RE: 2014 AIS Convention

[cheryl deaton <region15kids@hotmail.com>]

Hello All,
This conflict is unfortunate, but I do not think it will affect that many
people. I attended the SLI convention in Dallas because it was immediately
following the AIS Convention.  Due to work responsibilities, I am unable to
attend the 2014 SLI convention. Dallas had no choice in their scheduling for
2014 due to a huge soccer convention and the availability of hotels.  Getting
to other meetings as have been scheduled for the past few years can be
difficult as it is, so I do not believe we should change the board meeting
from Saturday to Sunday. Travel restrictions mean I need to arrive on Friday
or I would not make the Board meeting on Saturday(plus the cost is cheaper
traveling on Friday).  I think that may be true for many of us. The bigger
problem that I see is people not wanting to attend 2014 that attended 2013
because they feel it is just a repeat (comments I have heard) AND they would
rather save up the money and attend the AIS convention in 2015 in Portland. If
we are at the best room block rate now, we may have problems selling the
convention to people and attaining our required room block if we try to cram
too many activities at the same time for the attendees.  Many members of the
AIS Board also hold positions with the sections and cooperating societies and
would run into conflicts trying to attend the AIS board meeting and the other
board meetings if we held the BOD at the same time as other meetings.  Same
goes with the programs put on by the sections and cooperating societies.  Our
current schedule is tight as it is with little wiggle room.  Is the SLI
schedule on Saturday garden visits plus the Awards banquet?  If we concentrate
the business portion of the AIS BOD meeting to Sunday and get the reports from
committees, etc. ahead of time to read for discussion on Saturday, then any
recommendations/motions could be handled Sunday.  The conflict I see is the
RVP Counselors meeting.  If we schedule that early on Sunday (like 8am?) and
combine the RVP reception with it (don't see why we can't eat and talk at the
same time), could we immediately follow with the second portion of the AIS BOD
meeting?  In that way maybe we can accommodate everyone?  It would mean
traveling Saturday night/early Sunday for those needing to attend both
conventions. Is there any way that SLI could adjust their schedule as well for
Saturday?  Lots to think about.
Cheryl

> From: pwgossett@juno.com
> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2013 21:12:25 +0000
> To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
> Subject: [AISdiscuss] 2014 AIS Convention
>
> Dear Folks,
>
> I have somewhat of a problem and I do not know what to do.  When the Iris
Society of Dallas voted to change the dates of the 2014 AIS Convention from
April 21 through April 26 to the new dates of April 5 through April 10, this
created a conflict with the SLI Convention in New Orleans.
>
> First off the 2014 AIS Convention in Dallas starts on Saturday, April 5 and
the SLI Convention in New Orleans ends on Saturday, April 5.
>
> I heard in Dallas this past Spring, several people were wanting to attend
the SLI Convention in New Orleans.   But, I really don't know how many are
planning on attending the SLI Convention in New Orleans.
>
> Back at the Fall Board Meeting in Bedford, MA in 1998, the AIS Board of
Directors held a discussion concerning an earlier convening date for the AIS
Board meeting during the Spring National Conventions so as to enable those
attending the meeting to participate in other scheduled activities.  After the
discussion it is was decided to begin the new schedule at the 2000 AIS
Convention in Dallas, TX.  So, since 2000, the AIS Board has been meeting on
the first day of the convention and no other activities have been scheduled on
that day.
>
> I have been trying to figure a way to get around this but, since the AIS
Board had agreed to make this change in 1998 and we have been doing so since
2000, I do not know what to do but ask for advice from the AIS Board.
>
> My question to you.  Should I go ahead and schedule the the AIS Board
Meeting to begin on Saturday, April 5, 2014 and meet on Saturday and Sunday or
move the AIS Board Meeting to start on Sunday, April 6, 2014 and meet on
Sunday and Monday and run the AIS Board meeting at the same time as other
meetings are going on?
>
> By making a change, attendees may be arriving a day later thus the
possibility of losing some of our guest room block on Friday night and maybe
1/2 of the guest room block on Saturday night.  I have already worked with the
hotel to reduce the number of guest rooms for the 2014 Convention from what we
had in 2013 and I am down to as low as the hotel will allow me to go.
>
> Please help.
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Paul
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
> <aissecretary@irises.org>
> The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
> http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to the AIS Secretary
<aissecretary@irises.org>
The archives for AISDiscuss are at:
http://www.aisboard.org/lists/aisdiscuss/