Race Directors' Meeting

December 13-15, 2024| Hollywood Beach Marriott | Hollywood Beach, FL

Schedule of Events for the 2024 RRM Race Directors' Meeting and Trade Exhibit

FRIDAY, December 13

2:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M. Packet Pickup

2:30 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. Trade Exhibit

4:30 P.M. - 5:15 P.M. First Timers' Session
Two veteran attendees, Michelle Juehring (Director, Quad-City Times Bix 7) and Craig Ottinger (Director of Operations, Hightech Signs) will give you some tips on how to get the most out of the meeting.

6:00 P.M. - 7:15 P.M. Welcome Reception sponsored by John Elliott and Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic - (includes MarathonFoto/Road Race Management “Race Director of the Year” Award, presented by MYLAPS Sports Technology)

SATURDAY, December 14

7:45 A.M. - 8:45 A.M. Ashworth Awards 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. Sponsorship Overview Current and Future Climate
Who is sponsoring road races these days? What are the trends? How to develop a realistic sponsor acquisition strategy and how to keep your sponsors coming back?

Faculty: Andrea Dowdy
Moderator: Phil Stewart

9:55 A.M. - 10:20 A.M. Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Coffee Break

10:20 A.M. - 11:20 A.M. Calculating Race Needs
How do new and old events determine how many shirts, medals, toilets, refreshments, and other items to order? Event directors don’t want to run out, but they also don’t want to waste money. Some events have developed some basic equations, while for some “seat of the pants” decisions are the norm. What happens – and what are the costs - if you miscalculate?

Faculty: Dave McGillivray
Moderator: Jeff Darman

11:25 A.M. - 11:45 P.M. Gatorade Endurance Break

11:45 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. AI Impact Today and Tomorrow
What ramifications does this technology present? What are the benefits and what are the potential perils? What are the financial aspects? This is a complicated area, and many event directors are clueless. This session will attempt to demystify AI.

Faculty: Doug Thurston
Moderators: Jeff Darman, Phil Stewart

12:45 P.M. - 2:15 P.M. Lunch Break and Trade Exhibit Visits

2:15 P.M. - 3:20 P.M. The Ins and Outs of Event Insurance
An expert in this area will give an overview of the insurance market today and where he sees it evolving in the next year or two. What new if any offerings ae on the horizon and what coverages may be imperiled? How to practice risk management to reduce your risk? What needs to be included in your waiver and is it enforceable? What are some common misconceptions about event insurance?

Faculty: Terry Diller
Moderator: Phil Stewart

3:20 P.M. - 3:40 P.M. Break

3:40 P.M. - 4:40 P.M. Permitting - All You Need to Know
This will be an audience participation session led by three faculty members who have seen it all when it comes to getting permits. Come prepared to throw your permitting nightmares into the mix. What are some useful tips you can learn from others? What is the range of costs for permits and police or other municipal services?

Faculty: Doug Thurston, Dave McGillivray and Andrea Dowdy
Moderator: Phil Stewart

4:40 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. Trade Exhibit Break

5:30 P.M. -6:30 P.M. Race Directors’ Reception in Conjunction with the Trade Exhibit
Talk with exhibitors of awards, competitor numbers, banners, timing products, apparel, running organizations, online registration services, apps, other web services and more. It’s a relaxed opportunity to meet fellow race directors, the faculty and exhibitors in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. MarathonGuide.com Keynote Dinner
The dinner includes the announcement and presentation of the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaker: Tamara Keith

Our keynote speaker, Tamara Keith, is an avid runner, is a Senior White House correspondent for NPR and appears weekly on the PBS News Hour as part of its Politics Monday segment. She is a former president of the White House Correspondents Association. She has run the Marine Corps Marathon as well as many other races. She will speak on the juxtaposition of running and politics, how she has kept up her running with a packed schedule and what it is like covering former and current politicians and staff who run regularly.

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SUNDAY, December 15

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. Participant Demographics
Who is running our races today and how does it compare to the past? Where are new runners going to come from? What are the demographics going to look like going forward? We will help you develop strategies to best reach new audiences including running crews and other social organizations.

Faculty: Laurel Park
Moderator: Phil Stewart

10:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. Gatorade / Trade Exhibit Break

10:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Rethinking Elite Athletes in Your Event
Events' elite athlete budgets have taken a hit in recent years, sometimes being eliminated entirely. A race director makes the case that elite athlete participation can enhance your event in numerous ways and shouldn't always be the first item on the chopping block. He will look at various ways you can include an elite athlete component in races with both small and large budgets, and how that can positively impact your event.

Faculty: Eli Asch
Moderators: Phil Stewart

11:30 A.M. Trade Exhibit Closes

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