| January/February 2010 The 2010 ReMA convention makes its debut in San Diego, offering participants a new locale to explore while gaining valuable information and connections that can lead to recycling success. Desiring success is one thing. Achieving it is quite another. Most businesses measure success using profit margins: The more you make, the more successful you are. But sometimes—especially in tough economic times—you must use other measurements to gauge success and arm yourself with an arsenal of tools to achieve it. ReMA's annual convention and exposition provides scrap recyclers and traders with many more tools for success, however they measure it. With "Success" as its theme, the 2010 ReMA convention and exposition will help attendees celebrate economic progress during the past year and define success for the coming decade. This year's show—packed with informative and educational workshops—takes place May 4-8 in San Diego, at the city's harborfront convention center. The family-friendly location offers something for everyone and provides a great way to mix business with pleasure. About San Diego
California's second-largest city, San Diego is known for its fantastic weather, its many attractions, and its lively nightlife. The historic Gaslamp Quarter contains some of the city's best dining and entertainment, with more than 100 restaurants, jazz bars, and dance clubs to choose from—all within walking distance of the convention center and the ReMA convention hotels. Balboa Park—the nation's largest urban cultural park—houses 15 major museums, performing arts venues, gardens, and the San Diego Zoo. Mission Bay, a family playground just 8 miles from downtown, features Sea World as well as bike paths, walking trails, and a campground. The San Diego area has something to offer no matter which direction you travel. To the west, the city's 70 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline provide outdoor recreation such as sunbathing, surfing, boating, sailing, and swimming. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a short drive north of the city, as are a variety of vineyards and Legoland, which offers a day's worth of amusement rides and attractions. South of the city, visitors can cool off at Knott's Soak City, the area's largest water park, or head across the border into Mexico for a quick visit to Tijuana, Rosarito, or Ensenada. East of San Diego are the Cuyamaca mountains, the historic mining town of Julian, and an entrance to the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which offers hiking, camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing. San Diego County also features 92 golf courses, beachfront resorts, spas, casinos, and much more. While at the convention center, be sure to stop by the concierge desk for special offers and discounts to some of the city's attractions, restaurants, and entertainment hot spots. The staff there also can help with directions, reservations, and scheduling tours. Program Highlights
Of course the real reasons for attending the ReMA 2010 convention are the many opportunities to network with potential new business partners as well as reconnect with old ones. And don't forget the valuable information you can glean from the convention's many commodity spotlights, workshops, and other programs that will help you succeed in the recycling world. Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state for the George W. Bush administration from 2005 to 2009, takes the podium as ReMA's keynote speaker at the May 8 chair-elect's general session. Rice now teaches political science at Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.) and serves as a senior fellow on public policy at the university's Hoover Institution. In a change from recent years' schedules, Rice and the chair's general session speaker (to be announced soon) will take the stage after the scheduled breakfasts on May 8 and May 6, respectively. Returning for 2010 are some of ReMA's highest-rated and best-attended programs, including commodity spotlights on aluminum, copper, ferrous, nickel/stainless, plastics, and rubber. The spotlights offer up-to-the-minute analyses of market trends and conditions. Also returning for a second year is the spotlight on the economy, which will put the latest domestic and global economic conditions in perspective. For the first time this year, ReMA's Paper Stock Industries Chapter will hold its spring chapter meeting at the convention, bringing a whole new recovered fiber track to the convention's lineup of educational programming. Other commodity-specific tracks focus on electronics, tires and rubber, plastics, and metals identification. The exposition, which remains the centerpiece of ReMA's annual convention, opens its doors the evening of May 5 with the gala opening-night reception and closes on May 7. The expo hall contains more than 375 booths and just over 250,000 feet of exhibit space. The closing night gala returns May 8 in a big, big way: Attendees will step aboard the USS Midway, one of the nation's longest-serving aircraft carriers. Now a naval ship museum permanently berthed just a short distance from the convention center, the Midway will host ReMA conventiongoers throughout the ship, most notably on its 4-acre flight deck—amid restored helicopters and airplanes—with a 360-degree view of the San Diego skyline, Coronado Island, and the San Diego Bay Bridge. The Recycling Research Foundation—ReMA's research and education arm—will once again hold a silent auction to raise money for its work. RRF conducts industry research and provides scholarships to ReMA member firm employees and their children. On the auction block, look for books and collectibles, artwork, event tickets, trips, gift certificates, equipment, unique opportunities, and more. (To donate items to the auction, contact Tom Crane, 202/662-8536 or tomcrane@isri.org.) This year's convention begins with two days of ReMA governance meetings, including meetings of the board of directors and many committees and divisions. On the afternoon of May 8 is the second board meeting and the election of the ReMA national officers and new board members for the 2010-2012 term. Just the Facts
Registration: The 2010 ReMA convention registration fee for ReMA members and their guests is $700 per person through Feb. 26, $800 per person Feb. 27-April 2, and $900 per person after that date. The nonmember registration fee is $1,050 per person through Feb. 26, $1,150 per person Feb. 27-April 2, and $1,250 after that date. Tickets for the trade show only (May 5-7) are $400 through Feb. 26, $450 Feb. 27-April 2, and $500 afterward. The easiest way to register is online at www.isriconvention.org, but you also can register by mail or by fax. To register by mail, fill out a registration form (available online or in the mailed ReMA convention brochure) and send it with full payment or credit card information to ReMA Convention, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036-5664. To register by fax, send your completed registration form with credit card payment information to 202/624-9257. ReMA plans to send confirmations within two to four weeks of receipt of properly completed registrations. Contact ReMA if you do not receive a confirmation in that time period. Please note: ReMA will not process any registration form not accompanied by payment in full or the required credit card information. ReMA will accept registration forms by fax or mail through April 23. After that date ReMA will process forms on-site. Online registration will remain open throughout the event. Lodging: ReMA has negotiated with two city hotels for special convention rates. The Marriott San Diego Hotel and Marina and the Manchester Grand Hyatt are both just a short walk from the convention center and about a 10-minute ride from the San Diego International Airport. Both hotels feature spectacular harbor-front views, notable restaurants, fitness centers, outdoor attractions such as pools, tennis courts, and walking and jogging paths, and more. The ReMA rate for the Marriott is $259 a night, single or double, plus tax. Hyatt rooms are $269 a night, single or double, plus tax, and include free in-room Internet. Secure those rates before the April 5 cutoff date—and before the room block sells out—by calling the Marriott at 800/228-9290 or the Hyatt at 800/633-7313 (mention the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries room block). Or reserve a room online by going to www.isriconvention.org/hotels. For the latest schedule information, an interactive look at the exposition floor, and other exciting convention news, visit www.isriconvention.org • |