Registration Open/Exhibit Hall Open

Time: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Foyer

All My Best Friends Are Officials

Time: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Jerry Markbreit remembers. He remembers where he came from. With the recent ending of his work on behalf of the NFL, Jerry reflects on his career and allows us to go with him. As one of the most respected and recognized names in NFL officiating, his entertaining style and uplifting storytelling will energize and inspire. This will be an emotional and memorable start to the 2017 Summit.

We Have Numbers. What Do They Say?

Time: 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Data is gathered by almost every officiating entity, large and small. Brought together, what can those numbers tell us?  Analysis can give us an unbiased, inside look at what we do every day. We will discover trends, patterns and probabilities that we may not be aware of and that will allow us to make important INFORMED decisions for the future of our industry. Eye-opening to say the least.

Break Down that Play

Time: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Go inside the calls! Each presenter will break down a noteworthy personal call — in complete candor and openness. The context, the call, the explanation… and the supremely teachable moment. Learn what actually happened, why the call was made or not. Frame by frame, pixel by pixel, take an unforgettable journey into play calling. Only at the Summit can you experience such a presentation — watch the play, hear the words of the play caller, feel the emotion!

Game Changers: Better Officiating Through Innovation and Fresh Thinking

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:05 PM
Locations: Various Rooms

Back by popular demand! One of the Summit’s most practical bank of sessions! Shorter, fast-paced presentations focused on a topic of unique importance. Each Game Changer has been carefully selected by NASO. You will be able to attend more than one of these sessions because of the way they are timed. Each speaker has a concept or a product that could be a “game changer” for you or your officiating program.

The Officiating Industry Luncheon

Time: 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

The Officiating Industry Luncheon (OIL) is a hallmark event at every Summit. Remarks on the state of sports and officiating are presented by a representative from the NFHS and by Barry Mano, president of NASO, plus a superbly-catered meal. The OIL serves as an annual national-overview of the main accomplishments and the primary challenges facing our industry at every level. A must for every official and officiating leader.

Play Station: Sport-By-Sport Breakouts

Time: 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Various Rooms

Watch, listen, learn and express yourself. Sport-by-sport video breakdown sessions allow you to immerse yourself in a sport you work or manage. Led by some of the most respected and renowned officials and clinicians, you get to watch the plays, hear the breakdowns, and add your perspective. Together with fellow attendees, you’ll help to build the body of officiating knowledge and best practices. Hands-on and engaging. Let’s go for it!

After Further Review with Mike Pereira

Time: 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

The Tonight Show … in the afternoon! Celebrated Fox Sports football-officiating analyst Mike Pereira as a new Johnny Carson. Monologue first — then he will interview three noted personalities — each with opinions, stories and personal remembrances about officiating. It’s an exciting new concept for the Summit — one guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Registration Open

Time: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Foyer

Exhibit Hall Open

Time: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Foyer

Officiating In Public

Time: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Are you old enough to remember when it was said, “We don’t talk about officiating,” as a response to a media inquiry? How far we’ve come from that simpler time! Officiating at all levels today has gone from privately-held to publicly-traded. Relentless speculation, unverified observations, and viral social-media exposure are compounded by the need for breathtaking immediacy. It is through this hunting ground that officiating leaders must tread. “No comment” is not an option. Explore the what, when, why and how of managing officiating while in the public eye.

Who Are We?

Time: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

We’ve felt we knew so much, but could verify so little — until now! Examine together, the groundbreaking results from a nationwide survey of sports officials and our industry. Age, gender, race, location, education, motivation and aspirations. All this and more will be presented in a dynamic and visual way. See the numbers and learn what those numbers show about the present and the future of sports officiating. Demographics, psychographics, analytics. Who we are is right in front of us.

Help Wanted: Why Officiating Is Cool

Time: 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Officiating is a cool thing to do! Stand up and say it! Feel the fire. Push out the pride. Let’s talk again about how to find, nurture and hang onto sports officials. Old tired ways invariably lead to weak results. To attract more (and younger) people to join the officiating ranks takes creativity, insights and initiative. This session is designed for you if the recruiting and retention efforts you see just are not giving the kind of results needed. We’re in a time of generational change and it’s time to refresh and reframe our approaches. We can make officiating “cool” again!

