Illinois Council of the Blind First Virtual Auction
Mark your calendars! ICB will have their first virtual auction on Sunday, October 20th at 6 p.m. Central time. We will auction things like Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the new Fifth Generation Amazon Echo Dots, gift cards, baked goods, jewelry, and much more!
There is no cost to attend; you will just need to call ICB at (217) 523-4967 by October 17th to register and to receive the Zoom link.
Winners will have until October 31st to pay for the item(s) they have won. After that the item will go to the runner-up.
Join us to help make this fundraiser a success!
Join Us in Indy for ACBI-ACBO’s Convention Where We’re “Transforming Attitudes”!
ACB of Indiana and ACB of Ohio will be holding their joint convention Oct. 25-27, 2024 at the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, 2501 S. High School Road, Indianapolis, IN 46241. For hotel reservations, call 1-877-227-6963 and use the code “ACB” to get the discounted rate of $139 per night, plus tax. There is a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel available.
The registration form is available at https://acb-indiana.org/2024-convention/registration.
There are two attendance options — in person ($80) and virtual by Zoom ($40). All attendees are included in the door prize drawings!
Check out our website at https://acb-indiana.org/ to read the tentative program agenda to find out what our convention weekend will include. It’ll be packed with fun and lots of information.
Kolby Garrison, ACB’s Development Officer, will be our weekend guest and will begin our opening session by singing the National Anthem. She will also speak at our banquet.
Questions? Contact Rita Kersh at [email protected] or Dee Ann Hart at [email protected].
Independent Visually Impaired Entrepreneurs Online Business Expo
IVIE is offering a great opportunity to blind or visually impaired business owners/entrepreneurs. When you join in our Online Business Expo shopping experience, you can describe your products and services, pass on contact information, and allow participants to ask questions. For IVIE members, the fee for presenting for 15 minutes is $10; a half-hour, $20; or an hour, $30. If you’re not an IVIE member, the fee is $25 for 15 minutes, $35 for a half-hour, or $45 for an hour. Non-members have the option of having $15 of the payment used to pay IVIE dues for 2025.
All those participating in the call will use the same Zoom information to connect. The online expo will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern. At 11:45 a.m., we will introduce all the participating vendors and their specific time slots, along with instructions for those attending. We’ll do a wrap-up after all the presentations, and give time for anyone to ask questions of the exhibitors.
The deadline for purchasing a time slot to give a presentation is October 31, 2024. To purchase a time slot or ask questions, send an email to [email protected] with your request to present/exhibit. Please send your business name, product line, your telephone number, and your email address. You will be sent a link for payment and additional information. If you wish to attend the IVIE Online Business Expo and listen to this unique shopping experience, there is no cost. However, please send an email to register so we can send you the Zoom call details. Send the email request to [email protected], or contact Ardis Bazyn, phone (818) 209-8684.
Minnesota State Convention in January
Come one, come all to the ACB of Minnesota state convention!
Note: all times listed are Central time. We’ll kick off the convention with our virtual auction on Sunday, January 19 at 7 p.m. We will also hold a virtual exhibitor open house on Thursday, January 23rd at 7 p.m. where you can hear from our exhibitors whether they will be joining us in-person or as virtual exhibitors.
Join us in person January 24th through 26th at Country Inn and Suites in Woodbury, Minn., or you may join us via Zoom.
In-person registration will include all meals, Friday evening dinner, Saturday lunch and our evening banquet. Complimentary breakfast is available for registered hotel guests. Room rates at Country Inn and Suites are $91 per night plus 11.7 percent tax. A hold of $100 will be placed on your credit or debit card to cover any incidentals. To make reservations at the hotel, call (651) 739-7300; use group code American Council of the Blind of Minnesota.
If you plan to join us via Zoom, registration is $25; you will receive all convention Zoom links and be eligible for door prizes.
We are currently working on our Friday programming. On Saturday we have the following programming: a panel on different cultures; a session on the benefits of AI led by Blind Information Technology Specialists president, Jeff Bishop; plus “can’t miss” updates from Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development-State Services for the Blind, and information on a new program in Minnesota for pharmacy techs.
After our presentations, our exhibitors will say a few words, and then in-person attendees can visit with our in-person exhibitors, and all convention registrants can visit with our virtual vendors via Zoom.
On Saturday evening, join us for our banquet featuring ACB’s executive director, Scott Thornhill. The convention will wrap up with our membership meeting on Sunday.
To register for the convention, go to https://acbminnesota.org/. For more information, contact Janet Dickelman at (651) 428-5059 or email [email protected].