Business View Magazine | July 2019

142 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JULY 2019 Of course, the highlight of the year for our members is our Annual Seminar in February. The upcoming 2020 seminar will take place on February 2-6, in Phoenix, Arizona at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. It is the only annual seminar focused exclusively on stadium concerns at a leadership level. The annual seminar includes several days of education, best practices and best of all it gives our members an opportunity to meet face to face and to become lifelong colleagues and friends. What I appreciate the most about the annual seminar is we have stayed true to our spirit from 1974, where we take what we do very seriously but not necessarily ourselves. The annual seminar is not only educational but a fun experience as well, and new members are greeted as warmly as long-time members, and everyone is encouraged to participate and to have a voice. Although we can’t predict the future, SMA stays cutting edge by listening to our members about what their concerns are and what the industry’s latest trends are. Right now, the need to provide enhanced security, keep up with technology, and stadium renovations are hot topics. On security, at every seminar, we provide the latest on security trends and innovations. For the last several years SMA has worked hand and hand with the FAA and other federal agencies to help shape and advocate the setting of policy regarding public drones accessing stadium air space. SMA also keeps our members up to date with the latest security best practices which, to list just a few, include the latest screening procedures, how to pursue the Safety Act, and updates from Homeland Security. Technology is also exploding exponentially in stadiums, and we keep our members up to date with what they will need for the future. Whether it is Wi-Fi/DAS, 4G vs. 5G, how to gather and use analytics to make business decisions, the value and payback of LED sport lighting, or the latest in video scoreboard technology, no matter the technology opportunity, if it is impacting stadium