January/February 2011
ISRI’s convention returns to Los Angeles after a 22-year break, reviving the association’s past love affair with the city while celebrating L.A.’s recent, exciting changes.
You could say ReMA will return to its roots when it holds its convention and exposition in Los Angeles April 5-9. The association held its first two conventions—in 1988 and 1989—in the City of Angels at the Century Plaza hotel. In those early days, ISRI’s fledgling convention was a modest-sized affair, attracting 2,250 attendees the first year and 2,700 the second year, with an exposition that featured 75 to 100 exhibitors.
How times have changed. ISRI’s convention attendance now regularly exceeds 4,500—with a record of almost 5,800 attendees in 2008. Its exposition, the largest scrap recycling industry showcase in the world, has attracted more than 265 exhibitors at its peak. And Los Angeles, always a dynamic city, has undergone a downtown renaissance in the past decade, making it even more alluring than in ISRI’s early days. With all of that change, you can bet this year’s ReMA gathering will be lively, intriguing, and sure to live up to its Hollywood-influenced “Action!” theme.
L.A.’s New Convention Digs
For decades, ISRI’s predecessor associations—the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel and the National Association of Recycling Industries—had a love affair with Los Angeles, with both groups holding numerous conventions there. So why did ReMA move away from Los Angeles as a convention location after 1989? The main reason is that ReMA simply outgrew the Century Plaza, especially for its expo, and found larger, newer venues in Las Vegas, Florida, New Orleans, and other cities from 1990 through 2010.
About a decade ago, however, Los Angeles embarked on an ambitious makeover of its downtown area to reassert itself as a destination for both business and pleasure. A key part of this makeover is the transformation of the Los Angeles Convention Center, which originally opened in 1971. In recent years, the convention center undertook two major expansions and renovations. The first, in 1993, added 347,000 square feet of exhibit space, 43 meeting rooms, and a 299-seat theater. A second expansion in 1997 focused on the 162,000-square-foot Kentia Hall exhibit area. Today, the stylish glass-and-steel Los Angeles Convention Center calls itself “one of the most technologically advanced, architecturally pleasing, and functionally superb venues in the world.” The facility, spread across 54 acres, encompasses 720,000 square feet of exhibit space, 64 meeting rooms with 147,000 square feet of space, three food courts, and a full-service business center. In other words, it has all the features needed to host a winning ReMA convention.
The second—and most recent—factor in the city’s downtown rebirth is the development of L.A. Live. This $2.5 billion, 5.6 million-square-foot mixed-use development—considered the new centerpiece of downtown—occupies a 27-acre site across the street from the convention center and offers nightlife, restaurants, and live music venues spread out on five levels. The restaurant lineup includes several familiar names in the culinary world—such as Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, Trader Vic’s, and Lawry’s Carvery—as well as some fresher faces, including The Farm of Beverly Hills, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, The Yard House, Rosa Mexicano, Katsuya, and Rock’N Fish.
L.A. Live’s entertainment and cultural offerings include three live music venues—The Conga Room, billed as L.A.’s preeminent Latin music spot; Club Nokia, a three-level, 2,300-seat auditorium; and the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, a 7,100-seat venue—as well as the Grammy Museum, a bowling alley (the 18-lane Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge), and a movie theater (the 14-screen Regal Cinemas complex).
L.A. Live also has an outpost of the ESPN Zone, which serves food and drink among more than 150 high-definition televisions that broadcast every sport imaginable, and visitors can play along with more than 45 interactive games such as auto racing and air hockey. That’s not all this convention offers for sports fans, however. The convention center and L.A. Live are both adjacent to the Staples Center, home of four professional sports teams, including last year’s National Basketball Association champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the Lakers and the National Hockey League’s L.A. Kings will be at the Staples Center during the convention.
Beyond the ReMA convention’s home base of the Los Angeles Convention Center and L.A. Live, attendees have the rest of the city—and its many enticements—at their feet. Nearby are downtown Los Angeles and the Bunker Hill neighborhood, home of cultural venues including the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Mark Taper Forum. South of the convention center is the 160-acre Exposition Park, home to the California Science Center and IMAX Theater, the Natural History Museum of L.A. County, and other institutions.
