b'Presidents Message Association InformationWhat a Turnout!WPMA President We had a record-setting year,with over 3,000 in attendance Jeremy Bautista at this years show! Exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees all exceeded expectations; the energy and enthusiasm were palpable. I must admit that in prior years, I have taken for granted all that must be done to put on the WPMAEXPO.Seeing it first-hand has given me a great appreciation for what the WPMA staff does each year, and they did it again this year!We had several topics covered by industry experts, and our educa-tional seminars were well attended. I would like to thank all of our Tuesday speakers for their participation! Attendance was also up for the golf tournament from the previous year. We had 105 golfers out on the course; although it was a little wet, they were still able to enjoy themselves. It was a packed house for Jesse Watters on Wednesday, where Jesse shared his hilarious stories from his experiences at FOX News and with President Donald Trump. He was able to make light of a politi-cal climate that is so negative in the media. For those that recorded his show, his assistant Johnny took to Freemont Street on Tuesday night to film their man on the streets segment. It was a tremendous honor to be able to present Peter Krueger with this years 2024 WPMA Hall of Fame Award. I have had the plea-sure of working alongside Peter on the Nevada Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association; to be able to present the award to him was very special. Peter has dedicated 30 years to advocating for our industry at the national and state level. More importantly, I consider him a great friend. Well-deserved, Peter!The attendance at the Ladies Luncheon with Rebekah Gregory was tremendous! Rebekahs story was both moving and inspirational; the feedback from those in attendance was amazing. I cannot thank my wife Lauren enough for hosting. This year was her first time attend-ing the event, and she had as much fun as those in attendance. For those that made it to the Thursday session with Steve Moore, we enjoyed his enthusiastic discussion on where the economy has been and where it must go. Steve shared stories and experiences of his time spent with former President Trump and offered solutions to economic challenges. It was an honor and pleasure to serve as this years president for the WPMAEXPO. Thank you to all who attended, the support from the Executive Committee, the WPMA Staff, and the sponsors and vendors for making the 2024 WPMAEXPO a huge success! SWPMA News / Spring 20245'