Whether your aspirations are to win a national title or a world record or you just want to watch some exciting competition among some of the fastest fingers on the planet, then the NCRA 2021 Conference & Expo happening July 29-Aug. 1, at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev., is the place to be.
“SRAEGS, PWAEB! The NCRA Contests Committee is excited to be conducting in-person competitions during the annual conference this summer,” said Donna J. Karoscik, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, a freelance court reporter and captioner from Pickerington, Ohio, and vice chair of the committee.
“Why not roll the dice and take a chance at the title of champion in the Speed Contest, Realtime Competition, or both?” she added.
In addition to NCRA’s National Speed and Realtime contests, this year’s Conference & Expo will also serve as host to a Guinness Challenge to see if the current world record speed of 360 words per minute at a 97.23 percent accuracy rate can be broken. The record is currently held by NCRA member Mark T. Kislingbury, FAPR, RDR, CRR, from Houston, Texas, who set it at the 2004 NCRA Conference & Expo. The last Guinness challenge was held at NCRA’s 2013 Convention & Expo.
“What happens in Vegas doesn’t have to stay in Vegas. You can cash out your trophies, medals, PDCs, and accolades because they are all yours to keep,” Karoscik said. “If you’re feeling extra lucky, go all in for the 2021 Guinness Challenge. This supercharged elite contest consists of one-minute segments of Q&A dictation which get incrementally faster from 360 wpm to a whopping 400-wpm jackpot!”
The 2021 event will be held on the afternoon of July 29. Space in the Guinness Challenge is limited to 10 contestants. To sign up, send an email to pr@ncra.org. Sign-up will close once all slots are filled.
While registration for the 2021 Conference & Expo doesn’t open until mid-April, it’s never too early to start practicing for those who want to compete in this year’s National Speed and Realtime Contests. Registration for those contests will open with Conference registration.
Registration at Planet Hollywood, the host hotel, is open now with special rates for NCRA Conference & Expo attendees who book by July 2. Click here to learn more or to register. You can also learn more about the hotel’s health and safety protocols here. Registration for the 2021 NCRA Conference & Expo will open mid-April. Watch the JCR Weekly for more details or visit the official conference page for more information.
“We look forward to seeing a full house of faces — of contestants, not cards — in the contest room at the conference,” Karoscik added.
As always, NCRA places the safety and health of its guests, presenters, and staff as its top priority and remains committed to its 2021 Conference & Expo.
