PREVIEW: SC&RA Annual Conference

Howdy partner! The stage is set for the SC&RA in San Antonio. Attendees of the 2021 SC&RA Annual Conference will travel down South October 25-29, to enjoy the industry’s most premier event. Following the success of the in-person Specialized Transportation Symposium and September’s Crane & Rigging Workshop, the Annual Conference will serve as the nucleus for reconnecting and networking with industry friends and colleagues.

Rather than the traditional springtime event, this year’s Annual Conference will take place October 25-29, 2021.

The Annual Conference is a great opportunity to reach decisions makers, reunite with familiar faces, make new acquaintances and generally recalibrate. From informative educational sessions to engaging speaking presentations, the October event will serve as a jumpstart for getting back together, reconnecting and overcoming many of the challenges the industry is facing.

On the schedule are a bevy of committee meetings, prominent guest speakers, Products Fair networking and plenty of recreation. Make sure to mark your calendar for this must-attend event. For more information or to register, please visit www.scranet.org/AC2021.

Standout speakers

The speaker line-up for the 2021 SC&RA Annual Conference was developed to keep attendees engaged and entertained.

While you may recognize him from Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, Paul de Gelder will turn his attention to happenings on land as he delivers the Opening Session: Improvise, Adapt & Overcome. As a Navy bomb disposal diver, his life would be defined by those three words when a 9-foot bull shark took two of his limbs in an attack in 2009. He will share his journey of discovery and triumph as it encapsulates aspects of private and professional life, as well as emotional strength and wellbeing, to make you understand how much you are truly capable of.

Duane Grischow will present a hands-on and immersive presentation that will take attendees back to the basics. In his educational session, Social Responsibility & Community Goodwill Through Bikes, Grischow encourages team building and community involvement through U-Build-it-Bikes-for-Kids. The session is a highly interactive team and leadership experience. Participants will impact and touch the community immediately by helping underserved kids with their built bike.

As many business people have learned, some of the best business deals are conducted at the dinner table. In the ultimate networking session titled, How to Use Food & Wine to Build Business Relationships, America’s first Master Sommelier, Eddie Osterland, will show attendees how to entertain and retain business clients and associates with knowledge and confidence, using good wine and food as the ingredients to build strong and lasting business relationships, as well as how to “close the deal.” Through his “power entertaining” formula for acquiring clients, Osterland teaches executives how to craft deeper business relationships based on the time-honored principles of courtesy, generosity and old-world hospitality.

Early-risers

Assuming breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Annual Conference attendees will have the opportunity for a delicious and fun start to their day at two entertaining and enlightening morning presentations.

At the annual Link-Belt Breakfast, Scott Burrows uses his physical paralysis as a visual metaphor for his presentation Vision-Mindset-Grit: How to Stand Up to Any Challenge. After a catastrophic accident left him paralyzed from the chest down, Burrows discusses into how to conquer adversity and master change.

The Trail King Breakfast will introduce award-winning six-string electric violinist and singer/songwriter Valerie Vigoda as she shares her story of facing her fears through Peak Aliveness: Transforming Fear into Flow. Vigoda inspires people to climb higher peaks to the edge of resistance as she resonates with anyone who has ever felt insecurity and stagnation.

The SC&RA Job of the Year presentations will also feature amazing rigging, lifting and transportation solutions.

Evening entertainment

While the Annual Conference is jam packed with educational and networking sessions, there’s room in the schedule for relaxation and networking. SC&RA President Kevin Johnston will kick off the conference with the President’s Reception. Nightly events include a Meet & Greet Reception, the International Members Reception and the First Timers’ Reception, an occasion for first-time attendees to meet leading members of the Association. Three of SC&RA’s most talented musicians will also entertain during the Acoustic Alchemy Guitar Reception.

Three of SC&RA’s most talented musicians will entertain at the Acoustic Alchemy Guitar Reception.

Additional events during the week include the Spouses’ Time Out and The Ladies Group Annual Membership Meeting and Brunch.

The SC&RA Backyard BBQ is a charity gala that benefits the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Foundation. This must-attend event features a live band, food stations and whisky, wine and beer tastings.

The optional black-tie Awards & Recognition Dinner will close out the conference. More than 300 attendees are expected to attend this dazzling event that will also include awards for membership longevity, Job of the Year awards and much more.

SC&RA Safe Protocol

During these unprecedented times, the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association is going above and beyond to ensure members, staff and invited guests are protected while attending events. The Association has developed SC&RA Safe to demonstrate its commitment to enhanced health and safety measures to assure attendees and increase confidence in attending its annual conferences and workshops.

These measures are aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; state and local jurisdiction health guidelines; and hotel biosafety measures. Not all events will feature the same biosafety precautions as each city and jurisdiction is approaching COVID-19 measures differently. However, the SC&RA are committed to following a minimum standard regarding social distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, detection and communication.