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USRSA Conference: Group Dynamics

Registration opens for the inaugural USRSA World Conference, to be held in October at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona.

Registration is now open for the inaugural USRSA World Conference, which will be held Oct. 6-9 at the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla. The conference is designed for all racquet technicians and will include workshops, seminars and networking opportunities.

Space is limited, so registrations will be accepted on a first-come basis. For USRSA members, conference registration is $400. On July 1, registration opens up to non-USRSA members, who can register for $500. To register, visit USRSA.com.

The official hotel for the USRSA World Conference is the Doubletree by Hilton–Orlando Airport, with a special rate of $129 per night, which includes shuttle service to and from the USTA National Campus and the airport.

“For many years, our members have asked us about doing a USRSA conference,” says USRSA Executive Director Bob Patterson. “We’ve been happy to work with and support Tim Strawn and the International Association of Racquet Technicians (IART) at its annual symposium for the last 10 years. But earlier this year, Tim told me IART would not be hosting a 2017 symposium, so it seemed the perfect time to initiate a USRSA conference, to continue to provide ongoing, quality education in our industry.”

Patterson has been working with the TIA, USTA and USPTA on various educational initiatives over the last year. “With the help of these key groups, our World Conference seemed like a perfect and logical addition to our work together to advance our industry and help more people to enjoy this sport,” he says.

The USRSA World Conference will be held immediately prior to the USTA Tennis Development Workshop/USPTA World Conference, which also will be held at Lake Nona.

The World Conference will begin with a welcome reception on Friday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. Two full days of seminars and workshops will follow, with certification testing to be held on Oct. 9.

“We’ll have some of the best technicians in the world presenting our workshops,” Patterson says. While the agenda had not been finalized at press time, topics will include racquet customization, tournament stringing, buying the right stringing machine, machine maintenance, mastering racquet service and stringing for indoor racquet sports.

In addition, many racquet and string manufacturers have signed on to sponsor the event and will have representatives on-site.

With USRSA members in more than 30 countries, Patterson expects the conference will draw an international audience. “We hope that hosting our event at the USTA National Campus, and just prior to a big, international USPTA event, might make it easier for technicians from around the world to make the trip — and bring their families to enjoy the Orlando area.”

For more information, visit USRSA.com.

From the July 2017 issue
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