A Conference to Remember
The California Sign Association held its annual convention in Garden Grove, CA. on August 24-26. Great camaraderie and fun were had by all!
Wednesday was the start of the convention with the last meeting of the 2015-16 CSA Board of Directors taking place Wednesday afternoon, then moving quickly into bowling at Bowlmor Lanes.
Opening Party “Bowling Bash!”
Bowling, libations, fiesta and fun!
What is a blast? CSA’s “Bowling Bash” event! Seventy five were in attendance at the bowling bash; watching, networking and some even establishing new bowling techniques, and plenty of food and drinks were the order of the day – several CSA bowlers appear to be regulars on their alleys back home – judging by their scores. In a private “bowling alley within a bowling alley” fantastic victuals from south of the border and plenty of libations from a private bar set the tone for this year’s conference.
Thursday started with a very exciting and very informative seminar conducted by Ms. Teresa Young, President and CEO of Sign Biz ®, Inc. and Ms. Lori Anderson, President of the International Sign Association (ISA); the hiring process as well as the retention of employees were addressed. Young kicked off with an eye-opening look at “white hacker” techniques that improve hire quality. Lori finished up the program with with educational opportunities that ISA is offering to its members and non-members alike. This seminar was of such importance – it was filmed and segments will be available on the CSA website for your enjoyment!
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM 2016 CSA Annual Meeting & State of the Association
The next order of business was our annual membership meeting, where President Mike Avery brought the members up to date information on where CSA is and where it is going. The election of the board of directors for the year 2016-17 was conducted, along with the election of next year’s officers, which includes – Mike Avery, N Glantz & Son (Immediate Past President), Pete Michelini, Sign Designs, (President), Dennis Lytle, Federal heath (1st Vice President), Neal Tibbs, Ad Art (2nd Vice president), and Bob Shimmin, Montroy Supply (Secretary/Treasurer).
When lunch was served, we were provided the history of Orange County by Phil Brigandi; it was interesting to hear about all the twists and turns this area of the state took before settling down and becoming one of the most beautiful and active centers of commerce in Southern California.
Next was the Exhibit Hall!
WSSC Show – Product & Service Expo The Showcase – the afternoon was filled with more great camaraderie, and an exhibit hall filled with 44 exhibitors that were delighted to share their new products, services and spend time with existing as well as potentially new customers. The exhibitors expressed delight with CSA’s future convention plans that include, our returning to this same venue in 2018 and 2020 – those are the years when ISA is conducting the EXPO in Orlando. When the EXPO is in Las Vegas, CSA will conduct Educational Conferences – further details on this new format will be explained in future editions of Signage Matters.
Thursday night featured a great banquet and both live and silent auctions. The magician was worth the price of admission!
Friday, Fun Day!
Friday was the conclusion of this year’s convention, where fifty people made reservations to enjoy lunch and ride the attractions at Knott’s Berry Farm. The number of folks who stated they hadn’t been to the park in years, and how it brought back great memories of years gone by, was staggering. The new rides at the park – like the Accelerator – were nothing less than staggering and so exhilarating!
Thank you to all that participated in this year’s CSA Annual Convention – see you next year!
Teresa M. Young has been a consultant to entrepreneurs since 1986, in both retail and B2B sectors. In 1991, she became President of Sign Biz, Inc., a full-service business development company. Young sits on multiple boards, including as Past Chairwoman of both the International Sign Association (ISA) and California Sign Association. She is an accomplished code writer, web developer and contributor to the Git Repository. Young is also an in-demand speaker, engaging business owners with topical and powerful business insights and strategies in support of best business practices and modern marketing strategies under her MintyWorks and Coffee with T brands. 200 click-and-mortar enterprises were established under the Sign Biz business model with more than $19,000,000 worth of SBA-backed funding for these businesses.