NATIONAL FIREWORKS ASSOCIATION EXPO 2012
September 5th-8th, 2012 Joplin, MO
Oh my, where to begin!!!!! My Thank You List!!!
By Nancy Blogin
I want to thank everyone for their work at the NFA Expo in Joplin, Missouri 2012.
Jake’s Fireworks has to be right at the top of the list. They were the hosts with the most this year. As the guys on the demo field said, “There is nothing we ask for that Jake’s doesn’t see that it is taken care of, and taken care of quickly.” When we say we couldn’t have done it without you, we sincerely mean it. Thank you to the Marietta family and the entire staff at Jake’s Fireworks! The work that was done during the Expo and prior to the event, as well as the planning and working with the city officials and the work performed at the track. Our deepest appreciation to you!
Marie Hodge as Expo Coordinator chose the food for the afterglows and the banquet and made many other important decisions that made everyone’s time there enjoyable. The vendor goodie bags that were handed out were chosen and assembled by Marie as well as the signs on the tables each evening to recognize the sponsors for that evening.
Chuck Decker for putting up the signs to direct everyone to the demo site with ease and Deb Decker for the fine list of seminars that kept everyone informed and entertained during the day. Deb provided the presenters with all of their needs to make their presentations run smoothly.
Bob and Bev Gilder for their work on the 50/50 sales that everyone loves! Bob simply can never retire from this position! I have received calls and emails ever since the event saying how much fun he is. Bev works all day selling the NFA logo merchandise for Nancy and then assists Bob at night with the 50/50.
John Blogin, Jr. for hauling the 12 ft. trailer filled with all of the things that I, (Nancy) brought to the event. Items for the handout bags, NFA logo sales, Auction items, fliers, lanyards, parking passes, card printing machine, two laptops, credit card machine and file cabinets full of files. The list goes on and on. He never complained once even though he loaded from the storage unit in 98 degree temp., and unloaded in Joplin at over 100 degree temp. He had to return home with nearly as much as he left with the following week and do it again.
Donna Blake for working with Bev Gilder on the NFA logo sales table and being Nancy’s “go person” all week.
Don Lantis for assisting Tom Dunnaway with the DOT sign-up and payment. First and foremost, for his tireless effort year after year in the Trade Show, assisting everyone with all of their last minute needs. Don is like the energizer bunny when it comes to the Trade Show set up!
Reta Lantis and Sharon Gardas for manning the NFA information booth at the Trade Show. There was no napping on that desk, they caught everyone coming and going with a hand stamp and a warm greeting.
John Blogin for laying out the trade show booths abd working with the vendors for the past seven months to get them situated where they most wanted to be in the trade show and helping them on set up day.
Kathy Fry for being the chief cook and bottle washer for the safety team on the field. Kathy prepared the food for the guys every day, so there was never an excuse to have to quit working and go to eat, it was right there at their mobile home parked on the grounds. I am surprised they could still bend over to work after seeing the menus that she had planned for them.
Big Al for doing a great job as auctioneer at our live auction during the Friday night banquet. This was Big Al’s first year and we certainly hope there will be many years to follow. He did a great job!
Jack Leonard for assisting with the auction items of antique fireworks. I am not saying you are old Jack, but you certainly have a broad knowledge of old fireworks and helped us out in the auction tremendously. Many of the antique fireworks items were once again donated by Schneitter’s Fireworks, Saint Joseph, MO. Thank you Ladies. Jack also donated several items to the auction, just as he has done many times in the past. And some of those beautiful shells in the National Anthem where donated by Mr. Leonard as well.
Garry Hanson for his 19 years of service on the NFPA, and his reports back to the NFA members to keep all of us informed. Good that Garry reads those 800 page documents for us, so that we do not “all” loose our hair from pulling it out trying to understand. I suppose I should say thank you for scarring us all at the General Meeting as well, I know we need to know, but it isn’t even Halloween yet and everyone was terrified.
Joyce Knepp for working on the Election results with a committee and delivering the results to the members at the general meeting.
Special thanks to our sponsors for the Afterglows, Safety Tees and presenters for the seminars as well as the Insurance suppliers who provided the demo companies with the insurance for the demos they performed.
Thank you to Patrick Tuttle and Lenny Brubaker of the Joplin CVB for their work with the NFA. As the guys on the field said, “They were out here seating right along with the rest of us.”
And while speaking of sweating and working, a huge Thank You oes to the staff of Black Market, Red Rhino, Jakes and the City of Joplin for the work they did to prepare the track for the demos. It was a mess and they brought it back to life!!!
And last but certainly one of the most important events of the 2012 Expo was our Election of Officers. We had the largest participation of companies voting this year that we have ever had and the greatest interest in a real campaign. NFA had no loser’s in this election, we now have individuals that we know have a strong interest in making the NFA grow and develop and I feel sure that they will be asked to serve on committees in the future to assist the Board. Thank you Mick Marietta, John Werner, Dale Boydston and Bob Kellner for your campaign activities and your assistance in the registration area.
Dan Promen has resigned his Treasurer position to travel the world and we wish him the best and thank Dan for his years of service to the NFA.
Congratulations to our newly elected President, John Werner and Treasurer, Bob Kellner.
I’m sure I have probably left many people off the list and for this I apologize. However, as you can see from the list above, it takes many dedicated people to pull off an Event of this size and I would like to thank each and every one of you on behalf of the Board of Directors.
Sincerely,
Nancy Blogin
Secretary