PRE-REGISTRATION LEVELS SUGGEST NEAR RECORD ATTENDANCE
With more than 1,250 air show professionals already registered to participate in next month's convention, ICAS representatives believe that total convention attendance will exceed any recent year and may approach record levels.
"We have never had this many pre-registrants at this point in the run-up to the convention," says ICAS President John Cudahy. "Booths are sold out. The hotel is nearly full. And every leading indicator that we monitor is suggesting record or near-record attendance."
DON'T MISS THE BIG EVENT
Although the precise cause is difficult to identify, it's clear that the air show community is returning to something approaching business as usual. Member organizations that sent two representatives to the ICAS Convention are sending three or four this year. Companies that skipped the convention entirely last year have pre-registered and will be attending this year's big event. And booths in the exhibit hall sold out much earlier than they have in several years.
If you've been delaying a decision yourself, the pace of registrations during the last three weeks should be the indicator you've been looking for. The air show community will gather at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel with renewed enthusiasm as we all continue the process of planning for the 2011 air show season. We hope that you'll make the decision to join us.
YOU CAN STILL REGISTER
ICAS members who have not yet registered for the ICAS Convention may still do so by visiting the ICAS website or by clicking here. Registering on-line will save you money. And registering before you arrive in Las Vegas will help you avoid the sometimes long lines in the convention registration area.
BRING YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION
If you have already registered for the ICAS Convention, be sure to bring your confirmation letter. It includes a bar code that will greatly expedite the self check-in process.
BOARD VOTING PROCEDURES
Voting for the four open positions on the ICAS Board of Directors will take place at the ICAS Convention on Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 7. Members may cast their ballot in the Chablis room from 10:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Tuesday, and then again from 2:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One vote per member organization.
Information on each of the candidates running to fill the four openings on the ICAS Board of Directors was distributed earlier this fall and will be available at the ICAS Convention.
Recently, an ICAS member pointed out to the ICAS Board of Directors an inconsistency in the ICAS Bylaws. In one section, the bylaws provide for submitting election ballots by mail and for submitting proxy votes. Elsewhere in the bylaws, the language makes it clear that the voting can be conducted entirely on-site during the convention, the process that ICAS has used for more than 35 years. These two sections contradict one another. After consulting with ICAS legal counsel, the ICAS Executive Committee opted to use the same process that ICAS has used for more than three decades. Following this year's convention, an ad hoc committee authorized and empowered by the ICAS Board will review and recommend changes to inconsistent or ambiguous wording in the bylaws.
WHAT TO WEAR
One of the most frequent questions we receive at ICAS headquarters in the last several days before the convention relate to dress. So, we'd like to offer a few clothing-related pointers for convention events.
Generally, the dress for the ICAS Convention is business casual.
At the traditional welcome reception on Sunday evening, the theme this year will be home town pride. Wear your "geographically suggestive" clothing and let people know where you're from. Though there is no official policy within the military, with the exception of Flight Suit Day on
Tuesday and the Chairman's Banquet on Wednesday night, it is unusual for military representatives to wear their military uniforms.
Tuesday is Flight Suit Day. All pilots and performers are encouraged to wear their flight suits.
The Wednesday night Chairman's Banquet is a "black tie optional" event. Though some of our convention delegates choose to wear tuxedoes and evening dresses, they are not required and you will not feel out of place if you come in less formal attire.
ICAS REITERATES EXHIBIT FLOOR SOLICITATION POLICY
Selling privileges on the ICAS Convention exhibit hall floor are limited to organizations that have contracted and paid for space assignments. No other persons or organizations will be permitted to sell products or services, solicit contributions, distribute advertising materials, or demonstrate products on the exhibit hall floor. Non-exhibiting personnel observed selling on the exhibit hall floor will be asked to stop such activities. If these non-exhibiting personnel refuse to stop, they will be asked to leave the hall.
A note to our other delegates: if you see somebody involved in this practice, please alert an ICAS staff member. If you are approached by a vendor who is attempting to do business with you on the trade show floor without a booth, please let them know that this practice is against convention policy and that you don't feel comfortable having that conversation on the exhibit hall floor.
"This is a policy that has been in place at the ICAS Convention for many years," says ICAS President John Cudahy. "If the practice is not actively discouraged by all ICAS members, it threatens to do serious and lasting damage to this important industry event. It also has the potential to drive up costs for all of our convention delegates."
No comments:
Post a Comment