Law & Liability Interactive

Time: 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

These “L” words can strike fear and concern in any officiating leader, but the best defense is a good offense — especially when it comes to the legal rights and responsibilities of sports officials and officiating organizations. Add questions about liabilities and insurance protections and you quickly understand that the officiating industry has matured and has issues to resolve just like any other professional or organizational sector. Presented by the three most recognized experts in the industry: Alan Goldberger, respected as the foremost authority on sports officials and the law; Drew Smith, president of American Specialty Insurance, the country’s premier provider of insurance to the sports officiating community and Don Collins, commissioner of the San Francisco section of the California Interscholastic Federation and practicing lawyer. The session features questions from the audience and the online community — questions and answers that will give you essential insights.

Lunch Workshops:  Food for Thought

Time: 12:00PM – 1:30 PM

• What Officiating Teaches You About Yourself

Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6
If you intend to lead, you have to do it from the front. Eventually though, you have to turn around and face what is behind you: your history, your strengths and your shortcomings. You also have to immerse yourself in the history and culture of those who are on your team. The phrase: “the front” means authority but it also defines an area of risk. You can’t have one without the other. Here is help from those who have made the transition most successfully.

• State High School Association Leadership Forum

Location: Marriott Bluegrass 1
Invitation-only, closed-door workshop for state high school office executives, staff members and invited guests – a unique opportunity to share ideas and best practices. Topics include: new requirements for officials, how and when to discipline, public-statements about officiating, state-tournament officiating selections, turning video into a program that can teach, improved interpretation meetings, recruitment efforts, background checks, budgeting tied to registration fees and much more.

• Local Associations: The Coverages That Matter Most

Location: Marriott Bluegrass 2
It’s just business, isn’t it? Local associations often get mired down in the grind of meetings, assignments, programming and member relations. All important for sure. Yet, the architecture of any group providing such essential services has to be grounded in secure legal footings with proper liability protection. Insurance coverage for associations can be confusing, but with a little insight and information, matters come into focus. This session clears away the fog with the expert advice you need about what coverage you need, on what basis, for whom, for how long and at what price. Unbeatable professional help, free of charge.

High School Officiating Fact and Fallacy

Time: 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Paint yourself a picture. For the first time in years, here are the results of a nationwide survey of those who officiate interscholastic sports. The numbers are big and they present a portrait of the officials that make high school athletics possible. Discover the demographic distribution, the ages, the sports worked, the gluts (if any) and the shortages. These important survey results will be the basis for years of discussion and policy making. A new picture is being painted.

Case Study: IHSA Playoff – One Down Too Many

Time: 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

An untimed down at the very end of a game was incorrectly awarded and enabled a team to tie the score. In overtime that team won. The losing team appealed to the IHSA and then sued in state court. Nothing could be done. The officials took responsibility, suffered and apologized. Others felt aggrieved. Now is the time to heal and to learn from what took place. Only at the Summit would a session like this be possible. The officials and the IHSA walk us through the play, the aftermath and the important lessons to take away.

RefereeVoices LIVE!

Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Stand up for officiating and be heard. Earlier in the program we said, “Let’s make officiating cool again.” OK, let’s! The concept is simple. Presenters on stage, telling a story, giving an insight, sharing a moment — all that will make you feel good about sports officiating. RefereeVoices is a new series of talks that begins with this session and will grow for years to come. The goal is to build an expansive library of short, memorable videos that capture voices that need heard in support of an on behalf of who we are and what we do. Every journey begins with a single step and this journey begins with this single session.

Cocktail Hour

Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Foyer

Mix and mingle with all the attendees, speakers and luminaries of the officiating world before the big gala.

Celebrate Officiating Gala

Time: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: Marriott Ballroom Salons 5-6

Join us as we celebrate the best that officiating has to offer during an elegant evening banquet to close the 2017 Summit program. NASO is privileged to recognize the efforts of outstanding people and outstanding deeds by awarding the Mel Narol Medallion Award and officiating’s highest honor, the Gold Whistle Award. You’ll feel an intimate connection with and tremendous pride in our shared officiating community – while at the same time helping to recognize those who have made an impact.