San Antonio or Bust?

Ok, so maybe bust is a bit harsh but you will definitely miss out on lots of fun (and education).

Why make the trip? Well, first, it's in our backyard. We as professionals need to not only support our organization but our district as well. We need to show the rest of the country that everything is better in Texas (and that is coming from an Alabama transplant).

Second, where else can you find everyone that you have ever gone to college with or worked in in one place? I am amazed every year by the sheer number of people that I run into. Some of it is obviously planned, like at alumni parties, but some of it is just walking through the exhibit hall (more on that later). I also like to tag along with my friends to their alumni parties and start a whole other relationship with people that I may have never met otherwise. That's really called networking - if you break down!

Third, the exhibit hall! Hello! Free stuff! Free good stuff! I love the fact that you can try all the latest and greatest products that are being offered to our profession. And, I love that the tried and true are always there too! Gatorade and Johnson and Johnson and the ever great free gift from Cramer! I know, lots of exclamation points and incomplete sentences in this paragraph but for goodness sake, it's the exhibit hall!

And last, but certainly worthy of first, is the educational content of the annual meeting. This is really the meat of the event but sometimes we get caught up in all the "fun stuff". Just looking over the preliminary schedule gets me excited about all that is out there. And you can not say that there is not something out there for you; flipping to a page in the NATA News, I just found a presentation on video gaming for rehab, therapeutic modalities, mountain biking injuries and salary negotiation and interview strategies. All of that is one morning from 10:30 to noon and it is not even all inclusive. My point is, the continuing education part of the meeting is bigger and better and should not be missed.

This ended up longer than I thought and I don't feel like I have even touched on everything. Look for information about the NATA Young Professionals events, the Welcome Reception and the Baseball night. Check out the March 2009 NATA News or http://www.nata.org/SanAntonio2009/index.htm for all the information. Hope to see you there!