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2/5 Wednesday
Showtime!
Wednesday marks the first day of what has become a super two-day show. However, before the crack of dawn and most people had arisen there was a very important breakfast and meeting conducted by RISE. That organization is the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment. Funded by many of the major players in the plant protectant and plant health markets this group does some outstanding things with a crack team of five individuals. They track political activity and legislation across the USA and stay ahead of issues that will affect the golf and turf industry. Several years ago this meeting attracted the board of the organization and also a few of the company representatives that sponsored the group. Today there were well over a hundred people there and it was a combination of corporate reps, media, researchers and golf course superintendents. I strongly suggest that all interested parties find out more about the great work being done and get behind RISE and be aware of what is happening in your backyard and across the country! For more info go to www.grassroots@pesticidefacts.org Grade for the work RISE is doing for us is A+.
The opening of the trade show is always an exciting time. Many people were outside with great anticipation when the show doors opened. By tomorrow we should have the full numbers on the show size and attendance. By gut feeling of attending 40 shows I can tell you that attendance was strong and floor space has grown since our last trip to Orlando.
A few new things this year were the many varieties of food to choose from. Carpets in all the main aisles and lots of booths with carpets so the feet were feeling great at the end of the day. Several of the booths I visited had maximum capacity with tremendous vendor/superintendent interaction. All in all it was a great day for the show and even better for GCSAA. Speaking of GCSAA they continue to excel. While GCSAA brings a nice contingent of staff, let’s not overlook the home team that has done so much to get ready for this event and remains in Lawrence, KS this week. It sort of reminds of the team in Houston when the astronauts went up. Without them things would not run as smoothly as they do. The team on the ground in Orlando is bright and chipper and working long hours this week. Be sure to take the time to thank them for their superb efforts to serve our membership. First day of the show gets a grade of A.
GCSAA TV was working the show and seemed like non-stop interviews. For those that cannot be here you can get a lot of info from tweets, Facebook, GCI webpage, etc. Bill Brown, of Turf Republic even was working his Google glasses and spreading the word on social media and technology. Tom Vlach and Clay Breazeale from TPC Sawgrass attended one of the sessions that Bill Brown had and were excited about current and future technology. Something tells me that Bill Brown, Turf Republic and the GCI team will be covering The Players Championship in full force this May. I have some insider information on that so stay tuned!
Forty years ago most of the conference attendees were well dressed and carried themselves with a very professional appearance. Things change over time. About 20 years ago the trend was to have some dress more like it was casual Friday. Pleased to say that the number of attendees in professional attire far outnumbered the people that drag their feet in that area. If you want to be a professional and get paid like a professional then act and dress like a professional. Hats off to the industry and the superintendents for seeing the way and I give that a grade of A++.
Some may be unaware of the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation. That group has selected and given out an Award of Excellence for a couple of decades to the best PhD candidate in the world of turfgrass science. Once again some of the busiest guys in the industry met and selected this year’s winner. Too early to share the name but stay tuned for that announcement later. A short reception was held with former winners who are now some of the well-known next generation of researchers and educators. Great group, great program, and one of the many groups that gives back to the industry by recognizing the best of the best! Grade A+ but an incomplete on the story to be told a bit later.
Hospitality suite night is normally on Wednesday. So many places to go and so little time to do it. The people at Bayer had a wonderful event that I visited before heading over to the California Room, the Midwest Room and then the Michigan Room. Networking is a key component to career success. What better way than to share a few heavy hors d'oeuvre with friends and neighbors. For those of us that have moved from our former home bases it is a time to see old colleagues and reacquaint ourselves. I am not sure one hotel could handle every reception so many were held at different hotels and venues up and down International Drive. Hard to grade the many hosts of these events but would have to give most a B+. So you wonder why there is no A+ and I have to tell you that it is hard to beat the A+ I gave the California Room for their event on the aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego harbor last year.
