Our annual tradeshow was earlier this week, and we thank everyone for turning out. As a new feature, we’re doing interviews with many of the vendors that were able to join us. Yesterday we did one with LaserBlast. This morning we have an interview with Jim McMahon, the executive director of the RSA. We hope these are interesting, and we should have more from some other vendors coming later this week.
QUESTION: First off, thanks for taking the time to come to our show. I know the RSA leaders spend a lot of time on the road, we appreciate your commitment. Since you are on the road a lot, visiting with a lot of rink owners, what are you hearing from the rinks? Are they optimistic as we get ready for the busy fall/winter season?
ANSWER:Â Roller rink operators that I have spoken to are very optimistic about the upcoming season. The majority are reporting that they are slightly ahead this year compared to where they were at last year at this same time.
QUESTION: Have you heard any new ideas on new things some rinks are trying that have been a big home run? What are some new ideas that are helping the rinks?
ANSWER:Â An increasing number of our members have added a summer camp to their offerings. Most of these camps have a multitude of activities and skating is just one facet of their camp. STEM has been a great revenue builder for rinks. Additionally, the Kids Skate Free program has been rapidly growing which has helped create additional income for the summer months for the rinks that have recently joined the program.
QUESTION: For the rinks that aren’t yet RSA members, what are some of the main benefits the R offers rinks that helps them cover the cost of membership?
ANSWER: Outside of the obvious answer of Pepsi which makes most participating member’s dues free each year. Our newest benefit ICEE is a great new benefit for those interested in a frozen beverage offering. An unsung hero of our member benefits is HR360 a program with a $395 value that each RSA Member receives for free. This program does a multitude of things that are important for any business owner who doesn’t have a full time HR department. Protect Youth Sports in an excellent benefit in today’s day and age where we need to be more cautious about who we hire. Office Depot is another great membership that saves members on both printing services and items in the store.
QUESTION: Can you tell us anything yet about your upcoming 2018 Convention in Las Vegas? What is the theme of the convention? What are some of the seminars or speakers that are lined up?
ANSWER: The Convention is May 13-17, 2018 at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.  This is a family friendly property that has (in addition to a casino) a bowling alley and some excellent restaurants.  The theme for this year is Back to the Future. The convention planning committee, marketing committee, and promotions committee are all bringing their A-game this year to bring awesome programming for the event.
QUESTION: If someone did want to join the RSA, or had questions, who is the best person to contact? What is their email address and/or phone number?
ANSWER:Â For membership information they can reach out to Sharon McMahon, Director of Membership at 317.347.2626 Ext 108 or membership@rollerskating.com. Additionally, they can reach out to myself Jim McMahon or anyone else on my team for help. There is also a lot of information available on our website and new members can join online if they so choose.
[editor’s note – they also provided the graphic below that is pretty interesting, feel free to copy, save, and use on your own website or facebook page]
Leave a Reply