Highlights from the Summer Management Conference

By: Jim Moody, CAE

CSA President

We’ve just returned from our Summer Management Conference in the north Georgia mountains. Though our crowd was smaller than in the past couple of years, those who attended seemed to find it a meaningful experience.

One of the things that I love about CSA is the focus on family. Many of the members are family-owned companies, and CSA has always welcomed spouses and children to the Summer Management Conference. It’s not unusual for fathers to bring their sons or daughters who will eventually take over the business to our roundtable meetings. This family orientation says a lot about the character of the organization. Frankly, it’s one of the reasons I took the job almost three years ago.

It was heart-warming to see families out on the lake kayaking, jet-skiing or just tooling around on a boat. Some folks went horseback riding while others hiked up mountain trails to waterfalls. We also had a large group venture down the Ocoee River for a really fun whitewater experience (fun unless you were in the boat that flipped over, but that’s another story).

While we had substantial educational opportunities at the meeting, I’m not apologetic for planning a meeting that includes ample opportunity for fun. You work hard day in and day out. It’s a stressful business, and that’s never been more true than today. I believe creating opportunities for you to let off steam, enjoy time with family, and enjoy bonding with colleagues is a critical part of the management conference. As we choose places to meet, we do it with an eye towards the activities in the area.

Of course, we also look at the pricing. We chose a smaller, lesser known property this year because of the value it provided. It was quaint and rustic yet nice all at the same time. The food was excellent and again provided good value. As it turned out, to the surprise of some, it was a perfect place for us.

Next year we’ll again be at a more typical resort. The economy has hurt hotels in the same way it has hurt our industry, and hotels that were once out of our range have become possibilities. We’ll be at Marriott Bay Point Resort in Panama City Beach. This is, I believe, the nicest hotel in the Panama City area. It’s set up for conventions like ours and for families. There are ample on-site restaurants (including one on the water with a very nice sunset view) and the pools are what you’d expect from a top-tier resort. There’s great golf and a very nice spa. Water sports (kayaks, jet skis, etc.) are available for rental, and the bay makes for a very nice water playground.

One of the drawbacks of this property for many years was the fact that it was on the bay and not the gulf. While there is a small sandy beach, it’s not the same as being right on the gulf. The hotel has solved this problem with the acquisition of a boat that ferries hotel guests a mile or so across the bay to Shell Island. This island is part of the St. Andrews State Park, so there is no development there. It’s pristine beach, and because there’s no bridge, it has a private island feel to it.

We considered Sandestin for this meeting, but the part of Sandestin we could afford was not the nice new part. From where we would have been, you’d still have to drive or ride a shuttle over to the beach, and their beach is often six or seven rows deep with chairs. If you aren’t in the first row, your beach experience isn’t that great.

So, Marriott Bay Point it is. We’ll be there soon after the 4th of July (Thursday, July 8-Saturday, July 10), and you can tie in a full-fledged beach vacation if you’d like. Our rate is a bargain at $178/night. That rate is extended to July 3 - July 13. Mark your calendar now. For reservations, click here.

Meanwhile, the Education Committee is seeking ideas for next year’s speakers. If you have an idea of someone you’d like to hear, please let me know so I can pass it along. Recommendations are desired from everyone – not just attendees of this year’s meeting.

For those of you who did attend this year, thanks so much for supporting CSA. I don’t take lightly that you gave your time and money to the association, and there are many competing interests for both of those. I trust that you feel that the return you received on your investment was adequate. If not, please let me know.

You can see a full set of photos from the event here.