July 2007 -- I am sure many of you have made your plans to attend the 2007 USPTA World Conference, Sept. 17 - 22 at the beautiful Saddlebrook Resort, just outside of Tampa, Fla. As you might guess, the educational opportunities are outstanding, but the resort is exceptional. There is a feeling of warmth and camaraderie that exudes throughout the resort. And, there are plenty of activities to enjoy, ranging from an amazing half-million-gallon super pool, 45 courts (in Grand Slam surfaces), two Arnold Palmer signature golf courses, fitness center, spa, wildlife and fun nighttime hangouts!
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you to reserve the dates for the 2008 conference out West. We are scheduled to go back to the La Quinta Resort and Club, Sept. 15 - 20. As many of you know from past conferences, this resort is one of our all-time favorites. We stay in wonderfully charming and appointed casitas (versus a hotel room), and enjoy 23 tennis courts with breathtaking mountain views, a world-class spa with indoor and outdoor treatments, golf and, once again, a very comfortable and friendly resort, with plenty of opportunities for education, networking and good times!
And believe it or not, we even know where we are going in 2009. Your Executive Committee has just approved going to the Marco Island Marriott! This will be our second time at this outrageously beautiful beachfront resort. And they have just remodeled everything and are eagerly awaiting our return. We first conferenced at the Marco Island Marriott in 2005.
So, what are we looking for now? We would love for you to put on your USPTA thinking cap and see if you know or have visited any resort that might qualify as a potential World Conference site. It sounds easy, but we do have a few requirements. Are you ready?
- We need approximately 450 rooms on site.
- A minimum of four courts, with the ability to make one court into a stadium area, with play on the other courts
- If the on-site courts are limited, we need to have, within a short drive, access to 10 to 15 additional courts (at a very nominal rate).
- Reasonable room rates with access to a variety of on-site amenities
- Close proximity to an airport (no more than 45 minutes’ drive time)
- Meeting space to hold a number of seminars and meetings
- Buying show space, big enough to host at least 80 booths
As you can see, this initially sounds like a fairly easy proposition. But when it comes right down to it, there are not as many choices out there as we would hope. And naturally, once a resort meets the above minimum requirements, it has to pass through a litmus test regarding other attractions and features, food and banquet prices. We have gotten accustomed to going to some extremely nice resorts.
So, take a look around, talk with the pros in your area. I feel sure we are not seeing all that we can see out there. We have never gone to the Midwest.Wouldn’t that be a wonderful spot for our conference? Maybe the perfect spot is somewhere in the Northeast? We just need a lot of people, in a lot of parts of the country, on the "USPTA lookout!"
If you do find a property that you think meets our criteria, please let me know. We will send out some initial inquiries and start the preliminary discussions with the resort.
I am looking forward to hearing from you at paulas@bonitabaygroup.com or (239) 495-3573. Thanks in advance for all your help!
P.S. If your site is chosen as our 2010 World Conference location, you win a case of Pro Penn tennis balls and a profile in
ADDvantage magazine!
