March/April 2011
The best businesses constantly evolve, shift, and seek new opportunities, leaving more passive companies in their wake. To make your business stronger, healthier, and more successful, you have to take action. What action will take your company to the next level? Gather ideas, compare notes with others in your niche, meet potential business partners, and more by attending the 2011 ReMA convention and exposition in sunny Los Angeles. With “Action!” as its theme, the event returns after 22 years to the City of Angels April 5-9 with even more tools to help you act to strengthen your company.
Conventiongoers will find all their favorite ReMA convention features—and a few new ones—with L.A. as the backdrop. Networking opportunities with colleagues, vendors, and customers abound. Learn about the latest and greatest the industry has to offer through more than 50 educational programs, general sessions, and spotlights, as well as the exposition hall, which houses some of the newest and best equipment for recyclers.
Beginnings and Endings
When most people think of the ReMA convention, they think of the expo hall—the industry’s largest—jampacked with new products, services, and equipment. This year’s expo hall contains about 250 exhibitors, including 48,000 square feet of large equipment displays. The expo hall doors open Wednesday, April 6, with the gala opening-night reception, which is for fully registered attendees only. On Thursday and Friday, April 7-8, you have all day to talk with vendors and colleagues about the products and services on display—but be sure to visit mid-day to enjoy the expo hall luncheons.
New to this year’s expo hall are “themed” hospitality areas: Each one is tagged with a specific scrap commodity, making it easier to pick a spot to rendezvous with colleagues, friends, or business associates. Be sure to visit all the themed areas during the opening gala, as each one will have a different selection of food. (The lunches Thursday and Friday will be the same throughout the hall.)
For a closing event, it will be hard to top last year’s festivities on the deck of the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego, but ReMA is working to do just that. Though the details of this year’s event on Saturday, April 9, remain under wraps, we can tell you that the event, titled “A Night at the Hotel California,” will feature classic rock ’n’ roll at the state-of-the-art Club Nokia at L.A. Live. The evening will kick off with a Wolfgang Puck-catered reception, followed by the concert and festivities from the stage.
Real-Life Lessons
ISRI always provides a lineup of general-session speakers who both entertain and inform audiences with their firsthand experiences and the lessons they have learned along the way. This year is no exception. Scott Waddle, retired commander of the USS Greeneville submarine, will speak at the opening general session on Thursday, April 7, about the tragic event that thrust him into the spotlight. On Feb. 9, 2001, Waddle was commanding the submarine as it left Pearl Harbor with a full crew and 16 distinguished visitors aboard. What started as a series of routine maneuvers ended in tragedy as the submarine collided with the Ehime Maru, a Japanese fishing trawler, killing nine fishermen. Waddle will relay to the audience the hard lessons he learned from this experience.
Stanley McChrystal, the retired four-star general who served as commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, will share his lessons from the front lines at the closing general session on Saturday, April 9. McChrystal, a former Green Beret with 34 years of military experience who also led the Joint Special Operations Command, promotes a leadership style that focuses on innovation, openness, teamwork, and forward thinking while relentlessly pursuing results.
For the first time, ReMA will offer simultaneous translation in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese of these general sessions and the spotlights held in the general-session hall. This new service reflects the convention’s increasingly international attendance, which has nearly doubled over the past five years. About 20 percent of conventiongoers now come from outside the United States.
Illuminating Commodities
ISRI’s spotlight programs provide convention audiences with expert perspectives on commodity markets for the short and long term as well as a glimpse into the U.S. and global economies. The spotlights continue to be some of the convention’s most popular programs, so arrive early to claim your seat.
Spotlight on the Economy. The U.S. economy is showing signs of recovery, but it’s unclear whether a stronger manufacturing sector and growing consumer confidence can overcome ongoing weakness in the labor and housing markets, not to mention this spring’s high oil prices. Meanwhile, economic growth in China and other developing countries will continue to affect the global economic pace. To gain a better sense of U.S. and global economic trends that could affect the recycling industry in 2011, attend the Spotlight on the Economy on Friday, April 8. Speakers include Bob Garino, former ReMA director of commodities, now with Export Tax Advisors (Houston); Lynn Reaser of Fermanian Business & Economic Institute of Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego); Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics (Austin, Texas); and Adam Minter, a journalist and blogger based in Shanghai.
