Built to Lead. Some companies weather the cycles. Others are built to lead through them. The 2027 WPA Annual Meeting brings industry decision-makers together for three days of networking, education, and relationship building that outlast any market.
Strengthen your business. Develop your team.
Smart Companies are built by Smart Leaders.
January 22-24, 2027 | Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
The Beautiful Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
Surrounded by mountain views and desert beauty, the resort offers the perfect balance of relaxation and inspiration. Attendees enjoy modern meeting spaces, a full-service spa, and world-class golf - all just steps from the event. It’s an inviting setting to explore the WPA Annual Meeting, connect with industry peers and create new opportunities. Check out this great video from NBC 7 Local News about the wonderful hotel and spa.
To book a reservation with Omni's global reservations department, call 1-800-THE-OMNI (1-800-843-6664) and use the code 01172027WESTERNPA.
Room block prices end December 2, 2026.
Great Events to Network & Build New Friendships
The WPA Member Cup Tournament
The WPA Member Cup opens the Annual Meeting as Friday's centerpiece — one day, one shot at the trophy. Industry and Associate members face off in a team-format showdown for bragging rights and the honor of hoisting the Cup. With the Sunday scramble retired, every swing now carries real weight. One day. One Cup. One winning team.
The WPA No Limit Hold'em Poker Tournament
The WPA Annual No Limit Hold'em Poker Tournament returns Saturday afternoon. This event is where strategy, nerve, and a little luck decide which winner takes all. Members play for the coveted WPA poker bracelet. Every hand gets you closer to poker glory and bragging rights. All proceeds generated go to support WPA programs and events.
The WPA Cornhole Classic Tournament
New at the 2027 Annual Meeting, the WPA Cornhole Classic will take place Sunday afternoon on the Las Palmas Lawn. 32 two-person teams will face off to crown an inaugural WPA Cornhole champion. No handicap, no experience required - just a partner, cornhole bags, and a board twenty-seven feet away. All are welcome to join the event and enjoy networking and drinks while the competition takes place.
The 2027 Annual Meeting Speaker Program
JP Dinnell | Echelon Front
JP Dinnell spent nearly a decade in the SEAL Teams, serving as point man, machine gunner, and lead sniper for Task Unit Bruiser in Ramadi — the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War. His leadership under fire earned a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars with Valor.
Now Chief Training Officer at Echelon Front, he turns frontline experience into leadership that works on a plant floor as well as a battlefield. Direct, unvarnished, and immediately useful: how to take ownership, build a winning culture, and lead teams that perform when things get hard. Leadership isn't inherited, it's built.
John Manzella | Manzella Trade Communications
With more than 30 years in global business and trade, John Manzella is a leading authority on economic trends and international trade policy. He has delivered his insights to Fortune 500 boardrooms and government agencies worldwide, earning rave reviews for his engaging, jargon-free delivery.
His session connects global economic forces to the realities on your plant floor - what trade policy, tariffs, and shifting economics mean for demand, costs, and the decisions you'll make over the next several years. Smart companies don't react to the economy; they see it coming. Manzella shows you how.
Craig Fuller | Firecrown Media
Craig Fuller is the founder and CEO of Firecrown Media and FreightWaves, often called the "Bloomberg Terminal of Freight", the global leader in supply chain intelligence, news, data, and analytics. His roots run deep: hands-on experience at U.S. Xpress, the trucking company his father built into one of the world's largest, followed by founding Xpress Direct and TransCard, which he sold to U.S. Bank.
A recognized authority on freight markets and a frequent commentator for major business media, Fuller delivers a clear-eyed read on where freight and the broader supply chain are headed - the pressures shaping capacity, rates, and demand. Companies built to lead don't guess at what's coming. They plan for it. Craig Fuller will show you what to plan for.
Chaille Brindley | Industrial Reporting-Pallet Enterprise
Chaille Brindley, Publisher of Pallet Enterprise and TimberLine magazines, returns to the WPA Annual Meeting — a perennial favorite and one of the most trusted voices covering this industry. With more than 25 years reporting on the sector, he brings unmatched perspective on the forces reshaping pallet production, recycling, and supply chains.
His session delivers a candid look at where the industry stands and where it's heading: the market conditions, technology shifts, and customer expectations separating the companies gaining ground from those falling behind. Every company in this room is being built into something. Brindley shows you what the ones built to lead are doing differently — and what it will take to join them.