How to Get the Most out of the National RETA Conference | Blog No. 142
I’ve been to my share of national RETA conferences. I can’t recommend it enough! I love our industrial refrigeration community, and this national conference is the best way to dive in. There is so much to do at these conferences; I thought I would share my tips on how to get the most value out of your attendance at the upcoming conference!
When you register and get your goody bag, get a shirt one size bigger than your normal size. I notice the material tends to shrink a bit in the wash!
When you get your nametag, you may also get some other ribbons (e.g., CARO, Veteran, Trouble Maker). Make sure you hang them off your nametag, and I usually staple them to the tag, because they tend to fall off during the multi-day conference.
Show up the night before the conference and attend the social hour. It’s always a fun event and allows you to meet new people in the industry – and reconnect with old friends.
If you’re new to the industry (and for most folks generally), try to go to as many sessions as you can. If you (or your employer) are spending a chunk of change to get you trained up, make sure you actually go to the sessions! I will usually look at the classes ahead of time and plan out which sessions I want to attend. There may be an app, but I usually just plug the info into my Google Calendar. I’ll include the session name and room number. Keep that conference map handy!
Don’t miss Arlie Farllie’s Epic Fails presentation. This is a mainstay at RETA for a reason! It’s info-tainment: half informational/half entertainment! Arlie may have missed his calling as a stand-up comedian. Just be sure to silence your cell phone, or you’ll regret it!
If you want to dive deep into IIAR standards and compliance, Tony Lundell usually sets the record for total sessions. Be sure to attend at least one of his sessions. Just be sure to take notes – it’s incredible how much content he can squeeze into his allotted time!
Another recurring presenter is Bill Lape. Bill’s presentations are always worth the time. Not only is Bill passionate about PSM, but he has the experience to back it up. My favorite part is when an audience member asks a question or pushes back and a debate ensues. Bring your popcorn!
If you’re an operator, you have to attend Russ Ramos’ operator challenge session. Russ is another passionate presenter and has a way of communicating complicated refrigeration concepts in simple terms. Well worth the time!
My favorite part of the conference is the exhibit hall. The first night is always the most exciting. Everyone is full of energy, ready to learn, and ready to meet new people. If you’re new to the industry, I would encourage you to go to each booth and learn what they do. When they say something you don’t understand, tell them you’re new to the industry and ask them to explain. Most folks are super friendly and are more than happy to educate you.
I also use the exhibit hall time to cruise the hall and learn what changes are happening in the industry. Is there a new type of sensor? A new low-charge system? Have there been any mergers/acquisitions? I also use the time to learn about who moved where. After you’ve been in the industry a few years, you start to track where folks have left one company for another, and it’s helpful to track where your relationships move around the industry.
The theme seems to change from year to year, but don’t miss out on the trivia event. These sessions are always a hoot. Not only are they very informative, but they give away pretty awesome prizes. I still have a sweet butcher knife from a prize I won a couple of years ago.
Another event which I always appreciate is the awards dinner. It’s inspiring to see how long people have stayed faithful to RETA and to the industry. I’m eager to see Macha PSM start to appear on some of those anniversary celebration slides.
Finally, my biggest encouragement would be to get out of your shell and meet people. Bring business cards and make a sport of collecting other folks’ business cards. You never know when a connection made at RETA will benefit you in the future!
These are some of my favorite activities to take advantage of at the RETA conference. We are excited to see everyone there this year. I’ll be presenting on the responsible use of AI in ammonia refrigeration PSM, and our very own Keith Tyson will be presenting on quality assurance. We’ll be exhibiting and are happy to talk about Samwise software, PSM partnerships, and engineering. We’ll see you there!
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For comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com.For a comprehensive training on Anhydrous Ammonia, click here for our PSM Academy Ammonia Awareness training to learn and earn a certificate of completion. Training is in English and Spanish. Use code SDS20 for a 20% discount on the entire purchase. For more information, email us at academy@machapsm.com.
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