Spotlight on Ferrous. Early 2011 saw average ferrous prices up 40 percent year on year, largely due to tight supplies of scrap and other raw materials and challenging winter supply conditions for inputs such as iron ore and coking coal. The ferrous spotlight on Thursday, April 7, will consider whether global demand will support these price increases and whether the prices will hold past the first quarter of 2011, among other issues. Speakers include Greg Dixon of Baker Iron & Metal Co. (Lexington, Ky.).
Spotlight on Aluminum. Aluminum prices rose 10 percent in 2010, and most forecasters expect continued growth in demand and prices for aluminum and aluminum scrap. Will that sentiment prevail even though the U.S. construction industry remains iffy, more than 4.5 million mt of aluminum stocks sit in London Metal Exchange warehouses, and idled capacity is returning to production? On Thursday, April 7, aluminum spotlight speakers will share their insights into the aluminum industry as well as the key factors they believe will affect the market going forward. Speakers include Gary Curtis of Wise Recycling (Linthicum Heights, Md.).
Spotlight on Copper. Copper has some of the strongest fundamentals among the base metals, with growing demand in China and constraints on new supply catapulting prices for the red metal 30 percent higher last year. The introduction of physically backed exchange-traded funds has renewed the debate about how much investor demand is driving copper prices, however. Analysts predict that prices could climb to $11,000 to $12,000 a mt in 2011. Would this period of sustained high prices be good for the industry? And how do these market forces affect the demand for copper scrap? Industry participants and analysts will consider these questions and more during the copper spotlight Friday, April 8.
Spotlight on Nickel/Stainless. Nickel prices staged a dramatic comeback last year, with benchmark LME nickel prices rocketing nearly 35 percent higher in 2010. Price volatility remains a pressing concern for the industry, however, along with overcapacity in the stainless steel industry, the impact of nickel pig iron production in China, and the changing nickel supply picture, as new projects come online and existing facilities ramp up production. The nickel/stainless spotlight on Friday, April 8, will address these issues as well as whether industry consolidation will continue, how investor demand affects prices, and whether concerns about nickel supply are overblown. Speakers include Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics.
In addition to these spotlights, the 2011 convention offers spotlights on paper, electronics, rubber, and plastics, each of which is described below. Here’s a rundown of the other education sessions scheduled for this year’s convention. Note that meeting topics and times are subject to change; check www.isriconvention.org for the most up-to-date information.
Electronics Expertise
The Electronics Recycling Summit continues as a dedicated track of the ReMA convention, providing top-notch programming specifically for electronics processors. Before the opening gala, on Wednesday, April 6, electronics recyclers and others can attend Fine Tuning for R2/RIOS Certification, an ReMA electronics certification program workshop. R2/RIOS combines the Responsible Recycling (R2) practices developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Washington, D.C.) and other stakeholders with ISRI’s Recycling Industry Operating Standard. For those who are in the midst of R2/RIOS certification or who are considering it, this workshop will provide advice from experts and from recyclers with firsthand certification experience. A separate, advance registration is required; go to www.isriconvention.org to register.
Spotlight on Electronics—Global Perspectives on Electronics Recycling: Opportunities & Challenges. The electronics spotlight kicks off this year’s summit on Thursday, April 7, with a keynote presentation by Graham Davy, global CEO for Sims Recycling Solutions and European CEO for its parent company, Sims Metal Management (Warwickshire, England).
Are Manufacturers Being Responsible for Electronics Recycling? About two dozen states have enacted electronics takeback laws, and the vast majority of them use a producer-responsibility model. This session will use case studies to explore how manufacturers and recyclers are responding to such laws via voluntary, mandatory, and entrepreneurial initiatives.
The State of the Electronics Recycling Industry. Over the past five years, the electronics recycling industry has experienced rapid growth and evolution, though little data exist to chart its development. This workshop will share results from recent U.S. and global surveys of electronics manufacturers, recyclers, refurbishers, and other industry participants, including the first report from a widespread industry survey conducted this spring.
U.S.-Asian Electronics Recycling Summit. Hear government officials from China, India, and Malaysia outline the state of electronics recycling in their countries. They’ll address their regulatory approaches, recycling targets, technologies in use, and technologies they hope to implement—information that might reveal business opportunities in those markets for recyclers, technology vendors, and others.
Electronics Recycling Technology—Recent Developments and Innovations. The technological challenges of recycling materials such as plastics, motors, and printed wire boards have driven innovation in electronics processing. As soon as recyclers find ways to process today’s electronic products, the technology and materials change yet again. This panel will review recent developments that might affect industry practices.
How to Make Money in Electronics Recycling. As electronics recycling becomes more prevalent, traditional scrap processors are increasingly receiving electronic products in their materials stream. Learn how to handle and sort such materials, how to select downstream electronics recyclers for processing, and more in this informative session.
