Sk8Expo 2023 Speaker Bios
Each of the speakers brought to you have incredible backgrounds, education and experience in a variety of areas that will help you take your business to the next level. We will update this page as we obtain information on speakers.
Scott Salter
Scott Salter is an accomplished entrepreneur and marketing expert, recognized for his no sugar-coating approach to business success. With over 18 years of experience in the roller-skating business, Scott is the proud owner of Alvin Skate N Party, a Texas based rink garnering a massive online presence with over 1 million followers on TikTok.
In addition to his success as a business owner, Scott is the driving force behind First Run Solutions, a prominent marketing agency specializing in digital marketing. Over the past decade, Scott has worked with a diverse range of clients, including many roller rinks, FECs, and prominent companies such as State Farm, REMAX, and fire departments nationwide.
Scott’s expertise in digital marketing has made him a sought-after speaker at conferences within the industry. He consistently delivers engaging and informative presentations with insights into effective marketing techniques and strategies to grow businesses. His passion for helping others succeed in marketing has earned him a reputation as a go-to expert for those seeking guidance in the field.
Lary Zucker
Lary is a Co-Chair of Marshall Dennehey’s Amusements, Sports and Recreation Litigation Practice Group, which defends theme parks, water parks, roller skating rinks, indoor climbing walls, trampoline courts, bowling centers, concert venues, sports stadiums and arenas. Lary handles serious claims arising in this practice area and oversees cases defended in his regional offices. Lary has also been active in establishing Marshall Dennehey as a partner in a number of national amusement-related industries.
A senior attorney with 50 years of litigation experience, Lary has tried over 150 trials to verdict in the state and federal courts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In 1983, he was designated a Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the Supreme Court of the state of New Jersey, a designation earned by only one percent of all active trial attorneys in New Jersey. Lary has maintained this designation for 28 years. In 2011, Lary became a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society.
In addition to his trial practice, Lary is legal counsel to the New Jersey Amusement Association, a trade association of amusement parks, theme parks and water parks. As counsel to the Association, Lary is an advocate for the industry on regulatory and legislative matters.
Lary is also a founding member and Director of the International Amusement and Leisure Defense Association (IALDA), a national network of amusement defense attorneys and claims professionals who focus their practice on legal issues in the amusement industry. As part of the national IALDA network, Lary has access to an extensive expert witness database and up-to-date information on the latest legal developments in the industry. Lary is also a member of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA), the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) where he serves on the North American Government Relations Committee, the National Association of Ride Safety Officials (NARSO), the World Waterpark Association (WWA), and the Roller Skating Association International (RSA), where Lary serves on the Risk Management Committee.
Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey in 2002, Lary was a partner with the firm of Spector Gadon & Rosen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he successfully defended cases involving amusement facilities, product liability and liquor liability claims. Before that, Lary was a partner with the firm of Ostrager, Fieldman, Zucker, Kachmar & Nirenberg. From 1972-1975, Lary served as Legislative Counsel to the Honorable Matthew Feldman, Majority Leader of the New Jersey Senate.
United Skates of America team
It started as a field trip program like many rink owners utilized. United Skates of America had updated their field trip program, but never on a large scale. While on a trip to one of their roller skating facilities in Baltimore, MD., Karen Palermo, President of United Skates of America, met with an educator named David, who taught math with roller skating as part of an educational field trip to the rink. David, an engineering professor, decided to take on the first round of developing the STEM curriculum. After over 1/4 million dollar investment, the United Skates of America organization decided to allow RSA members to license this completely turnkey program complete with videos, marketing materials, and two or three lesson plans for every single grade from kindergarten to high school that are regularly updated as necessary! Today, over 130+ rinks are using the program, several of which are bringing in over $100,000 a year in additional revenue! Sign up for the STEM Program today and join their exclusive STEM Boot Camp at Sk8Expo where the staff of USA will show you how to use it, new materials, question and answer session, and much more.
Alicia Caridi
As co-chair of Marshall Dennehey’s Amusements, Sports and Recreation Liability Practice Group, Alicia represents waterparks, theme parks, roller skating rinks, trampoline, climbing wall attractions, fairs and fairgrounds and other entities when claims are brought against them. She frequently writes and speaks on regulatory and compliance topics unique to the amusements industry, including ADA accessibility. She is a voting member of the American Society of Testing and Measurement F24 (ASTM Committee F24) which develops global standards for safety specific to the amusement industry.
Alicia is also experienced in the defense of general casualty matters and auto warranty claims. Her knowledge of the industries she represents has resulted in the quick resolution of many claims on motion or though negotiation by application of statutory or regulatory law or expert testimony.
Alicia is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law where she earned a dual J.D./M.A. A portion of her law degree was completed at Oxford University in England with curriculum in sports law and restitution. She additionally holds a B.A. from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.
Jerry A. Landers, Jr.
Since 1984, Jerry A. Landers, Jr., is a Georgia Probate Attorney who handles probate, estate litigation, guardianships, conservatorships and general civil litigation. His practice is split between estate matters such as wills, probate, guardianship, and commercial and non-commercial litigation matters. He is a registered mediator. He is one of the County Administrators and County Conservators in Cobb County. His law firm is located in Marietta, Georgia and his practice extends throughout Cobb County and Metro Atlanta. In 1993, he authored and obtained passage of the Roller Skating Safety Act in Georgia. This act provides additional protection to skating rinks and operators. His firm handles leisure activities defense cases and he represents skating rinks, bowling alleys and zip lines against litigation.
