5.05 Conference Committee Report

The conference committee is actively working on and is extremely excited to see every one in Cleveland in just under three months. As with any quality conference, many things go into it. We set our attendee and sponsorship fees over the winter and established the majority of our education sessions in February, knowing the final session might be fluid, but could be updated or revised very quickly.

In January, the conference committee decided to pursue a two for one tour of River Rock and the Penfield House. These are two of Cleveland's FLW homes located on the same property. Due to unforeseen circumstances, communication between the owner and I was limited. When we connected, we learned that this tour event would not be possible. This delayed the final determination of the tour location and its associated fees. This also meant that while we perhaps should have continued to plan for the two tour options we originally had in place, we placed all our eggs in one basket, now delaying the tour information.

As early as February, members of this committee, had heard from members in regard to registration. While we have no set date to launch the registration, we simply informed them that it would be coming soon. In March, the committee recognized that now many of our members were waiting for the website to register and plan for this summer. The committee identified the conference and meetings are critical to how we function, and in accordance with our bylaws, are a required aspect of our activities. It was understood that it was critical for not just our membership but also our interested sponsors that we had been working very hard to bring on board.

We met once as a full committee in March (two people attended the second meeting of the month; I was absent). At the first meeting in March and the two in April, the committee was informed that the site would not be posted due to the final tour details. Since our registration setup in recent years includes the opportunity for members to sign up for a tour or pay a single attendee fee, the tour costs have been built into the total registration and are not always a separate cost. In the absence of a final tour number, a proposal was made in mid-March to expedite the need for the active site. Based on the available information, we would add twenty dollars to the previously established attendee rate, covering the remaining balance through a tour sponsorship. This would allow the site to launch later than planned, but still give members proper time to plan. As in past years, the active site will also allow sponsors and vendors to register, enabling us to promote their upcoming attendance in Cleveland. The committee was again told the site would not be posted. I am very concerned that while we are required to hold a conference, that the delay has been simply focused on an added feature to the conference, and not something in which we are obligated to provide to our membership.

I fear this action may detrimentally impact not only our overall conference program but also attendance. With limited time to register, many members may find that transportation to the conference difficult or too expensive. Three sponsors, whom the committee has contacted since last year, have questioned the conference details due to the absence of a live site. We are now likely to lose these sponsorships and the associated revenue. Like all of us, the inability to plan ahead often prevents participation.

As chair of the conference committee, the function and the productivity of this committee is ultimately my responsibility. It is also my responsibility to answer to the concerns regarding conferences to this Board and the membership of AIBD. It is the task of the committee to work in partnership with staff to produce positive results. This has not happened as planned. As a committee, we have worked very hard on this conference, and are very excited. We have committed a great deal of time and are also currently looking ahead to improving the 2027 conference experience.

I am currently developing a monthly task schedule to guide the conference committee in the future. This will create a detailed timeline for future conferences, ranging from city and hotel selection, early vendor and sponsor registration (many companies establish marketing budgets and event schedules in the fall prior to the next calendar year), session planning, through site launch, registration, and final gala. (ARDA has had a similar structure in place for many years.)

I can speak on behalf the entire committee in saying that we can not wait to welcome you to Cleveland. Despite bumps, we are committed to making D+B Cleveland a valuable and worthwhile conference.

5.6.26 Conference Committee meeting update:

The conference committee confirmed the two tours options for D+B Cleveland. The bus tour will include the tour of the former President Garfield's personal home. Since space is limited for this tour, there will be a second tour available. This walking tour will be focused on historical and architectural aspects found in downtown Cleveland. The committee has chosen to work a scavenger hunt theme that was presented by the tour company Take A Hike Cleveland. Final details of this will be made available on the registration site within a few days.