Rubber Roundup
Spotlight on Tires/Rubber. Get an overview of scrap tire markets at this first session for tire processors, held Thursday, April 7. Learn how current major markets are faring as well as how manufacturers are finding new and innovative ways to use scrap tire rubber in their products.
Rubberized Asphalt. Rubberized asphalt has the potential to consume a large proportion of scrap tires, and state and federal studies have documented the superiority of such material for road-building on several performance measures. Get a general overview of the material, its benefits, and why and how states are using it.
Rubberized Asphalt: The Contractor’s Perspective. This session goes beyond the basics to look at one essential element of successful asphalt rubber projects: a positive, proactive relationship between the crumb rubber supplier and the road contractor. Hear from a contractor with experience in these projects on how to establish and maintain this relationship.
EPA Regulations and the Impact on Tire-Derived Fuel. In late February, the U.S. EPA finally issued new rules that define when scrap tires are—and are not—considered solid waste in terms of their use as fuel. The new rules raise a host of new questions, however. Attend this workshop to learn more about the rules and what processors need to know to preserve their access to the tire-derived fuel market.
Paper Programming
For the second year in a row, the ReMA convention will be the site of ISRI’s Paper Stock Industries Chapter spring meeting, scheduled for Thursday, April 7. Other convention programming for those who handle this commodity includes the following:
Spotlight on Paper. Also on April 7 is this look at the scrap paper markets. Despite the many ups and downs paper recyclers have experienced over the past few years, analysts are optimistic about recovered fiber’s future, with new opportunities, new markets, and new demand on the horizon.
OSHA Update: Dust Control. Within the recycling industry, paper processors are perhaps most likely to face the risk of combustible dust explosions, though metal and rubber processors can have such hazards as well. Learn how to lessen these risks at your facility as well as the ramifications of OSHA’s national emphasis program that targets combustible dusts.
How to Make Money in Paper Recycling. Whether it’s to diversify their commodity mix or to provide one-stop service to customers, more and more recyclers are adding paper to the materials they collect and process. Hear from recyclers who have successfully added paper collection to their product lines about how and why they did it and the markets they’ve found for this commodity.
Paper Trends. Changes in supply, demand, and markets have kept paper processors and traders on their toes in the past few years. During this workshop, recovered fiber experts will discuss innovative programs that are affecting the collection of this material in North America.
Pondering Plastics
Spotlight on Plastics. This session on Thursday, April 7, will provide a variety of perspectives on what plastics recyclers need to know to succeed in a volatile market. Get a glimpse of the current trends and conditions in the market as well as the likely market drivers.
How to Make Money in Plastics Recycling. One barrier to entry into plastics recycling is the challenge of obtaining a reliable plastic feedstock supply. Learn the basics of plastic generation, where to find good sources, and how to handle the material once you have a reliable source.
Plastics Identification. Regardless of how much plastic you handle, you must know how to quickly identify the various polymers for proper sorting, processing, and sale. This workshop focuses on the basics of identification and testing.
Safety and Environmental Issues
Transportation: CSA 2010 Update. It’s been four months since the U.S. Department of Transportation launched its Compliance, Safety, Accountability initiative (formerly CSA 2010), which collects more data on truck fleets and drivers and creates a wide spectrum of government interventions for companies whose safety scores fall below the threshold. Learn how the program is faring so far, how it’s affecting scrap companies’ fleets and operations, and what further changes are in the works.
SREA Compliance. Though the Superfund Recycling Equity Act helps protect recyclers from Superfund claims related to actions against scrap commodity consumers, that protection is not automatic. Find out what actions you must take to avoid exposure to Superfund liability and what tools ReMA provides to help.
Action, Not Reaction, on Stormwater. Stormwater issues continue to top the list of environmental compliance concerns for recyclers. Hear about ISRI’s latest efforts to help you meet stormwater compliance requirements.
Get the Lead Out! OSHA is ramping up its enforcement of lead-related workplace violations, resulting in six-figure fines at some scrapyards. Learn how scrap workers are exposed to lead, how to minimize exposure, what OSHA expects for lead compliance, frequent sources of scrapyard citations, why OSHA’s respiratory standard gets pulled into lead violations, and more.
Plant/Yard Security. Plants and scrapyards can face a variety of dangers, from materials theft to armed robbery to workplace violence. Find out how to develop a security plan for people, property, and peace of mind.
