Road Race Directors and Managers Meeting Coming to Florida

The 35th annual Road Race Management Race Directors' Meeting and Trade Exhibit will take place in St. Petersburg, FL, November 8 - 10. The 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.

Topics for this year (with speakers indicated) include:

• Municipal Relations in a Crowded Event Era (Jan Seeley)

• Problem Solving (Dave McGillivray and Sean Ryan)

• Types, Frequency and Treatment of Medical Conditions at Races (Chris Troyanos)

• Use of Digital Methods to Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Sponsors (Beth Shluger)

• Event Anatomy - Credit Union Cherry Blossom (Phil Stewart)

• Crowd Flow Management of Participants and Spectators (Mike Nishi)

• Cheating Enforcement (Bee McLeod)

• Keynote Dinner speaker Greg Via, Global Head of Sports, esports and Entertainment Marketing at The Gillette Company

Two prestigious running industry awards will be awarded at the meeting. The annual MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year Award (Presented by MYLAPS) will be presented at the MarathonGuide.com/Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Welcome Reception on Thursday, November 8. The MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the MarathonGuide.com Keynote Dinner on Friday, November 9. Following the Keynote dinner, many attendees will head to the nearby Ribfest and listen to music by such musicians as Robby Steinhardt, Josh Turner and the Barenaked Ladies.

The RRCA will offer its Race Director Certification course in person for the first time in conjunction with the Meeting on Thursday, November 8. Meeting faculty members will teach the course to a small group of race directors who must register in advance.

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, banners, registration and timing services, apps, web services, apparel, social media services and event photography, along with representatives of 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 tranquil 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; Gatorade Endurance; Hightech Signs; Leslie Jordan, Inc.; MarathonFoto; MarathonGuide.com; Marathon Printing; MYLAPS; National Event Services; Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic; and RunSignUp.

Road Race Management is a member-based organization that conducts an annual Race Directors' Meeting; publishes a trade newsletter and Organizing Running Events, a complete manual covering running event organization; and offers other race director and industry resources in print and on the web.