by Janet Dickelman
Members of the convention committee and the ACB board have just completed their visit to Sparks, Nev. and the Nugget Casino and Resort. We were very impressed with the hotel staff; they were all very friendly and helpful. The food at the hotel restaurants (see my article in the November issue) was plentiful and very reasonably priced.
Tour coordinator Rhonda Trott has done a superb job of planning some great tours for the 2017 conference and convention. I know many of you are anxious to hear what we have planned. We are still working on what day which tours will occur and hope to have information in the January “ACB Braille Forum.”
Margarine and Danielle worked hard on the hotel orientation guide, which we will make sure is available prior to the convention. There will be two dog relief areas, one in the second floor parking garage and one on the first floor just outside the west tower.
A Few Things about the Nugget
The west tower of the hotel is about to undergo renovation. All rooms will be remodeled before our arrival. Each room in the west tower will have a refrigerator and a safe. If you are a guide dog user, you want to be in this tower.
You may also opt to be in the east tower, where most suites will be located. All the meeting rooms will also be revamped with new furnishings and carpet.
Reservation Details
To make reservations via telephone, call 1-800-648-1177 and ask for group code GACB17. You may also make reservations online by visiting www.acb.org. Follow the 2017 conference and convention link.
Convention Dates
Our first tours and the ACB board meeting will be on Friday, June 30th. Affiliates and committees will begin programming on Saturday, July 1st. That is also the day the exhibit hall will open, and general sessions will begin that evening. Our concluding general session and the banquet will be on Thursday, July 6th, with final tours on Friday, July 7th.
Staying in Touch
Once again this year, the convention announce list will be filled with information! To subscribe to the list, send a blank e-mail to [email protected]. If you received updates for the 2016 convention, you need not subscribe again.
Convention Contacts
2017 exhibit information: Michael Smitherman, (601) 331-7740,[email protected]
2017 advertising and sponsorships: Margarine Beaman, (512) 921-1625,[email protected]
For any other convention-related questions, contact Janet Dickelman, convention chair, at (651) 428-5059, or via e-mail, [email protected].
I’m sure many of you are preparing for the holiday season as you read this article. I wish all of you a very merry Christmas. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, happy holidays from my house to yours.