Vancouver , BC Site of 2004 Fall Block by Block Operations Managers Meetings

October 5, 2004

As part of its continuing development of program elements and ongoing training for its management staff Block by Block held its Spring meeting of its Operations Managers in conjunction with the annual conference of the International Downtown Association (IDA). The 2004 conference took place at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Downtown Vancouver, BC.

Prior to the start of the IDA conference on October 2nd the local leaders of each local Block by Block account held two days of meetings to review current conditions and prepare for delivering services in the coming year. Both days, September 30th and October 1st , were filled with interactive training and team building sessions. Much of the focus of the training sessions was to reinforce Block by Block's rigid recruitment and selection process, discuss basic operating guidelines and to gather management input into everyday processes. The team building activities gave the managers the opportunities to get better acquainted with each other while participating in a multi-team Downtown Vancouver Scavenger Hunt.

As usual the bi-annual gathering of Operations Managers was successful in building camaraderie among peers. The building of relationships during these sessions forges a bond between Operations Managers who will normally never see each other, due to their locations, which allows for information sharing, discussion of best practices and creating a network of knowledgeable downtown professionals that can accomplish the extraordinary.

The next scheduled Block by Block meeting of its Operations Managers is scheduled for the third week of March, 2005 at the corporate headquarters in Louisville , KY.

For more information about the International Downtown Association please visit www.ida-downtown.org .

For more information regarding this release contact Block by Block toll free at 888.457.2646.