It's hard to keep Texas down. Despite the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Merchandise Vending Association (TMVA) held it's 66th annual meeting at the the Omni Corpus Christi from Sept 28-30. The well-attended three day event was full of robust education sessions and networking events, including two powerful key note speakers. Texas State Representative Todd Hunter told the group about staying in Corpus Christi when the hurricane hit and how it is and will impact legislation in the future. In the evening, retired NBA professional Derek Anderson talked about how hardwork and stamina pay off, especially when done in a positive way, which inspired his Acts of Kindness organization.
While the event took place as planned, the hurricane did change the event into one focused on giving back. The traditional first day golf tournament was canceled, and instead all participants went out to volunteer in cleanup efforts. "Our TMVA Relief Volunteers were made up of 50 of our attendees, benefiting the Coastal Bend cities of Corpus Christi, Portland, Rockport, Fulton and Port Aransas, TX. The five hurricane relief centers told our conventioneers that the donated time and muscle too, really benefited," said TMVA president Charley Nelms. The efforts, coined "Texans Helping Texans" was a high point, referenced throughout the convention. "I am profoundly PROUD of our group!" said Nelms. The event was one that inspired and brought valuable insights to all those who attended.
TMVA is now the largest NAMA State Council, with 72 paid 2017 memberships. In 2018, the annual TMVA meeting will be Sept 26 to 28 at Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX. Visit tmva.org for more information.
