Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2021 64 S E R V I C E D E P A R T M E N T F inally! We step into a new year! After dealing with 2020, we're all wanting to take a breath and start over. After a year of COVID-19, social distancing, zoom calls, Karens, toxic politics, riots and whatever else was thrown at us, New Year's resolutions never looked so good. We have been apart – training has been sporadic and/or non- existent, and we are all kinds of thirsty for human interactions – even with masks on! Vaccinations are taking place – not as quickly as we would want, but at least they exist and are being applied. With every shot, things seem to be looking a little better. Last year, PSA tried to keep our annual convention in place as long as we possibly could. However, the drumbeat of bad news finally forced us to re-evaluate our plans, and we were regretfully forced to call off our 2020 event in Orlando. For the first time in 31 years there was no PSA convention. We told ourselves that we were going to do everything possible to get back in the saddle in 2021, and we intend to. Our annual convention will be held November 8-11, 2021 at the Westgate Resort in Las Vegas, and we are planning for it to be a fitting event to usher in the return of live training to the appliance service industry. The convention was moved back a couple weeks from its late October timeframe – and November is not usually the time we plan on holding our event. But the surge in scheduling events, particularly in a venue like Las Vegas, convinced us it's the right thing to do in 2021. We expect our usual great mix of manufacturers and vendors to take part, and we intend to have a great event at the Westgate. What will it look like? That's a great question – expect that masks will still be required attire in public areas, with lots of sanitizer located throughout the convention areas. There will be social distancing, at least to some degree. Classrooms will probably be a little more spread out than in prior years. It's possible that meals may be plated rather than the traditional buffets for breakfast and lunch. We'll be working with lots of items such as these with the hotel and convention staff to incorporate best practices and safeguards for our guests. While we can expect that the virus may be on the run by that time, the safety and well-being of those attending the PSA convention will always be paramount. We'll work with the experts and follow their directions, so you can expect both a safe and fulfilling week of classes and activities. Many of those who'd signed up for last fall's Orlando convention have rolled over their reservations to Las Vegas. PSA is freezing the registration rate for 2021 at $549 ($499 for PSA members), so there's a bargain right there. In addition, the Westgate is offering rooms for the same $69 rate as at our last visit in 2018! This INCLUDES all resort fees – a great rate for our guests! For our vendors and manufacturing partners, we're working on plans to reduce the cost of shipping palletized materials to the venue, and will communicate those plans with you individually. The new plan should help greatly with freight expenses compared to the past! All in all, we are excited to get back at it! A year of sitting around while we were supposed to be getting our annual flagship event underway has made us more determined than ever to host a great week of training, activities and companionship for our industry guests. Keep an eye out for mailings and other information you'll be receiving, and we REALLY look forward to seeing all our friends at the Westgate Resort this fall in Las Vegas. TRY, TRY AGAIN! PSA announces 2021 convention plans, and they have changed a little RO Randy Carney- Executive Director- PSA

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