2023 WCTA Conference Photo Anthology - Oooh it was good to be back!
After a three year hiatus, our fourth conference at the River Rock was a charm setting record attendance numbers! We also received a record number of images from the photographer (1140) and while we couldn’t possibly show them all, here are some of our favorites.
Home for the next 3 days
Programs, get your programs!
First things first – pickup your nametag
Then get setup – how’s it going Dan Fast from Vermeer Equipment?
Behind the scenes – KPU Turf Management student helper volunteers ready to roll!
Next up, pre-con seminars with Dr. John Sorochan leading them off with our turf session.
Of course irrigation is a tremendously serious subject!
Did we mention there would be a test?
Not a problem!
The first evening, you have to get to the Prez Reception early.
‘cause it tends to get a little busy!
Daren Collins from Victoria Golf Club was one of nearly two dozen presenters attending.
More special guests attending the President’s Reception – Lisa and Trevor Warner from Woodstock, Ontario (Trevor was 2021 Sports Turf Manager of the Year)
And you gotta eat!
Onto the main event - Gordon Grant from the Musqueam Indian Band (left) welcomes the WCTA Conference to traditional lands of the Salish people.
Greetings from Jason Steadwell of Syngenta, our title sponsor
Our keynote speaker Evanka Osmak from Rogers Sportsnet, presents to a packed house.
Tough act to follow but you’re up next Dr. John Sorochan.
Outstanding talk called ‘How Turfgrass Can Help’ by Dr. Manish Razaida from the University of Guelph
And there is something very interesting happening over there...
Team Kamloops from left to right – Cody Inkster, Big Horn Golf & Country Club, Travis Olson, Patricia Sloan and Travis Schmidt from the Kamloops Golf & Country Club 
WCTA Board of Directors at the AGM luncheon – somebody please pass the salt😀
Gotta eat part2
Finance Director Davin Marr with President Gary Bartley – not quite colour coordinated.
Back to the education program after the AGM. About this much says Dr. Clint Mattox of the USDA.
Whose car did I just start wonders Mario Lanthier, owner of Crophealth Advising and Research and still one of the best presenters ever!
Brenda is from the Quesnel Golf Club and this is her first show!
Here are some of Brenda’s new friends!
Time to squeeze into the trade show.
So good to be back!
Good to see our Abbotsford sod farms back in business and in full force at this year’s show after horrendous flooding in November 2021.
Nick Broad from English Lawns – So How Do You Lay Sod? Green side up of course! (we may have used this bit before)
Friendly competition😀
New kids on the block at least at our show – welcome Kendrick Equipment! 
There is an art and a science to balancing irrigation components, right Kevin Neufeld from ICONIX Waterworks? 
Klop Equipment, another new exhibitor this year.
That’s Mary-Lou Wilmott on the left, past WCTA President from 2001 with Michaela Cox. Nice to see you after all these years!
2 caption options: Best Smiles of the Day or That Must Be Some Pretty Good Pizza
Multi-tasking at the booth and yes, it’s really good pizza!
Bird’s eye view
Meanwhile at the Silent Auction…
Overflow parking
And just like that it’s the final day brought to you by…coffee😀
Water bottle thingy’s
Afternoon session with Dr. Nick Christians, Iowa State University
Local Vancouver Comedian John Cullen is a funny guy, that’s why we saved him for last!
Here for a good time
So hard to get all the KPU Turf Club volunteers in one shot, sorry if we missed anyone!
No look prize handoff
and plants for the memories!
Rick Munro (right), our lucky grand prize winner - $500 RiverRock gift card!
Load em up and move em out, see you in 2024!