Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1199871
s we look ahead to 2020, I want to look back at 2019 and all we accomplished as an organization. In 2019, we had a record-breaking year for attendance at the North American Rink Conference & Expo, our first year in Buffalo, N.Y., and it certainly didn't disappoint! We set an all-time high for membership, too, in addition to hitting the 10,000 mark for students taking our courses, either through NARCE or a Regional Training Program (RTP). We added some new curriculum, with our on-ice maintenance workshop, and will also be offering a half-day management workshop too. Look for those in the lead up to NARCE in February and March in a handful of locations across the country. The 18th annual NARCE will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel & Conference Center, May 19-22, once again in downtown Buffalo, N.Y. In addition to the industry-leading educational courses offered at the event, the opportunity to network with hundreds of your peers and interact with the leading vendors in our industry can't be missed. Check out the event brochure in the middle of this issue for more details. Shortly after we wrap up NARCE this May, our Regional Training Program season goes into full swing from June through November with classes being offered around the country. The 2020 RTP schedule will be released online in mid-March, with the full brochure coming out in the May/June issue of RINK Magazine. As always, I hope you enjoy this issue of RINK, which features a piece recapping the past 19 years of the United States Ice Rink Association, an article from U.S. Figure Skating about preventing misconduct through their SafeSport program, and an article focused on the importance of face-to-face networking as part of your professional development. I wish you a Happy New Year and all the best in 2020. — Jeff Theiler, Chief Operating Officer, United States Ice Rink Association Opening ADDRESS Welcome from Jeff Theiler 10 / JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2020 USICERINKS.COM A Look Back, to Look Ahead In 2019, we had a record-breaking year for attendance at the North American Rink Conference & Expo, our first year in Buffalo, N.Y., and it certainly didn't disappoint! THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES ICE RINK ASSOCIATION JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 // VOL. 23, NO. 1 USICERINKS.COM // INFO@USICERINKS.COM C E O Steve Farbman P R E S I D E N T James McEwen S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T David Jensen C O N T R O L L E R Mike Schwarz C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Rob Johnson A RT D I R E C T O R Mike DeArmond S E N I O R D E S I G N E R Brandon Favre D E S I G N E R S Kelsey Cherwinka, Melanie Schumacher A D S A L E S Bryan Nelson M A R K E T I N G & AC C O U N T M A NAG E R Jessica Disch E D I T O R S : Aaron Paitich, Jessi Pierce M A R K E T I N G C O O R D I NAT O R Elizabeth Boger RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and programming. PUBLISHING PARTNER 505 North Highway 169, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55441 P H : (763) 595-0808 FA X : (763) 595-0016 E - M A I L : info@touchpointmedia.com W E B S I T E : touchpointmedia.com Mission: "To advance the ice rink industry through membership, world-class education, training, resources and events." C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R Jeff Theiler D I R E C T O R , E D U CAT I O N John Monteleone O F F I C E A S S I S T A N T Tom Wacker P H : ( 719) 538-1149 FA X : (719) 538-7838 E - M A I L : info@usicerinks.com W E B S I T E : usicerinks.com A P R O G R A M O F E D I T O R Aaron Paitich M A NAG I N G E D I T O R Jessi Pierce C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S John Monteleone, Jessi Pierce, Jeff Theiler, Ryan Williamson E D I T O R I A L B OA R D T.C. Lewis, Craig Petersen D E S I G N E R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre, Kelsey Cherwinka, Melanie Schumacher A