The Association of Equipment Manufacturers will hold its annual marketing seminar at the Las Vegas Hilton May 14-16, focusing on customer strategy and relationship marketing. Don Peppers of the Peppers and Rogers Group, an internationally recognized author on customer-focused business strategy, will be a featured speaker.

The theme of the conference is “The Power of Integration,” with the goal of helping equipment manufacturing industry marketers better understand the value of integrating strategic planning throughout all procedures and projects.

In other AEM news, the association announced a partnership with the China Association of Construction Education to develop a national construction equipment operator training program in China for the certification of operators. Under the agreement, AEM and CACE will work together to provide comprehensive operator training and certification.

“We have committed to use our techniques, philosophy and experience to focus on safe machinery operation and maintenance in China,” said AEM senior vice president Al Cervero. “Reducing the number of accidents on the work site is good for everyone -- manufacturers, contractors, and of course and most importantly, the workers themselves.”