Pulse July 2018 | Page 8

T he more I’ve learned about Phoenix as we put together this issue of Pulse, the more excited I am about our trip there this September. Our lovely designer Marja ensures me that the 95-degree heat we will experience will feel nothing like the heat with 100 percent humidity that we are used to in the South. Ninety-five degrees down here is a swamp, but in the desert, it can be pleasant (so I’m told). And downtown Phoenix, y’all! The Sheraton Grand Phoenix and the “Use this Pre-Conference issue to make your plans and get excited for September 24, when ISPA members take over the Valley of the Sun.” Phoenix Convention Center are in the heart of it all. As you’ve read in our passionate about their hometown is an Countdown to Conference features for understatement! They’ve given us so the past several issues, we’ve had the many tips and tricks, plus a list of the pleasure of working with the incredible best places to eat, drink and play (don’t people at Visit Phoenix who are so worry, we’ve shared them with y’all in excited for our event. To say they are our Conference Guide on page 44) and we cannot wait to experience them all. Most importantly, though, I’m excited to see all your smiling faces again! We had our ISPA Staff Retreat not too long ago, and we were all asked to give some of our new staff members some insight into the ISPA Conference & Expo. We talked a lot about how Marja Walker, the other half of team Pulse, calls the sunny state of arizona home. We can’t wait for her to show us how the locals live this september! she shares her office in tucson with lulu. folloW KElly @PulseEditor 6 PULSE ■ July 2018 @isPaPulseEditor gracious and warm ISPA members are about the powerful and inspiring messages our keynote speakers project into the audience every morning and how, even on the sidelines, we can feel the excitement in the air. I get to know so many of you throughout the year through Pulse inter- views and features, that when the ISPA Conference & Expo rolls around, it’s so exciting to see all your faces! You all have lovely phone voices, but nothing beats meeting face-to-face. So, enjoy this Pre-Conference issue of Pulse, use it to make your ISPA Conference & Expo plans and allow every page to make you more and more excited for September 24, when ISPA members take over the Valley of the Sun with warmth, enthusiasm, inspiration and, of course, hugs. and how even the most stressful day can be cured with an ISPA hug. We talked —KElly HEitz, Editor