SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45791
Long Beach 2012 Opportunities Abound as STMA Heads West! STMA heads west, to Long Beach, Calif. from Jan. 10-14, 2012 for the 23rd Annual STMA Conference and Exhibition. Settled along five-and-a-half miles of sandy coastline, Long Beach is the quintessential vacation getaway, boasting both the ambience of a so- phisticated urban center and the charm of a seaside community. Lo- cated just 20 miles south of Los An- geles, California's fifth largest city offers visitors a dynamic range of at- tractions, shopping, recreational ac- tivities, art and culture, restaurants and nightly entertainment that make it an ideal destination for attendees. As has been the case for several years, STMA has expanded the edu- cational track, with more than 65 ed- ucation sessions to choose from, organized into nine different educa- tional tracks (you'll learn more about these later in this article). All of this year's sessions were selected with one thing in mind… you and your fa- cility coming away with new opportu- nities, ready to be capitalized on when you return home. As usual, there will be ample op- portunity to network, visit with STMA commercial members and vendors at the trade show, and take away valu- able, actionable lessons from world class educators. Make sure and check out page 21 of this article for What to Do Next, to ensure that you and your crew are able to attend this invaluable investment in you, your staff and your facility. Conference Highlights Wed., Jan. 11, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Members say that networking is one of the top reasons they join STMA. Thus, in addition to all of the net- working opportunities throughout the conference, we've created a formal- ized networking kick-off. Network with professionals from facilities similar to your own! The forum is divided by category into separate sessions for schools K-12 facilities, colleges and universities, facilities used by profes- sional athletes, parks and recreation facilities, academics and students. Wed., Jan. 11, 7:30 - 10 p.m. First-Time Attendees Reception – 7 - 7:30 p.m. A must-attend networking event! Kick off the conference in style with the other influencers who are in Long Beach. Enjoy food and drink cour- tesy of Welcome Reception sponsors Toro and Covermaster. Wed., Jan. 11, 8:30 - 10 p.m. The SAFE Foundation will be debuting Casino Night at the Welcome Recep- tion at 8:30 p.m. with many games and opportunities to win prizes while supporting STMA's charity. Estimated Investment to Attend Complete Conference Package (Including meals and preconference workshops) – STMA Member – $375 Ground Transportation – $50 Misc. meals – $40 3 nights lodging at STMA official hotel - $639 Air Transportation – $340 Total – $1,444 delivered a return on investment of 1,375 percent! For a detailed ROI report, go to www.STMA.org Images courtesy of Destinations Magazine 8 SportsTurf | November 2011 Remember, that's an investment - not a cost! STMA's previous conferences have and click on the Conference tab, 2011. *There are ways to reduce your costs significantly. Just splitting the ride to and from the airport and sharing a room with one other person can reduce these costs by more than $340! www.sportsturfonline.com >> WHAT TO DO >> EXHIBITOR LIST >> OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES >> CONFERENCE PROGRAM STMA Networking Sessions W e lcome Reception Sponsored by T o ro and Covermaster SAFE Casino Night at the W e lcome Reception