Business Growth, Employee Management, Customer Service, Technology Integration -- all of these describe primary reasons why the CFA Summer Meeting makes good business sense. Life-long Friendships, Outstanding Scenery, Knee-slapping Good Times, Exciting New Acquaintences -- all of these describe the personal reasons why the CFA Summer Meeting is something you and your entire family will not want to miss.

"We were new members going into last year's event. I thought we would find a lot of pride and competition that would make us feel stiff and uninvited, instead we were met with open arms and had a great time meeting everyone. My wife says we won't miss another."
-- Mike Lorenz, New Member for 2002.

"My wife and I felt that we needed something to stimulate growth in our business, we took a chance on the CFA and the Summer Meeting. We can't believe how great a decision it was for us. We have never felt so apart of a great network of expertise and friends as we do now." -- Eric Brandt, New Member for 2002.

If you have made it to past meetings but have missed out these past couple of years or if you have yet to attend one of our week-long events. Make your plans now for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, August 4-9, 2003. Rooms are reserved and available at the Kingston Plantation. You can register online for your hotel stay or call their toll-free number, 800-876-0010. CFA registration will be available coming soon.

Myrtle Beach Schedule and Events are Set
The CFA 2003 summer meeting will be held at yet another great resort location. The event will run from Tuesday, August 5 through Saturday, August 9th at the Kingston Plantation resort on the north end of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The event begins with CFA committee and board meetings on Tuesday. The annual best shot golf tournament will be held on Wednesday. The Concrete Homes Council portion of the meeting, which consists of a bus trip to Top Sail Island to tour concrete homes, will be on Thursday with the opening reception and trade show Thursday evening. Friday and Saturday's program will include 2 half-days of education followed by individual and group activities. Make your plans to attend now.

The Area
The Myrtle Beach area is a vacation haven. There is plenty to keep you busy on-site but, like any vacation and tourist area, there are also hundreds of attractions and activities to keep you busy in the surrounding area. A "Myrtle Beach V.I.P. Card" will come with your registration. This card offers discounts at hundreds of local attractions, restaurants, and shops.

Discounts are offered at 11 nightclubs, 35 restaurants, 23 attractions (including bungee jumping, jeep tours, lazer tag, and cruises), and numerous other vacation-oriented businesses.

Some of the great off-site activities (in addition to golf) you might want to consider include jet skis, kayaking, parasailing, diving, banana boat rides, and dancing - yes dancing. You can sign up for shag dancing (South Carolina's official dance), ballroom or Latin style dance lessons.

The Site
The Kingston Plantation is a 145 acre oceanfront resort sporting over 1/2 mile of secluded beach. The anchor property is the Embassy Suites Hotel, but the site and accommodations boast a wide variety of choices including villa and condominium units with 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms, full kitchens, and furnished living areas.

The Kingston Plantation is a full service resort with a 50,000 square foot sports and health club featuring nine tennis courts, squash/racquetball courts, a full-time golf concierge, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, fitness equipment, sauna and whirlpool, all within the gates of the resort. Did I mention the golf? Myrtle Beach has over 100 golf courses!!

The resort added an expansive pool complex in 1999 that features several levels of exciting slides, spouts, jets, and a giant water bucket. There's a separate quiet pool for toddlers. Certified on-site child care is offered so you can spend more time enjoying what the area has to offer.

We have attempted to reserve a wide variety of room types but as with previous years, the number of rooms is limited. We urge you to contact the Kingston Plantation hotel, at 1-800-876-0010 and reserve your rooms today. The deadline (our room block will be released after this date) is July 14th. Room rates vary from $170.00 for Embassy Suite hotel rooms, to $299 for two bedroom Oceanview Villas and Condos. Ask for the Concrete Foundations Association room block when calling.

The Program

Wednesday
Wednesday will offer a training session by the CHC on how to convert wood-framed homes to above-grade concrete homes by a leader in this field from Outinord Universal. Wednesday afternoon will by the time to enjoy our annual Golf Tournament as we convene on one of Kingston Plantation's fine courses for a four-person scramble that will include a unique handicap system so that everyone and anyone can enjoy the fun.

Thursday
There will be three days of meetings again this year. Thursday, August 7, will include a tour to Curt Field's concrete homes on Top Sail Island. These are the homes featured on the cover of last fall's CFA newsletter. The homes were constructed on the South Carolina sea shore and had to meet stringent storm resistant criteria in order to be built. This is a separate event from the balance of the program. A box lunch will be provided. Thursday evening will culminate with a reception and the first session of the trade show.

Friday
The regular educational seminars will be on Friday and Saturday morning. There will be two modes of presentation this year in response to attendee requests to mix formal presentations with informal networking with experienced members. Friday will include three "hot topic" 1-hour seminars on cold weather concrete, mold, and self compacting concrete with ample period for questions and answers. The second half of the trade show will held Friday during the lunch period. Lunch will be offered in the indoor exhibit area but you will have to go to the outside exhibit area for dessert and libations.

Friday evening will feature the CFA Beach Party and Bar-B-Q. Activities will include beach volleyball, a sand castle competition, and a sand treasure hunt (for the younger generation). The evening events will include music provided by "The Big Bopper Show". Originally aired nationally in syndication from 1972-1981 as a tribute to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the original Big Bopper, the show relives the greatest music from the recent past. The show features fun, music, and trivia. A special addition will allow the music to be contributed, in part, by CFA members. Food will include a roasted suckling pig, Bar-B-Q ribs, grilled chicken, and hamburgers.

Saturday
Saturday's education will include a presentation by Doug Staebler on disaster planning and a series of panel discussions on safety, insurance, excavation, and technology. Attendees have always enjoyed presentations and interaction with CFA members. The formal events will conclude with the Awards Luncheon, which has been moved from Friday to Saturday noon.

A special event has been arranged for Saturday evening. The evening will begin with a visit to the Original Benjamin's Calabash Seafood buffet for dinner. The buffet features over 160 food items including crab legs. Following the dinner, the entire group will travel to The Carolina Opry. The music and comedy variety show has won every major South Carolina tourism award and was again voted "The Best Show on the Beach". The high energy show has something for everyone with a mix of Nashville, Broadway, and Vegas with stellar performances by world-class singers, musicians, comedians, and dancers. The show lasts between 2 and 2-1/2 hours and begins at 8:00 pm.

A complete registration form will be mailed out in June and will be available on the web site in early June but we urge you to make your room reservations now. The cut-off date for reservations is July 14th but, as in past years, we expect our block to be sold out before that date. We suggest you try the on-line registration form for the event. There are instructions on how to use the on-line registration in another story in this newsletter. It is easy to use and is a great way to learn more about our site.

Directions From Highway 501
Take Highway 17 N exit to North Myrtle Beach. Stay on Hwy. 17 N for 10 miles (Hwys 17 N and 17 Business will merge after about nine miles). Turn right at the stoplight at Lake Arrowhead Road. Galleria Shopping Center will be on your right. Follow Lake Arrowhead Road for one mile, then take the first left onto Kings Road. Follow Kings Road for a half-mile and the Kingston Plantation entrance will be on your right.

From Route 9
Follow the signs to North Myrtle Beach, Highway 17 S (Rte 9 and Hwy 17 S merge). Go over the waterway bridge. Take Hwy. 17 S for 10 miles (you'll pass Colonial Mall on the right after eight miles). Go to the next stoplight (Wal-Mart is on the left) and make a left turn onto Kings Road. Follow Kings Road approximately 1.5 miles to the Kingston Plantation entrance on your left.