours of golfing and fun competition between teams. The attendees really seemed to enjoy a night out and getting to know their fellow members.
Thank you to all who attended for another successful ThinkZinc! Check out the photos on Facebook!