For many, a trip to Los Angeles wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Hollywood. You can stroll on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, check out the stars’ handprints and footprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and see where the stars walk down the red carpet before the Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater. And here’s a tip: The Los Angeles metro system connects the convention center to other parts of downtown, Hollywood, and even the Universal Studios theme park.
If you want to go farther afield, you can take in the J. Paul Getty Museum’s two stunning venues in Brentwood and Malibu, bask in la dolce vita in Beverly Hills, or visit funky, eclectic Venice Beach. Additional world-class attractions include the L.A. Zoo, Griffith Observatory, the La Brea Tar Pits, and more. (Visit www.discoverlosangeles.com for more information on L.A. attractions.)
Winning Content and Big Names
At its first convention in 1988, ReMA offered 15 educational workshops, which was considered a veritable smorgasbord of industry knowledge. Compare that with this year’s ReMA event, which will offer some 40 sessions, including the popular commodity spotlights (with special workshops on electronics, rubber, plastics, and paper) and workshops on management, safety, international trade, and crime prevention, as well as “Toolbox Talks” by industry vendors.
In addition to its educational content, the ReMA convention is renowned for its high-profile general sessions, which have showcased former U.S. presidents and British prime ministers, celebrities, and thought leaders. This year, ISRI’s convention keynote speakers are military leaders who offer lessons based on their dramatic, thought-provoking life stories.
Scott Waddle, the opening general session speaker, is retired commander of the USS Greeneville submarine. On Feb. 9, 2001, Waddle was directing the submarine as it left Pearl Harbor with a full crew and 16 distinguished visitors aboard. The submarine conducted a series of routine maneuvers that ended in a collision with the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing trawler. The accident, which killed nine people on the fishing boat, attracted worldwide media attention and thrust Waddle into the spotlight. Hear how he dealt with this incident and what it has taken to get him—and the families of the victims—through the tragedy.
The second general session features Stanley McChrystal, the retired four-star general who served as commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan. McChrystal, a former Green Beret with 34 years of military experience, also formerly led the Joint Special Operations Command. As a military leader, he is widely praised for combining intelligence and operations units to create a new approach to warfare. He will present leadership lessons from the field, promoting a leadership model focused on building teams capable of relentlessly pursuing results.
ISRI’s convention is equally lauded for its closing-night events, such as last year’s hard-to-top gala on the deck of the USS Midway aircraft carrier. Though the details of this year’s final-night plans remain under wraps, we can divulge that the event likely will feature a nationally recognized musical act performing in the state-of-the-art Club Nokia at L.A. Live. The night is sure to be a fitting wrap-up to ISRI’s first L.A. convention in the new millennium.
Enjoying the ISRI/L.A. Experience
This year’s convention is a month earlier than ISRI’s 2010 event, which makes it all the more important to sign up early to get the lowest registration fee and reserve a room at one of the ReMA convention hotels at the best rate.
Registration. You can find everything you need to know or do regarding registration at www.isriconvention.org, but here are the basics:
The early-bird registration fee for ReMA members and their guests is $700 per person through Jan. 31, $800 from Feb. 1 to March 6, and $900 after that date. The nonmember registration fee is $1,200 per person through Jan. 31, $1,300 from Feb. 1 to March 6, and $1,400 afterward. Trade show-only badges, which allow access to the expo floor only on April 7 and April 8, are $400 per person for members and $500 for nonmembers through Jan. 31, $450 for members and $550 for nonmembers from Feb. 1 to March 6, and $500 for members and $600 for nonmembers from March 7 onward. For other registration information, such as rates for children and tickets for the closing-night event, visit www.isriconvention.org.
The fastest and easiest way to register is through the ReMA convention website, though you also can register by mail or 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. 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 period. Please note that ReMA will not process any registration not accompanied by payment in full or the required credit card information.
Lodging. This year’s ReMA convention offers several hotel options to provide accommodations at a variety of price points. To make reservations, visit www.isriconvention.org/hotels or contact the hotels directly using the phone numbers below (be sure to ask for the ReMA convention rate). All room rates noted below are for single or double occupancy and do not include tax.
--J.W. Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live. This headquarters hotel for the ReMA convention is two blocks from the Los Angeles Convention Center. The property, which opened in February 2010, offers large, luxurious rooms and state-of-the-art meeting space among its many amenities. Rooms start at $249 a night, with suites from $299 to $2,000 a night. (At press time, ISRI’s room block at the J.W. Marriott was full. Contact the hotel at 213/765-8600 to check for room availability and rates.)
--Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown. This recently renovated, four-star hotel provides all the amenities ReMA convention attendees expect, including restaurant and bar facilities, free access to the Bally Total Fitness health club adjacent to the hotel, and exceptional service. The hotel is about eight blocks from the convention center. Rooms start at $199 a night. Call 213/488-3500.
--Wilshire Grand Los Angeles. This property, four blocks from L.A. Live and six blocks from the Los Angeles Convention Center, counts spacious rooms and free Internet access among its perks. Rooms are $149 a night, with suites from $165. Call 213/688-7777.
--The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles. Located in the same building as the
J.W. Marriott, this hotel boasts the top-notch comfort and service of all Ritz-Carlton properties. (At press time, ISRI’s room block at the Ritz was full. Contact the hotel at 800/241-3333 to check for room availability and rates.)
A Don’t-Miss, Best-Ever Event
As chair of ISRI’s convention committee—and a longtime ReMA convention attendee—I must admit I’m more excited than ever about the opportunities to network, learn, and expo-shop at the 2011 ReMA show. I’m particularly excited about this year’s venue—the Los Angeles Convention Center—and the adjacent L.A. Live complex, a marvelous area for food, drink, entertainment, and networking. The number and variety of restaurants alone will make your head spin, and they’re all in close proximity to the J.W. Marriott, the convention’s headquarters hotel.
Speaking of hotels, ReMA has made a special effort this year to offer options that fit various budgets, including rooms as low as $149 a night. ReMA will provide shuttle-bus transportation from all the official convention hotels to the convention center, so no worries there.
Two other reasons to be excited about the 2011 convention are the general session speakers, Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Cmdr. Scott Waddle. These military leaders have amazing stories to tell, and we can all glean lessons from their hard-earned experience.
On the topic of learning, ReMA listened to members’ requests for workshops that provide maximum take-home value. The 40 educational sessions this year promise to deliver information that all attendees—from owners to yard workers—can use to operate their facilities and their businesses more efficiently and effectively. New this year, ReMA will offer simultaneous translation in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish at the major workshops and spotlights, in addition to the translation services in those languages the association already offers at registration.
This year’s convention also will feature a redesigned expo hall and a new location for the ReMA booth, which provides information about membership and the many ways the association can help your company stay safe, compliant, and informed about the industry.
Signs point to another great ReMA show. At press time, the exhibition space was almost sold out, with 353 of the 370 booths already sold and 48,500 square feet of equipment space filled. Don’t miss this once-a-year, one-stop shop for all of your recycling equipment, technology, and service needs.
Along with these new features, the 2011 event will offer the same excellent hospitality and invaluable networking opportunities you’ve come to expect at an ReMA show. I could go on, but you get the idea: This year’s ReMA convention will be one of the best ever, and I invite you to be a part of it.
Bruce Blue, Freedom Metals (Louisville, Ky.)
ISRI Convention Committee Chair
Eight Reasons to Be Excited About the 2011 ReMA Convention
Los Angeles. It’s only fitting for the world’s largest recycling industry association to hold its convention in one of the most lively and chic cities in America.
Los Angeles Convention Center. This spacious architectural marvel will vie with previous ReMA show venues for the title of “best convention space ever.”
L.A. Live. If you can’t find something to eat, do, or love at this new five-level, multi-use development, check your pulse.
ISRI expo. What’s not to like about seeing the latest and greatest in equipment, technology, products, and services at the world’s largest recycling industry exhibition? This year’s show will span 250,000 square feet, including 48,000 square feet of equipment space, and it will showcase the offerings of roughly 230 exhibitors.
Stellar hotel. ISRI’s headquarters convention hotel—the J.W. Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live—is barely a year old but already is setting the standard for comfort and service in the lodging industry.
General session speakers Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Cmdr. Scott Waddle will share the lessons they learned in their military careers and from their dramatic life events.
Workshops galore. Each of the more than 40 ReMA convention workshops offers a reason in itself to be excited about this year’s event.
Networking. Always a top perk of the ReMA convention, this year is no exception, as ISRI’s annual gathering provides numerous opportunities to meet and greet old friends and expand your business and friendship circles.
ISRI’s convention returns to Los Angeles after a 22-year break, reviving the association’s past love affair with the city while celebrating L.A.’s recent, exciting changes.