Track Design to be Discussed at Pan American Conference
Description:
The second Pan American Conference, to be held in Washington, D.C., May 17 - 20, 2017, will include several prominent international personalities leading panel discussions centered on racetrack and facility design and international racehorse ownership in addition to other topics pertinent to global racing.
The Jockey Club, the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in North America, and the Latin American Racing Channel (LARC) are co-hosting the conference, which concludes with the 142nd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Saturday, May 20, 2017.
"The 2015 Pan Am Conference in New York attracted Thoroughbred breeding and racing stakeholders from all over the world, and they all found the panel presentations and the networking opportunities to be extremely educational and beneficial," said Horacio Esposito, director of LARC. "Ownership and facility design are certainly important matters for all horse racing organizations and we believe the attendees will enjoy hearing about current and innovative activities in those areas."
Paul Roberts of Turnberry Consulting will moderate a panel about sports facilities with Todd Gralla, director of equestrian services at Populous, and Walter Lynch, founder of Walter E. Lynch AIA PLLC.
Roberts will share his experience with development projects in the UK and the U.S. Lynch is leading the renovation of Laurel Park in Maryland for The Stronach Group. He will also share his expertise in sports facility development, most notably FedEx Field in Landover, Md. Populous led the development efforts at Ascot and Eagle Farm racecourses, and Gralla has played a major role in programming, planning, designing, evaluating, and performing market research and feasibility studies for more than 200 equestrian projects around the world.
Elaine Lawlor, a director of the Goffs Bloodstock Sales in Ireland and an owner with the global racing syndicate It's All About the Girls, will lead a panel discussion on international racehorse ownership and the proliferation of partnerships and syndicates. Before joining Goffs, Lawlor was involved with bloodstock sales and racing in the U.S. and at one time managed Oak Cliff Thoroughbred Racing.
Lawlor's panel will include Cromwell Bloodstock's Gatewood Bell, Don Alberto Stables' racing manager Fernando Diaz-Valdes, and South American breeder and owner José Nelson.
Additional speakers and topics for the conference will be announced in the near future.
The 2017 Pan American Conference will also offer several premier social and networking events at prominent landmarks around the Washington, D.C., area, including a welcome reception and cocktails at the Grand Hyatt Washington, a Preakness Stakes celebration dinner in conjunction with The Stronach Group, and a gala dinner.
The registration fee from January 1, 2017, through April 15, 2017, is $1,200 for a delegate and $900 for an accompanying guest. The late registration fee (April 16, 2017, through May 13, 2017) is $1,500 for a delegate and $1,000 for an accompanying guest.
Additional information about the agenda, speakers, and registration for the 2017 Pan American Conference can be found at panamdc2017.com.