Management Matters
Communications: Taking Full Advantage of Your Company’s Website. Most companies have a website these days, but some are just a bare-bones set of static pages containing out-of-date information. Even with the proliferation of today’s online media, a well-designed website can attract business. This session explains how to maximize your site’s value by using tools such as search engine optimization, graphics, and video to make it stand out.
Take Action With RIOS. Learn about ISRI’s Recycling Industry Operating Standard for quality, environment, and health and safety management at scrap recycling facilities, including how it helps recyclers become more efficient and profitable and what support is available to help companies reach their operational goals.
RIOS Action and Reaction. Interested in implementing RIOS? Hear firsthand from ReMA members who have gone through the process about how doing so has benefited their businesses.
Making Media Opportunities Work for You. Do you only hear from the media when something at your facility goes wrong? Turn an adversarial relationship into a partnership by building ties with reporters and editors. This session provides recyclers with the communications and marketing tools they need to build such relationships, with examples from fellow recyclers on how they work with the media.
Railroads, Scrap, and the STB Office of Public Assistance. Scrap companies depend on railroads to move scrap to market, and they often feel powerless against these big companies when they face railcar shortages, slow service, or steep prices. A panel of recyclers and representatives from the Association of American Railroads, Consumers United for Rail Equity, and the Surface Transportation Board (all in Washington, D.C.) will address cost-effective strategies companies can use to find relief.
Critical Issues in Buying and Selling a Scrap Business. Whether you want to buy a scrap company or sell one, it’s essential to understand how your goals and interests conflict with the opposite party. At this session, walk through the basic elements of a business purchase or sale, paying special attention to due diligence considerations and critical contractual provisions regarding environmental issues.
Employment Law. The 2008 elections brought a shift in the U.S. Department of Labor’s priorities and enforcement approach, making it even more important for employers to keep a close watch on employment laws and regulations to ensure compliance. Hear the latest on what federal employment law requires—and what it allows.
Using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Other Social Media Platforms to Expand Your Business. Think Facebook and other social media tools are a waste of time or just for kids? With more than 500 million people and tens of thousands of businesses on Facebook alone, it’s a market that’s too big to ignore. This session will describe how to use social media to help grow your business.
Ferrous Futures. One way to mitigate risk from fluctuating and sometimes volatile commodities markets is to use established futures exchanges to hedge purchases or sales. This workshop will explore using steel-based futures contracts to lessen financial exposure to price swings and to lock in forward sales to ease the uncertainty that steel market participants constantly face.
U.S.-China Scrap Trade Consult Meeting. This meeting, hosted by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Asso-ciation (Beijing), gives Chinese and international secondary metals companies the opportunity to introduce themselves and discuss trade opportunities. CMRA representatives also will address China’s scrap import policies, AQSIQ registration, and other topics related to scrap trade with China.
Fraud Prevention. Criminals are always finding new ways to defraud unsuspecting companies, while the old scams, like fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, continue to target new victims. Find out how you can prevent fraud and embezzlement, including what to look for and how to work with investigators if you suspect your company has a problem.
Material Theft: Developing Community Partnerships. Cooperation among recyclers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders in a community has proven effective at preventing and responding to materials theft. Hear from recyclers and law enforcement officials how they have worked together to reduce crime.
Registration
Full conference registration includes admission to the opening night gala reception, general sessions, hospitality areas, workshops, spotlights, “Just for Fun” programs, exhibit hall, and closing gala. ReMA will sell a limited number of closing gala tickets to nonregistered spouses or guests, with a limit of one ticket per full conference registrant while supplies last.
Preregistration saves you time when you get to the convention. To preregister, your registration and payment must be received or postmarked no later than March 25. ReMA will process registrations received after that date on site. ReMA encourages preregistered guests to pick up their badges early, as lines can get long during peak periods, such as prior to the opening gala reception and the general sessions.
To register online, go to www.isriconvention.org. Use the ID number located above the mailing address on the convention information mailed to you. Or request your ID number by contacting the convention manager at convention@isri.org or 202/662-8500. The online system allows the registration of multiple attendees at once. Online registrants will receive a confirmation via e-mail. Online registration will remain open throughout the convention.
To register by fax or mail, send the printed registration forms and payment by March 25. Register only one individual per form. If paying by check or money order, mail the registration form with payment to ReMA Convention, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036-5664. If paying by credit card, fax the registration form with payment information to 202/624-9257.
Convention registration at the Los Angeles Convention Center will open at 7 a.m. on April 5. If you plan to register on site, allow a minimum of 20 minutes (longer during peak periods) to process your registration and prepare your badge at the registration desk.
