Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1280285
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION AUGUST 19, 2020 Page 16 A message from the President of the PSAI Board of Directors Ever since COVID-19 forced the postponement of our Annual Convention and Trade Show scheduled for March 2020, I have been looking forward to seeing everyone in Reno this November, and I mean really looking forward to seeing everyone. Like so many portable sanitation industry professionals, I find connecting with my peers at PSAI events to be one of the highlights of my year. I always learn so much—and I have given up trying to calculate the positive financial impact PSAI has had on my business. During these unusual times, the PSAI's board and staff have been both planning for our next event and dealing with the many uncertainties that surround what appears to be our new normal. Last week, many of you took the time to complete our annual survey. Only about 26 percent of respondents indicated they were "Likely" or "Very Likely" to attend the fall event. This information, together with the uncertainty of the Reno re-opening process, made it plain that it is not a good use of resources to continue planning for a face-to-face meeting. So that's the bad news. We will not be gathering in Reno this November. I'm upset too… The good news is that we will be meeting virtually in November. Now, this is not a glorified webinar or zoom meeting. Software platforms for large events allow all sorts of amazing things to occur at a virtual convention. Check out the article on page 17 where staff members Todd Ginter and Emily Newberg share their experience at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) convention attended by more than 10,000 people this past week. It is going to be very different for us, but as their article shows, different does not have to be bad. People fear the unknown—but don't be fearful; we are all very creative and successful individuals. We've got this! Right now, staff and our several committees are working on the details of a virtual meeting plan that will include: • Education for owners and managers • Education for your staff • A virtual trade show (and you will be amazed at how different this is than just visiting a website) • Games and prizes Because we are still working on the schedule and other aspects of the plan, I can't yet share many details. Watch for a full roll out of all of this in our September 16 issue of Association Insight. For now, here's what I can tell you: • All registrations for Baltimore will transfer to this virtual event. • The program will not be exactly what we had planned for Baltimore. Things have changed, so we are making adjustments to ensure the topics meet your needs. • If you are an exhibitor, you will be hearing from Todd Ginter in the near future. He will share more about what we are hoping to accomplish with this event and seek your feedback on some specific questions. • We are working to make sure that even more of you attend and get value out of the PSAI. So we'll be announcing education sessions geared toward office staff, front line staff, and sales staff, as well as the usual topics of interest to owners and managers. Since there are no travel costs, we hope you will be excited to give more of your team the chance to attend. Continued on page 20