
November 7-9, 2019 | Vinoy Renaissance | St. Petersburg, FL
The Schedule for 2019 is still being finalized and will be posted here in July, 2019. Below appears the 2018 Schedule, which gives an idea of the types of sessions and activities you can expect in 2019.
THURSDAY, November 8
Special Note: RRCA Race Director Certification course
8:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. – requires pre-registration
2:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Packet Pickup
2:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. Trade Exhibit
6:00 P.M. - 7:15 P.M.MarathonGuide.com/Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Welcome Reception - (includes MarathonFoto/Road Race Management “Race Director of the Year” Award, presented by MYLAPS)
FRIDAY, November 9
7:45 A.M. - 8:45 A.M. Continental Breakfast
8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Trade Exhibit
8:00 A.M. - 8:45 A.M. Packet Pickup
8:45 A.M. - 8:55 A.M. Welcome - Phil Stewart
8:55 A.M. - 9:55 A.M. Municipal Relations in a Crowded
Event Era
Many municipalities are increasingly hostile to the
burgeoning number of running events. How can we
work with municipalities that are over-saturated with
events? Obviously there are examples where cities
embrace one or a few events while others find a more
restrictive environment.
What is the trend nationally and what successful strategies have worked to improve an event’s relations with local government and to assure municipal costs for an event are fair and equitable?
Faculty: Jan Seeley
Moderator: Phil Stewart
9:55 A.M. - 10:15 A.M. Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Coffee Break
10:15 A.M. - 11:15 A.M. Problem Solving
Ahead of the meeting Dave and Sean will solicit
problems, dilemmas, etc., and come up with proposed
solutions. They will also discuss some case studies of
situations they have personally encountered.
Faculty: Dave McGillivray and Sean Ryan
Moderator: Jeff Darman and Phil Stewart
11:15 A.M. - 11:35 P.M. Gatorade Endurance Break
11:35 A.M. - 12:35 P.M. Types and Frequency and Treatment of
Runner Injuries at Races
A statistical overview of medical interventions (starting
with most common and working down) along with
appropriate medical responses. What a medical team
might encounter. Knowing what to expect and where
are important. How best to assemble a medical team
including staffing (how many and with what medical
experience).
What are current opinions about treating versus transporting,
tracking medical casualties, the conundrum
posed by HIPAA laws and communicating with families
of people who are being treated medically, and how do
you evaluate what you have in place?
Faculty: Chris Troyanos
Moderators: Jeff Darman and Phil Stewart
12:35 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. Lunch Break and Trade Exhibit Visits
2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. Use of Digital Methods to Enhance
Recruitment and Retention of
Sponsors
How should you rethink and repackage sponsorship in
the digital age? Companies want more than logos on
t-shirts and signs at the finish line. How do you employ
online capabilities and social media platforms to assess
what you have to offer and assess the value your event
is delivering to sponsors?
Faculty: Beth Shluger
Moderator: Jeff Darman
3:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M. Trade Exhibit Break
3:30 P.M. - 4:35 P.M. Event Anatomy — Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run
The Credit Union Cherry Blossom has been a popular
fixture on the road race circuit for 46 years. Longtime
Event Director Phil Stewart will discuss the race philosophy
which has enabled this event to endure – from
an early commitment to showcase elite running to its
title sponsor longevity (the credit unions have been the
title sponsor since 2002). In addition, he will focus on
some unique things the race does to make it special.
Faculty: Phil Stewart
Moderators: Jeff Darman
4:45 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Ashworth Awards Race Directors’ Reception in Conjunction with Trade Exhibit
Talk with exhibitors of awards, competitor numbers,
banners, computer and timing products, apparel, running
organizations, online registration, apps, other web
services, and more. It’s a relaxed opportunity to meet
fellow race directors, the faculty and exhibitors in an
informal atmosphere.
5:45 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. MarathonGuide.com Keynote Dinner - Greg Via
Greg Via has been Global Head of Sports, eSports and
Entertainment Marketing for The Gillette Company
since 2007. He is responsible for Gillette’s involvement
in the global sports marketing place. Greg was formerly
Vice President Worldwide Corporate Sponsorship at
Motorola and Director of Worldwide Sports Marketing
at Gatorade.
The dinner includes the announcement and presentation of the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award, after which many will head to the entertainment at the Ribfest down the street. Details of the musical acts are available at http://ribfest.org and include Josh Turner, Los Lonely Boys and Barenaked Ladies. The Friday night headliner will be Robbie Steinhardt of Kansas fame!
SATURDAY, November 10
8:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. Breakfast Snacks and Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Coffee Break
8:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Trade Exhibit
9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Crowd Flow and Management
How to better plan and manage crowd density, whether
for participants, attendees and/or spectators, at start/
finish areas, course, venues, post-race parties, etc. This
includes how we assign participants to special corrals,
based on space constraints, timing, flow, etc. How do
we address the time needed for use of road, not creating
bottlenecks on course or at finish, assuring male/female
elites are not negatively impacted and on and on.
Faculty: Mike Nishi
Moderators: Jeff Darman
10:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. Gatorade / Trade Exhibit Break
10:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Cheating Enforcement
Everyone talks about catching cheaters (and technological
enhancements increase our ability to do so),
ranging from course cutters, to bib swappers, to fake
qualifying -- but what are events doing individually and
collectively – about enforcement and punishment for
convicted cheaters? What should “due process” look
like for suspected cheaters? Should a national database
of known cheaters be established? This session focuses
on non-drug related cheating.
Faculty: Bee McLeod
Moderator: Phil Stewart
11:30 A.M. Trade Exhibit Closes