FALL2014
7
Once again with a packed
room, Sam Migliano's
"Social Media Lab" dominated my Friday morning.
Social media has become such a force with any and
every business that even facility staffers, who would
seem to have everything figured out, are attending,
trying to glean a little more insight into something that
has quickly become part of everyday life.
Assisting Sam with the panel was as much of an
education for me as it was for everyone else. Part of
the session used USIndoor's own Facebook page as
a demonstration tool. Working business-to-business
is a different beast from business-to-customer, and
feedback from the session is helping me consider what
our member facilities want to see out of our social
media pages.
Trade Show
It never ceases to amaze me how we can take a large
empty room and pack it full of exhibitors. To see the
room beforehand, you wouldn't think that our trade
show would fill the entire area. (Sometimes it's the
opposite–how can we squeeze everyone in here?)
Like facility operators, it's great to actually meet
the people and companies that are part of USIndoor.
I've exchanged plenty of emails and phone calls, but
nothing compares to shaking hands and getting to talk
in person.
It's also a great way to understand their products
and services. The Soccer Genius area provided a nice
overview of what they do. Snap Sports also had an
interesting display, which was set up on top of their
own flooring.
Of course, it's hard
not to mention the
one place many of us spent time during the Trade
Show—the World Cup viewing area! It was a great
touch to accommodate soccer fans here. There
were some very compelling matches on during Trade
Show hours (Italy vs. Costa Rica leaps to mind.)
However, it's just as well the United States didn't
play during the Conference at all. That probably
would have been the least productive two hours of
a Conference ever!
Years of Experience
The most prominent thing about the Conference,
though, is the people. There is such a variety of people
that come to each conference—staff, managers,
veteran operators, and startups, who, of course,
are looking to get all the knowledge they can to get
off the ground.
But even some of the most experienced industry
veterans keep coming back, and it's not just to pass on
the knowledge. Some of these people, like Jan Nordmo
(Off the Wall Soccer, Santa Clara, CA) and Afrim Nezaj
(Afrim Sports, Albany, NY), among others, have been
in the industry since I was in elementary school, and
yet they recognize that there is more they can learn.
Things are constantly changing, and even a successful
facility has room to try something new or to find a new
way of doing things.
If you've never been to a conference, I can't
recommend it enough. It's such an enormous benefit
to both new and veteran operators alike, and it's an
invaluable experience. I hope to see you next year in
Dallas/Fort Worth!
