The Inaugural Global Locate Masters (GLM) is schedule to take place during Damage Prevention Week at the 2022 Global Excavation Safety Conference in Phoenix, Arizona March 1-3. The competition is designed to test the top locators in the world in a skills competition unlike any held before. Using UTTO virtual locate simulators, locators have the unprecedented opportunity to showcase their skills in front of one another and an audience of damage prevention peers.
Typically, locators are evaluated by the mistakes they make, making it difficult to find recognition for everything they do right. GLM is the opportunity for these industry professionals to display how their years of experience, critical thinking, and mental agility combine to allow them to complete difficult locates in an accurate and timely manner. The Master’s competition recognizes, rewards, and shines a spotlight on the world’s best utility locating professionals.
Competition Format
The competition features UTTO virtual locate simulators, providing a novel opportunity for indoor competition with realistic, variable, and highly customizable locate scenarios. The simulator accurately replicates the unique challenges found in the field and its on-thefly programmability allows for fair competition with equal standards across competitors. Most exciting, changing locate scenarios allows fellow competitors, conference attendees, and vendors to become spectators.
The Locate Masters will culminate in a grand finale on the final day of the conference which features the highest performing technicians of the competition.
Awards
The top 10 competitors will be awarded a plaque commemorating their achievement along with recognition in dp-PRO, the industry’s leading damage prevention publication. The 3rd place winner will receive a $500 cash award, and the 2nd place winner $750.
Ultimately a single winner will be crowned. Along with a $1,000 cash award, the top placing technician will be named the Global Locate Masters 2022 champion and spokesperson. This honor includes interviews for magazine features, publicity quotes in social media to promote excellence in locating, and recognition of this achievement, along with company recognition in all 2021 media coverage associated with GLM. The champion’s name is the very first name etched on the Global Locate Masters Cup, a perpetual trophy put on display every year at the Global ESC!
Qualification
To find and crown the best locate technician in the world, GLM offers several qualification methods.
1. Employer nomination
Employers are encouraged to nominate employees who exemplify excellence in locating. Not all of the world’s most skilled and responsible locators have the opportunity compete in regional or international locating competitions. Employers who feel their locate technician(s) represent the best combination of skill, accuracy consistency, and passion for the job are encouraged to nominate them by going to GlobalLocateMasters.com and clicking the Qualification tab.
2. Placement at a regional Global Locate Masters qualifying event
Compete in a scheduled regional GLM qualifying events or organize your own event!
• Internal Companywide Event: Company hosted GLM events offer a special opportunity for employers to let their best and brightest employees compete for the honor of representing their company at GLM. The skills locate technicians use every day in the field can be tested and flexed to the extreme using UTTO’s locate simulators.
• Local Qualifying Event: Regional GLM competitions makes a spectacular value-add to any industry function. Locate technicians are given the opportunity to showcase their skills, and other attendees are given the rare chance to see how locating really works.
• UTTO simulators are available for purchase or rental. Contact Jeanne at UTTO for more details. 239.313.9350 / jeanne@utto.com
3. Placement at an International Locate Rodeo
The top 3 placers at an official International Locate Rodeo competition (national or regional) qualify to compete at GLM. Follow upcoming International Locate Rodeo events and opportunities on Facebook.
4. Onsite qualification at the 2022 Global Excavation Safety Conference
All interested technicians, conference delegates, and members of the public may compete to qualify onsite at the Global ESC. This option gives those who may not have had the opportunity to compete in a qualifying event to pit their skills against competitors. Onsite qualification take place at the Phoenix Convention Center, home of the Global ESC, Monday, February 28, 2022.
The world’s best locate technicians work every day to protect the public and the underground utilities we all rely on, and GLM is where they showcase the immense amount of skill it takes to do the job well. Competitors from around the world, from large companies to small, will be there to compete to call themselves the best. Will you?
Visit GlobalLocateMasters.com
