Multiple Attendance Factors Lead to Attendance Record for NSCAA

Growing membership and strong draws helped the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) reach record attendance at its annual convention, held in Philadelphia Jan. 17-22. Although NSCAA traditionally does well in Philadelphia, the 2006 attendance set an all-time high. "Going into the convention, we felt that there was a good possibility to accomplish this, but we were pleasantly surprised by how well we did," said Robert Robinson, NSCAA convention manager.

The high numbers are due in part to a steady increase in NSCAA's membership - the association hovers around 20,000 members currently. The association attributed an increase in All America players and their families in part to having Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" as the 2005 Honorary All America recipient. In addition, Robinson said attendance is steadily growing because there are more female coaches and coaches of female players.

And NSCAA continues to attract more affiliate groups who want to participate in the convention by not only attending the sessions and exhibits, but also by aligning their annual meetings with NSCAA. Major League Soccer, for example, has held its Super Draft in conjunction with the convention since January 2003. The association also initiated a new program in 2006 to boost numbers on the Saturday of the convention, by inviting the soccer public from local youth clubs.

Policy Shifts and Industry Trends Spark Ethanol Conference

National events propelled the high attendance at the Annual National Ethanol Conference, held Feb. 20-22 in Las Vegas. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) saw record attendance of more than 1,400 in the 11th year of the conference.

In a landmark year, the ethanol industry celebrated the passage of a comprehensive energy bill favorable to ethanol producers, unprecedented growth in the production and use of fuel ethanol, and new markets.

The two-day event centered around industry leaders and influential policy makers, with hot topic panel discussions like a Washington Insiders Roundtable where Capitol Hill lobbyists shared insight on the legislative agenda for the biofuels industry. Multiple sessions touched on the implications of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

With a stronger-than-expected response as the conference approached, RFA launched a conference blog five days out from the conference to keep those unable to attend up to date with conference happenings. "The excitement surrounding this year's National Ethanol Conference is unprecedented," said RFA President Bob Dinneen. He called the response from those wishing to attend "overwhelming."

The Savannah Meetings Scene

The meetings market has grown along with the venue options in Savannah: The city hosted more than 500 conventions and expositions in 2005, with most of the larger conventions using the downtown convention center located in Savannah Harbor. Savannah Harbor, in the heart of the Historic Meeting District, has more than 3,000 available hotel rooms.

"The future pace for conventions is strong," said Anthony Schopp, president of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We entered 2006 with the highest-ever total of large meetings scheduled for Savannah and the convention center. Our community has arrived as a meetings destination."

The destination continues to add new pieces to the meetings puzzle. In the lodging sector, two new hotels will open in 2006 in the Historic Meeting District, increasing Savannah's committable rooms for citywide meetings to more than 1,500.

The newest off-site venue for an elegant experience is the new 64,000-square-foot Jepson Center for the Arts, one of the South's most significant cultural centers.

The Ellis Square development, a $40 million project to restore and revitalize a portion of the historic downtown, will soon add a convenient commercial center. And the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is set to expand.

Schopp emphasized that the "natural and historic beauty" of the city distinguishes it among group destinations.