2017 Road Race Management Race Directors' Meeting Program Announced

St. Petersburg, Florida will play host to the annual Road Race Management Race Directors' Meeting and Trade Exhibit, November 9 - 11. The three-day meeting offers sessions on critical topics for running event directors and officials, along with networking opportunities and a chance for event directors to shop for equipment and service needs at the Trade Exhibit.

Program highlights of this year's sessions include:

• Successful Rebranding (Beth Shluger)

• Advertising and Marketing Your Event with Social Media (Heather Whaling)

• Best Practices for Accommodating Physically Challenged Athletes (Dave McGillivray)

• Volunteer Recruitment, Rewarding and Retention (Amy and Jerry Frostick)

• Event Anatomy - Return to Gasparilla (Susan Harmeling)

• Site Setup Best Practices and Guidelines (Mike Nishi)

• What Is Going on Upfront? (Don Kardong)

• Keynote Dinner featuring Paul Hardy, IAAF Competitions and Events Director

As part of the Road Race Management Race Directors' Meeting, RRM will present the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award. The individual selected for this honor will be announced at the Keynote Dinner on November 10. In addition, the annual MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year Award (Presented by Electric City Printing) will be presented at the MarathonGuide.com/Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Welcome Reception on November 9. Following the Keynote dinner many attendees will head to the nearby Ribfest and listen to music by famous entertainers.

The full program and schedule for the meeting are available at http://www.rrm.com/act/rdm/rdm.asp.

Exhibitors at the meeting will include vendors offering awards, competitor numbers, signs and banners, registration and timing services, apps, web services, and apparel, as well as social media companies, event photography running organizations and more.

Thousands of race officials, corporate sponsors, marketing executives, sports organization representatives (RRCA, USATF, RUSA, PRRO) and others interested in organized running events have attended this annual fall gathering since its inception in 1983.

Phil Stewart, Road Race Management president, said, "The meeting venue across from a marina at the historic Vinoy Renaissance St Petersburg Resort and Golf Club, just 20 miles from the Tampa airport, offers a great environment for event directors not only to obtain valuable information, but also to unwind and network in a relaxed atmosphere. Many race committees reward committee members or staff with a trip to this meeting, finding it a great way to offer a special thank you and educational opportunity while rejuvenating key workers for next year's event."

The Road Race Management meeting is sponsored by Ashworth Awards; Electric City Printing; emedia group; Gatorade Endurance; Hightech Signs; Leslie Jordan, Inc.; MarathonFoto; MarathonGuide.com; Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic; and Runsignup.

Road Race Management is a member-based organization that, in addition to conducting its annual Race Directors' Meeting, publishes a trade newsletter and several other publications in print and on the web for race and industry officials.