With the upcoming GIS in San Antonio, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss a few things related to careers and technology that are part of the week or worth checking out. Even if you aren't attending, with the internet you can access nearly all of the information from your computer.

First of all, I'll be there for the entire week, leaving my office and computer for once. While it's a busy week of events, I really hope to visit with as many of you as possible. In addition to the TurfNet Beer & Pretzels Gala on Tuesday evening, I will be in the Playbooks for Golf booth (#13017) all day on Wednesday and Thursday. I encourage you to stop by and chat -- if you have questions or want advice about your career materials, using certain technology, etc. -- I am more than happy to help and would enjoy meeting you.

As far as career interests for the week, there are a few good seminars, and then many of the same ones from years past that I don't necessarily think offer a ton of value. One that seemed to be of interest was "Communicate As Well As You Grow Grass" by the president of Clear Communication Company. Always a good idea to improve your communication skills no matter your experience or age.

A second one in that area was "Speak Tweaks - Compelling Communication". All of the other career materials talks I have or will cover in this blog so if you read it you should be good. However, it's always good to get multiple views on such an important topic so they could offer some value if you have credits to fill/use.

Heading to technology, this category is really taking off lately in the industry. There are a ton of new companies and products in the space. Technology is great as it advances, but at the same time there are a lot of "bad" technologies out there that fizzle out so you do have to be careful on how "bleeding-edge" you are in your operation.

Technology is great as it advances, but at the same time there are a lot of "bad" technologies out there that fizzle out...

Some of the best/new ones I am familiar with and have talked with superintendents about how they work include, of course, Coverage System (Booth #13017 or anytime at goplaybooks.com/coverage) for chemicals and fertilizers that I helped develop. But there are several others that should save you time and/or money in your digital operation:

ezLocator (#16026) - expertly manage hole locations with this software. I have used it extensively and the features are very easy to use and golfers love the pin sheets. Definitely worth a close look.

ASB TaskTraker (#15046) - Pairs very nicely with a digital jobs board and those I have talked with mention its ease of use. You can set up a digital board with this tutorial I wrote previously.

Stevens POGO Turf and Soil Insight Tool (#25009) - A new alternative to the TDR 300 that also tracks EC and offers some interesting new ways to input data from readings.

There are obviously a ton of others out there but these few I have direct knowledge or experience with and feel they are worthwhile to check out. The show also has the Tech Tips on the Hour which usually have some pretty insightful things to see.

Again I hope to see some of you out there so stop by and say hello!