Please note: ReMA will not process any registration form that is not accompanied by full payment or the required credit card information. 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. ReMA does not confirm hotel reservations. To confirm a hotel reservation, contact your hotel directly.
Registration fees. Only representatives of ReMA members in good standing, their guests, and members of specifically invited organizations may register at the member rate. If your firm is a subsidiary of an ReMA member firm, make a note of that on the registration form to facilitate processing. ReMA will charge all other registrants the nonmember fee. For ReMA members and their guests, the 2011 full convention registration fee is $900 per person; for nonmembers it is $1,400.
Trade show only. ISRI offers a trade-show-only registration for those who plan only to visit the exhibit hall. The badge provides entrance to the exhibit hall April 7-8 and includes lunch and other hospitality offered on the exhibit floor. Trade-show-only tickets are $500 for members, $600 for nonmembers.
Hotel accommodations. Most of ISRI’s hotel room blocks for the 2011 ReMA convention are full, though rooms may become available due to cancellations. ReMA will provide bus transportation to and from all official hotels (listed below) during the convention.
At press time, rooms were still available at the Westin Bonaventure, which is nine blocks from L.A. Live and 11 blocks from the L.A. Convention Center. The newly remodeled facility has a central atrium with 42 restaurants and shops. For reservations, call 800/937-8461 or 213/624-1000.
--The Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown is eight blocks from convention facilities. This four-star, recently renovated hotel has restaurant and bar facilities and free access to Bally Total Fitness adjacent to the hotel. Call 800/325-3535.
--The J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live serves as the headquarters hotel for the ReMA convention and is just two blocks from the L.A. Convention Center. Call 800/228-9290.
--The Wilshire Grand Hotel is just four blocks from L.A. Live and six blocks from the L.A. Convention Center. Call 800/937-8461 or 213/624-1000.
--The Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live is in the same building as the J.W. Marriott. Call 800/241-3333.
Many other great hotels are a short walk from the L.A. Live area. Consult your travel agent or favorite travel website for other housing opportunities.
Cancellation, substitutions, and refunds. ReMA must receive cancellations in writing. Convention registration cancellations made prior to the registration cut-off date of March 25 will receive a full refund minus an administrative fee. For registration fees less than $500, the administrative fee is $50. For registration fees of $500 or more, the administrative fee is $100. For cancellations made after March 25, ReMA will provide a refund equal to 50 percent of the registration fee.
Are You Prepared for a Radioactive Source?
Protecting your facility from radiation is essential, and that protection requires both the proper detection equipment and employees who know how to respond to a radiation alert. On Saturday, April 9, the ReMA convention will offer the daylong seminar Radiation—Training the Trainer. Using ISRI’s radiation safety training materials, the seminar will prepare attendees to train others, such as yard or plant employees, about radiation safety. Topics include regulatory requirements, instrumentation, procedures for responding to radiation detected in incoming loads or during processing, and general radiation safety.
Going Once … Going Twice … Gone!
Bid on unforgettable experiences, artwork, scrap equipment, and more at the Recycling Research Foundation’s third annual silent auction. This year’s auction will be outside the exhibit hall, adjacent to the ReMA booth in the convention center lobby. Proceeds from the auction help fund industry research projects to advance scrap recycling and scholarships for scrap recycling industry workers and their children.
Auction offerings include trips such as a three-night package for two at the Mirage in Las Vegas, with dinner, tickets to a Cirque du Soleil performance, and more; several sculptures to beautify your home or office; an iPod Nano; several pieces of scrapyard equipment; and the opportunity to become a character in a thriller written by John Gilstrap, who is a bestselling novelist as well as ISRI’s safety director. Stop by and help a good cause.
RRF continues to seek auction donations. For more information, contact Tom Crane at tomcrane@isri.org or 202/662-8536.
Just for Fun
The ReMA convention always provides a little something extra for registrants. This year, comedian and actress Suzanne Somers, best known for her roles on Three’s Company and Step by Step, will talk about her life and share her passions and secrets to success. Full convention registrants are welcome to attend this “Just for Fun” program at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 8.