Nick Champa
Nick Champa is a third generation rink operator who started skating about the time he started walking. A skilled skater for most of his life, he started speed skating at just 8 years old. He graduated from Lexington Catholic High School in Lexington, KY.
Nick skated for several speed teams in Louisville, KY, Des Moines, IA, Cincinnati, OH and Tampa, FL. His hard work paid off by winning a National Championship in 1989 and the following year, earning a place on the 1990 World Team and retiring shortly thereafter. Nick’s experience wasn’t just limited to professional skating. He worked in rinks in the same cities he skated while learning from legendary roller skating families, John, Ramona and Mark Muse, Des Moines, IA, and Iley and Marie Hinton, Tampa Fl, before settling down in the family business in Lexington, KY.
After 30+ years of retirement, Nick strapped on his skates and began competing again. Nick is active with his grandchildren’s speed skating development and coaching Kentucky Speed Team.
Passionate about the sport, Nick became involved with the RSA during the formation of the competitive speed program with the American Roller Sports organization, serving on the Board of Directors for a few years. He has also received several awards from the RSA and continues to take his roller skating family entertainment center to new heights.
Throughout the pandemic, Nick played a vital role in working with federal, state and local legislators to help get skating rinks in Kentucky re-opened and communicated his efforts every week with RSA members during the Town Hall Meetings. He amassed a sizable contact list that continues to provide members with the help that they need. Nick invested countless hours, education, and dollars to develop a state-licensed child care facility located inside of a skating rink. This move ensures that, even if there is another pandemic, their business will provide an important service to frontline workers in their area and a sustainable source of income for their business.
Always one to help a fellow rink operator, Nick shared his journey during the RSA Town Hall Meetings throughout the entire process. Champs Entertainment Complex located in Lexington, is an indoor multilevel facility with 50,000 Square feet of fun. Champs features roller skating, tri level laser tag arena, 18-hole glow in the dark championship miniature golf course, B.B.’s Arcade and Restaurant.
Journey Ottaway
Journey Ottaway is a individual with a passion for family, leadership, and traveling. Journey and her husband own two roller skating rink family entertainment centers in the Midwest with experience in roller skating, laser tag and arcades. Along with owning and operating family entertainment facilities, Journey is incredibly passionate about spending time with her husband and daughter, traveling with them and experiencing all the world has to teach her.
Journey is proud to have been a part in growing her two facilities exponentially and beating all the national competition in her market such as Dave & Busters, Bowl More and Urban Air in customer reviews, but her biggest accomplishment was taking these businesses through that growth while simultaneously developing a team that allowed her to step out of the face to face grind of the operation and into a leadership management role that gave her time back to prioritize being a mom, wife, and traveler.
Journey and her husband started Ottaway Entertainment Group in 2021 as a business designed to help other operators learn how to start a business, grow a business and train their leaders to take ownership over the business so that owners can prioritize their personal goals and passions with the same success.
Chris & Sharon McMahon
Chris McMahon grew up in the roller skating industry with his parent’s Jim and Sharon McMahon. Chris went on to be a paramedic, a firefighter, and now serves as the Fire Marshal for Danville, IL. Sharon has worked in the roller skating industry since a teen and owns Illini Skateland with her husband, Jim McMahon and daughter, Lisa Dunham. Sharon currently serves as the Director of Membership Services for the Roller Skating Association, served for over 16 years on the Danville City Council, and is an instructor at Danville Community College teaching first aid and CPR. Together, Sharon and Chris have years of experience in CPR and First Aid training and will be showing you everything you need to know to ensure that you can medically assist your skaters, staff, and family in the event of an emergency.
Beth Standlee
Beth’s story is a story of confidence that she gained while embarking on a sales career that taught her more than she ever dreamed possible. A story that began at the age of 19 as a pregnant, unwed mother who dropped out of college to put food on the table.
From those humble beginnings, Beth grew into a leader. Learning that failure was not an option. Turning her passion for people into a winning formula for success.
Today, Beth teaches salespeople not to be typical salespeople. She embraces long-term solutions, not short-term fixes. She shares her insights, her techniques, her philosophy on how to listen. How to share. How to avoid the “game playing” that is so common among salespeople.
From essential presentation skills to closing the sale, Beth addresses today’s most challenging business development issues in the most practical, personal, and imaginative ways.
For sales leaders, Beth shares her secrets to developing goals, plans, systems, and habits that consistently lead to positive results.
For salespeople, Beth shares the habits and attitudes necessary to be part of a successful sales conversation, without controlling the conversation. Teaching salespeople how to avoid sales-limiting beliefs and close more sales.
Brian Liette
Brian is a roller skating owner with 47 years of experience in competitive speed, dance, and figure skating. He began working in his grandparents’ rink in Celina, Ohio, and later relocated to Cincinnati in 1985 to help manage his father’s roller rink. During the pandemic, Brian helped facilitate the reopening of Ohio roller rinks to meet COVID restrictions. He is also the president of Ohio RSA section 9.
After several years of researching and planning, Brian successfully transitioned his traditional roller skating rink into an FEC in 2017. Brian met his wife Jamie at the roller rink and they have been married for 29 years. They have three sons. It seems that the tradition of finding love at the roller rink runs in Brian’s family, as both his parents and grandparents also met their spouses there.
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Note: We will have several other speakers that will be included in presentations throughout the event. we appreciate all of their time and effort to bring these educational topics to members.
