I just returned from a site inspection in Orlando for next year’s American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s annual convention (ASLRRA 2015 Connections). It’s an easy trip from the Mid-Atlantic, although my flights both ways were sold-out and packed with kids, parents and grandparents visiting Mickey, Minnie & Goofy and other nearby attractions.If you aren’t familiar with the term site inspection, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. A core group of association meeting planning staff, exhibit managers, and convention leaders from ASLRRA member railroads and suppliers gather every year for a few days to do advance work planning for the next year’s annual convention. We stay at the convention hotel (in this case, the
Hilton Orlando), meet with key hotel contacts dealing with catering, sleeping rooms, A/V, fitness & spa, security, shipping & receiving to discuss the specific requirements for our convention. We take a lot of measurements for the exhibit area and for meeting rooms to make sure everything suits our needs. We also typically meet with the local convention and visitor’s bureau to get ideas for possible off-site events and look at golf courses for attendees. We talk about things we can improve upon from the previous year’s event and pretty much map out the plan for the entire convention.The Hilton is about five years old and has more than 1,400 sleeping rooms and a 50,000-square-foot ballroom that we’ll transform into an exhibit hall for more than 225 booths. Hilton Orlando is consistently ranked on TripAdvisor as one of Orlando’s top hotels and has received the highest honor from Hilton Worldwide three years in a row for overall performance, guest satisfaction, quality, loyalty and outstanding customer service.The hotel is a short ride from the airport, next to the convention center and located near Sea World. Perhaps some of you will remember it as the hotel where AREMA held its convention a few years ago (and will again in 2016).It looks like all the elements are in place for another great event next spring in a first-class facility that is conducive to both business and leisure. The convention will be held the week before Easter, with the main dates of March 28-31. Hope to see you there.
---By Kathy Keeney
Kathy Keeney is Publisher of the Rail Group. The granddaughter of a railroader, she has been writing about railroads for more than 25 years. She is a past president of The League of Railway Industry Women and served on the board of directors for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and for the Washington Chapter of WTS.
Kathy Keeney is Publisher of the Rail Group. The granddaughter of a railroader, she has been writing about railroads for more than 25 years. She is a past president of The League of Railway Industry Women and served on the board of directors for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and for the Washington Chapter of WTS.