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The temps might have been cooler
than normal for California, but
the contacts, technical
information and new products on
display were hotter than ever.
The ASBA's Technical Meeting in
Palm Desert, held the first week
in December, brought record
attendance for a West Coast
meeting. Members, their
guests and an array of other
industry professionals and
luminaries attended and enjoyed
everything the Association had
to offer.
The event was held at the
sprawling Desert Springs J.W.
Marriott Resort & Spa, which in
addition to being a full-service
hotel and upscale spa, boasted
an array of amenities including
restaurants, nightclubs, boat
rides and more.
During the meeting, participants
took part in a variety of
activities. In addition to the
golf and tennis tournaments (see
information elsewhere in this
newsletter), individuals were
able to take the certification
exams, participate in meetings
of committees and task forces,
and get updates on their
respective membership divisions
(Tennis, Track, Fields, Indoor,
Suppliers and Professionals all
held meetings).
The meeting kicked off with an
opening reception held in the
exhibit hall. Attendees were
able to catch up with longtime
suppliers, and also to see the
newest and most advanced
products on the market. (All
breaks, receptions and most
meals were held in or near the
exhibit hall throughout the
meeting, allowing for plenty of
time to browse through the
displays and make new contacts).
The meeting's keynote speaker
was Jeff "Odie" Espenship,
former USAF fighter pilot, whose
superb motivational
presentation, "Taking
Operational Excellence to a
Higher Altitude," had the
audience alternately laughing,
cheering and choking up.
Espenship used real-life
examples to demonstrate to
attendees the importance of
leadership, the potentially
heartbreaking consequences of
risk-taking and the overriding
fact that everyone makes
mistakes, but that only true
leaders learn from them.
A full array of programming
followed, with sessions focusing
on each division. Some programs
were technically-oriented, such
as "Court Preparation and
Removing Coatings," "Replacing
Synthetic Turf Fields After
Eight Years" and "Concrete
Moisture/Moisture Mitigation
Systems." Others were 'how-to'
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sessions, such as "Track
Facility Award
Winners: A Case Study of Three
Winners" and "CTB
University: A Ground-Up Case
Study." Still others had a
general knowledge basis, such as
"Get a Social (Media) Life:
Marketing Your Business with
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn"
or "How Not to End Up Holding
the Hot Potato: Allocating
Responsibility and Risk Through
Contract Provisions."
The meeting saw the announcement
of ASBA's awards of excellence
and RSI's Champions of Tennis
honors (see articles elsewhere
in this newsletter) as well as
the announcements of new
officers and directors (also
listen in an adjacent article).
Want to make sure you're there
for the next meeting? Mark your
calendar now. The 2012 Technical
Meeting will be held from
November 30-December 3 at the
Doubletree Hotel at Universal
Studios in Orlando, Florida.
ASBA members will receive
information automatically; all
others can request to be placed
on the mailing list by
contacting the Association at
info@sportsbuilders.org, by
checking the website,
www.sportsbuilders.org (where
information will be posted) or
by calling 866-501-ASBA or
410-730-9595. |
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