As we prepare to go to our Annual Conference and Expo, I know that our main focus is to learn as much as we can and to review all of the potential innovations displayed on the exhibit hall floor. However, I also want to encourage you to dedicate some time to getting to know your fellow IECA members. The connections you make at the conference will impact your career as well as enhance your time at the conference.
My first encounter with the IECA Conference was in 1997. I was drawn in by the educational offerings of the conference along with the opportunity to meet potential product and equipment suppliers. I easily accomplished those two goals due to the abundance of each at the conference, however I also met a plethora of individuals who shared my interest and vision from around the Globe. It was magic. I quickly developed relationships with a number of the members, exchanging ideas and experiences with one another. Within a few years it was not just about education and new products and equipment, it was about an organization of friends who just love helping one another.
One of my fondest memories is when we were in Palm Springs. Doug Wimble from the Australian Chapter and I were visiting about the stabilization of major hillside slopes using hydro seeders. It was the last day of the conference, and Doug suggested we rent a car at the end of the conference and just go around and see how people were treating the steep slopes in the area, thus he could show me some examples of how steep a hillside could be treated with hydroseeding. Guys, we were in Palm Springs, desert, flat, we still had a great time, got a convertible, took our wives, and just toured the area. Ended up in Joshua Tree National Park.
Good Times, Good Friends, and a Great Career Booster, that is the IECA and it is all available at the Annual Conference and Expo.
See you in Spokane.
Jerry B. Sanders
President IECA