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Brenda Valentine NWTF Spokeswoman |
NWTF convention:
a peek behind the scenes
A quick flip through this issue of Turkey Country or a visit to NWTF.org will confirm the tremendous success of our 2010 National Convention. Overall attendance has skyrocketed the past two years. Every banquet, auction, vendor space and hotel room was sold out weeks in advance. This kind of overwhelming turnout is the highest compliment possible to the hardworking staff of what has become the largest conservation convention and consumer sports show in the country. Perhaps a peek behind the scenes will offer a broader perspective of the teamwork required to pull off this event.
Convention planning is a 12-month process, carried out by special committees who work countless hours analyzing the previous event and figuring out how it can be improved. A production of this magnitude requires a lot of forethought and afterthought.
When the long anticipated week arrives, there are more than 170 NWTF staff members on duty, with more than 200 volunteers beside them to help things run smoothly. Regional directors Travis Scott and Charlie Tollett, along with a crew of seven staff members and 41 volunteers, handle the mind-boggling task of registering every person, yes all 44,000-plus folks who came through the doors.
Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort has become the favored destination for the NWTF convention, with good reason; they deliver what we demand. It takes an organized staff to set up a 195,000-square-foot exhibit floor and 640 booths. Even with 17 loading docks and a professional team of electricians on duty, it’s a daunting task to accomplish in one day.
Perhaps no part of the convention is more orchestrated than the numerous meals and banquets. To ensure that each meal is served fresh, a team of 600 food service employees referred to as “Stars” work round-the-clock shifts, which enables them to serve 2,000 guests in 20 minutes with a guarantee that hot foods stay hot and cold foods stay cold. The Gaylord Banquet Culinary staff has more than 100 specialized chefs and cooks, 90 servers and 50 dishwashers on duty to aptly handle this monumental task.
There are more than 25 audio and lighting specialists at the controls during all evening functions, auctions and calling contests.
The NWTF Convention and the Opryland Christmas pageantry are the only times of the year that require stepped-up security at the facility. Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Nashville Police Department are called upon to block portions of Briley Parkway and assist with the flood of traffic.
Some may find it boring that convention-goers spent more than 6,000 nights in Opryland hotel rooms, we used more than 350,000 square feet of floor space each day, or 840 children attended the JAKES program on Thursday. I find it downright inspiring to know its all for the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage. — Brenda Valentine
Keep up with Brenda and her adventures at www.brendavalentine.com