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gbaMS Hosts 2005 Annual Conference & Training
October 6, 2005
Overland Park , Kan. – More than 130 GBA Master Series® software suite users from around the country gathered from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29 to attend the sixth GBA Master Series, Inc., (gbaMS) Annual Conference & Training. During the four-day conference, 31 gbaMS clients joined gbaMS staff members to present and facilitate more than 40 different sessions. The program included software training, discussion forums, application presentations, client presentations, and user networking events.
gbaMS CEO Don Pinkston said that the extensive conference let users select sessions appropriate to their industry and position to further their understanding of the software. “We want to help our software users as much as possible,” gbaMS CEO Don Pinkston said. “That means offering them the opportunity to learn more about the functionality and enhancements in the software from our development staff, hear about how other agencies are using our software, and find solutions to help them get the best results for their agencies.”
gbaMS conference attendance has steadily climbed since its inception in 2000. The first conference brought in 61 users, which increased by 66 percent by 2004. The 130 attendees in 2005 represent a 70 percent increase in attendance from the 92 attendees who met in 2004. “Our clients’ enthusiasm for the Annual Conference & Training – by helping us present and facilitate and by attending – shows us that the sessions offer them considerable value,” Pinkston said. “The conference is valuable for us too. Every year, we ask our software users to give us feedback in an open forum on our software’s strengths and weaknesses, what our future goals should be, and what enhancements they would like in our software. Many of the changes in new versions of our software come directly from these discussions.”
The location for next year’s gbaMS Annual Conference & Training has been tentatively set for the western United States region (either Arizona or California). Details will be posted at www.gbams.com as they become available. “We’re always looking for ways to improve our products and services,” Pinkston said. “Ideally, everyone who uses our software should attend next year’s conference as it would greatly improve their ability to use our tools to help their agency. More practically, our goal is to have at least one person from each agency attend – allowing them to carry back the knowledge gained to others within their organization.”
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About GBA Master Series, Inc.:
GBA Master Series, Inc. (gbaMS) is a total solutions provider of maintenance management, asset management and GIS-integration products and services for Water Resources and Public Works agencies. Designed by Civil Engineers, the GBA Master Series® software suite enables complete, seamless management of sanitary and storm sewers, water distribution systems, transportation systems, fleet and equipment, facilities, parks and trees. The GBA Master Series software provides extensive functionality, including work order management, customer complaint and service request tracking, parts and materials inventory control, preventive maintenance scheduling, budgeting and cost-analysis, and GIS mapping capabilities. For additional information, visit us on the Web at www.gbams.com.