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 Well, here we are at the start of our 60th year as the Eastern Regional Reprographics Association and things are well under way in planning the business of 2008.
Before I get started and for those of you who missed last year's convention in Louisville, KY co-located with our friends from the Southeastern Reprographic Association, well you missed a lot!
Mark your calendars now for this yearís convention to be held at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort in Daytona Beach, Fl. on November 12 -14, 2008. Once again we are very excited to be joining our new friends from the Southeastern Reprographic Association.
On Wednesday November 12 all you golfers will not want to miss our golf event to be held at the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach. That same evening please join us for dinner along with the keynote speaker.
Thursday morning we will begin with our educational sessions along with our continued commitment to provide the very best and timely topics that address our businesses. In the afternoon, we will all board a bus and head for the Daytona Speedway. During our stay at the speedway we will tour the facility followed by dinner in the Bill Franz Room. If you have never been to the Daytona Speedway, you wonít want to miss out!
Friday will be an action packed day starting with additional education programs in the morning. In the afternoon you will be able to visit all our industryís vendors at the "Sold Out" trade show exhibits. Later that evening we will be dinning at the hotel along with a live charity auction benefiting the "Wounded Warrior Project". We hope to exceed last years' donations of over $23,000. This is truly a wonderful venue to really help our wounded soldiers who have sacrificed for our country and our freedom!
Finally, I am sure many of you are wondering why your ERRA board of directors had chosen to co-locate our convention with the SRA both last year and continuing this year?
The truth of the matter is we have to! The sad fact is that Trade Show Associations in the United States and elsewhere have been declining over the past ten years. There are a myriad of reasons, too many to discus here. Last year we held our breath when we decided to co-locate with the SRA and we were very surprised! Record attendance, sold out trade show exhibits, outstanding education programs, premium social events and best of all making new friends and sharing new ideas. This year promises more of the same!
Looking ahead to 2009, we will be returning to the Northeast at which time the SRA has made their commitment to join with us and get a "taste" of the ERRAís "backyard"!
Let me conclude here by asking all of our membership past and present to join me this year in Daytona Beach and see for yourself what a truly remarkable association we have the privilege of belonging to.
Please continue to support the ERRA with you dues. They go a long way to
continue to provide enrichment of the reprographics community in your
backyard.
Don't let this be the year you miss another opportunity to network with
your peers and renew those reprographics family ties.
Michael Cully
ERRA President
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