Masonry Magazine January 2001 Page. 11
president's message
MASONRY SHOWCASE OFFERS
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
I know that if you are like me, you are being bombarded by all kinds of requests to attend numerous trade shows- local shows, equipment shows, buying shows, national shows, even international shows. Some of the exhibitions are in some very exciting locations, but if you are anything like me, you are just too darn busy to attend all of the trade shows. If we only had the time and the money, it would be an easy decision to attend all of them. Unfortunately, we can't.
But, doesn't a show that offers forty thousand square feet of exhibits dedicated to mason contractors, twenty educational workshops in four educational tracks, an 8-hour estimating seminar, two demonstrations of masonry skills and networking events at two Disney Parks add up to a program that would ease your decision process? I believe it does!
Next month in Orlando, MCAA's MASONRY SHOWCASE will be held at the Orange County Convention Center offering mason contractors an event that should not be missed. No other trade show offers such a diverse opportunity to educate ourselves and our employees. There is no better time than now to attend a trade show that is dedicated to our interests so that we can invest in ourselves and our futures. There is no better time than now to take our key employees with us to invest in their continuing education and value to our businesses. And there's no better time than now to reward ourselves, and our key employees, by attending a trade show dedicated to us in one of the premier vacation destinations in America... Orlando, Florida.
Unfortunately, as clear cut as it is to select the MASONRY SHOWCASE as the show for you to attend, you are still being bombarded with information to attend another show touting to be for mason contractors in Las Vegas. That show is Hanley-Wood's World of Masonry which is run as an adjunct to the concrete show that draws roughly 50,000 concrete industry members. I believe that there are several significant reasons for you to select our MASONRY SHOWCASE over the Hanley-Wood show. First of all, the Hanley-Wood show is run by a "for-profit" corporation owned by investors who seek a return profit. As a for-profit company, that money leaves the masonry industry and winds up in the pockets of the investors. Is that all bad? No, not for the investors. But it is detrimental to our industry where we need every dollar to compete against our concrete competitors, such as tilt-up. Is the Hanley-Wood show a good show? Sure, if you like to attend a show with 50,000 of your concrete competitors, but I would rather attend a show that is totally dedicated to the mason contractor and the masonry industry-and that show is the MASONRY SHOWCASE. But more importantly, I would rather attend a trade show where the profits of the show don't end up in the hands of investors. I would rather see an investment into programs and services that expand our futures as mason contractors. And that show again, is the MASONRY SHOWCASE. You see, profits from MASONRY SHOWCASE are invested in expanding the association's workforce recruitment programs, training those new workers, increasing industry promotional efforts, expanding contractor representation in codes development, and increased contractor educational opportunities. As the association that represents and protects your interests as mason contractors, that's exactly where we should spend the profits from the MASONRY SHOWCASE. That's a claim that the other show just can't make, nor should they make it. They're in business to make money and we are in business to serve your interests as mason contractors.
Having said this in the past, why am I saying this again?
It's because I've heard from several mason contractors that the other show is in Las Vegas and that they can write off the trip to Vegas by attending that show. I know how everyone feels about Las Vegas. Heck, I like to go to Vegas myself. I trust that you will act in the best interests of the future of our industry and resist the temptation and allure of Vegas, and go, instead, to the MASONRY SHOWCASE in Orlando. Take a vacation to Vegas, but take your family and key employees to the MASONRY SHOWCASE Orlando next month in anticipation of the biggest singular event for mason contractors this year.
See you next month in Orlando!
Richard M. Johnston,
President MCAA