Hail to Our Sponsors
The ReMA convention is an invaluable, don’t-miss event thanks in large part to the support of the following sponsors:
Allan Co.—paper spotlight
Coca-Cola Recycling—nonferrous
hospitality area in expo hall
Company Wrench—expo floor stickers
Evermore Recycling—lanyards
Harris—convention programs
RecycleGuard®—chair’s general session
Scrap Trading—pocket schedules
Sennebogen—highlighter pens
Terex—lanyards
Tung Tai Group—copper spotlight
A Look at Los Angeles
While at the ReMA convention and exposition, take time to explore California’s largest city. No matter where your interests fall, visiting Los Angeles doesn’t have to break the bank. Most of the attractions listed below won’t cost you a penny.
Take in the Views
Cruise Mulholland Drive, one of the world’s most famous scenic drives, which provides spectacular views of Hollywood, the L.A. basin, the Hollywood Bowl, the Hollywood sign, Griffith Park Observatory, and the San Fernando Valley.
Travel the Pacific Coastal Highway, which hugs the California coastline.
Check out one of the city’s many beaches, including Manhattan Beach, Paradise Cove, Dockweiler Beach, El Matador Beach, or Redondo Beach.
Stroll on the 102-year-old Santa Monica Pier, which recaptures the glory days of Southern California with its amusement park, aquarium, carousel, old-fashioned soda fountain, and views of the shoreline.
Hike around Topanga State Park, the Angeles National Forest, or Griffith Park, where you’ll find the popular and recently renovated Griffith Observatory.
Go Hollywood
Meander along the Hollywood Walk of Fame—on Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street—to find sidewalk stars for your favorite celebrities in film, television, radio, music, and live theater. Visit www.hollywoodchamber.net to plan your route.
Measure your hands and feet against the handprints and footprints of Hollywood legends who are immortalized in the concrete of the courtyard in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (www.manntheatres.com/chinese).
Tour Paramount Pictures, the only major studio still located in Hollywood (www.paramount.com).
Become part of a studio audience. Tickets are free, but you must obtain them in advance (www.tvtickets.com or www.tvtix.com).
Visit Hollywood Forever Cemetery to pay homage to the greats, such as Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. (www.hollywoodforever.com).
View the Hollywood sign from the viewing area at the Hollywood & Highland shopping and entertainment complex. For a closer look at the Hollywood sign, drive up Beachwood Canyon Drive. (The sign itself is fenced off from the public.)
People-watch
Stroll down the Venice Beach Boardwalk, home to some of the world’s most amazing street performers, including chainsaw jugglers, swamis on rollerblades, and street dancers.
Shop—or window-shop—along the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, home of top clothing, jewelry, and accessories designers and a prime location for celebrity-spotting.
Experience the Sunset Strip, a stretch of Sunset Boulevard between Crescent Heights Boulevard and Doheny Drive in West Hollywood, to find a concentration of bars, nightclubs, and music venues that attracts a younger generation of celebrities to one of L.A.’s most iconic neighborhoods.
Experience other cultures
Visit the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the site of the city’s original settlement in 1781, to learn about its history as part of Spain, Mexico, and the United States. While there, listen to mariachi music, watch folk dances, purchase Mexican handicrafts, and dine at authentic Mexican restaurants along Olvera Street (www.olvera-street.com).
Explore the city’s many other ethnic neighborhoods, which include Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Little Ethiopia, and the United States’ first Chinatown.
Museum mania
Visit the two beautiful homes of the J. Paul Getty Museum: the Getty Center in Los Angeles, for art from the Middle Ages to the present; and the Getty Villa in Malibu, for ancient Greek and Roman art. Though both museum facilities are free, both charge for parking, and entrance to the Getty Villa requires advance reservation (www.getty.edu/visit).
Discover fossils at the 40,000-year-old La Brea Tar Pits, the greatest source of Ice Age fossils in the world. Many of the finds are on display at the adjacent Page Museum (www.tarpits.org).
Take kids of all ages to the California Science Center, which this spring will have the exhibits “Science in Toyland” and “Goosebumps: The Science of Fear” as well as permanent exhibits on the world’s ecosystems, invention and innovation, biology, and air and space (www.californiasciencecenter.org).
To learn more about what Los Angeles has to offer, use the “LA Events” link on the convention website (www.isriconvention.org) or visit sites such as www.discoverlosangeles.com or www.gocalifornia.about.com/cs/losangeles.
The best businesses constantly evolve, shift, and seek new opportunities, leaving more passive companies in their wake. To make your business stronger, healthier, and more successful, you have to take action. What action will take your company to the next level? Gather ideas, compare notes with others in your niche, meet potential business partners, and more by attending the 2011 ReMA convention and exposition in sunny Los Angeles. With “Action!” as its theme, the event returns after 22 years to the City of Angels April 5-9 with even more tools to help you act to strengthen your company.