2024 marked the 40th anniversary of Tri-State and our 39th Annual Seminar and all I can say is “WOW” and “Thank You”! As the outgoing Chairman, I have the honor of reporting about the conference and our activities since its conclusion.
True to form, we had an amazing turnout for our event, and everything was spectacular! Monday was once again the “unofficial” start of the conference as we offered several industry specific workshops and set a new record by hosting a total of 15 single- and multi-day workshops over the course of the week. Topics included some “tried and true” as well as some “new/current” topics.
Monday evening was the official start of the conference activities with the Welcome Reception hosted in the Showroom where we were entertained by the music and antics of “Elvis”, Sam Riddle, and more than a few of our attendees! Memories may be blurred by “spirits”, but photo evidence shows a great time was had by all!
During the conference, almost 5,000 people attended more than 200 technical sessions, 15 workshops, and 9 tours! This year we were unable to host tours at the Venetian due to changes in personnel at the hotel.
We hope to bring them back or replace them with new and exciting options.
We continued the split lunch practice and had more attendees who took advantage of the opportunity to earn 24 contact hours at no additional cost. The Exhibit Hall experience was just as amazing with over 200 vendors and more than 1,000 exhibit booth staff showcasing products and detailing services in more than 500 booths. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed the displays by the vendors who went all out and embraced the conference theme! You guys ROCK!
Despite our continued success, the Board of Managers recognizes the need for continuous improvements to keep our conference healthy and successful. To that end, key volunteers have been diligently working in the background to implement new technology to manage our various activities more effectively and efficiently, specifically regarding our exhibit hall management. We have partnered with a new vendor to increase efficiency and streamline our registration and booth assignment process. We have high hopes that this will alleviate much of the frustration and exasperation felt by our vendors and volunteers in managing these processes while providing a more transparent and effective means of securing sponsorships and exhibit booth space. This tremendous effort takes time, so we appreciate your patience as we work through the details.
As I said before, Tri-State continues to evolve, change, adapt, and expand while remaining true to our mission of providing quality education and training at an affordable price. We cannot achieve that without the support of our generous sponsors, exceptional exhibitors, sensational speakers, amazing attendees, and valued volunteers. So, once again, I thank you sincerely for your continued support. I am sure this will continue into 2025 as we celebrate the 41st year of Tri-State and our Ruby Jubilee themed conference scheduled for August 5 – 7 at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas under the new leadership of the 2025 – 2026 Chairman, Lisa Culbert. Thank you, thank you very much!
LeAnna Risso
2024 Tri-State Seminar Chair