Instead of its traditional fall Super Meeting, this year Contractors 2000 held its first Super Training Week Oct. 16-19 in Nashville, Tenn., which was comprised of some of its most popular training programs.

About 175 members participated in six training schools:

Gold Star Management Academy -- This is one of C-2000's most popular schools. Participants learned about service management, the DOTS performance-based sales tracking system and coaching. In the recruiting, hiring and retention of employees segment, students took turns role-playing the interviewer, the interviewee, and the observer.

Train the Trainer -- This class teaches participants to become better trainers, and better public speakers, by getting and holding the attention of their audience. Participants broke into teams for discussion and class presentations.

Open Book Management: The Great Game of Business -- This course teaches ways to help employees understand company goals so they may contribute to its success. Attendees received an overview of open book management and ideas for performance measures. Students broke up into teams and came up with unique and fun ways to celebrate the "victory" of meeting the company's numbers.

Marketing Masters Academy -- Students in this course were required to develop a Unique Selling Proposition for their companies, as well as marketing plans and schedules to take back with them. Unique marketing ideas were shared with the class.

Top Gun Sales Management -- A revamping of the Top Gun Sales School, this course focused on sales managers. Topics included keeping salespeople motivated and focused, teaching the sales team to close sales effectively, setting sale prices and managing profitability.

Business Owners School of Success (BOSS) -- This is a brand-new course designed to help owners become better leaders in their companies. Activities include evaluating leadership style, studying other great leaders, learning how to help the development and growth of employees, as well as learning key competencies to achieve goals.

The BOSS program was developed because a core group of members felt there was nothing left for them in the organization, said C-2000 president and COO Greg Neimi. So training specialist Sherri Bennefeld got together with consulting firm Organizational Concepts International to develop the leadership program.

After a wild night at the Wild Horse Saloon in downtown Nashville, the week ended with Super Saturday's general session. Jim Bergquist and Joel Kimmel of BizFutures Consulting Co., spent the morning showing attendees how they helped turn around the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle's historic Farmer's Market. The day ended with cake as the graduates of the six schools received their graduation certificates.

The next Super Meeting is March 27-29, 2003, in Boston.