<div dir="ltr">Hi Steven,<div>I'm truly not trying to be argumentative... just additional discussion here... </div><div><br></div><div>National conference 650 / 60,000 members = 0.011 response rate.<div><br></div><div>
our Wing conference designed - held locally, and at a venue that allowed lower cost for both the conference and lodging - </div><div>attracted 256 / 2,075 = 0.12 response rate</div><div><br></div><div>My point here is:</div>
<div><ul><li><u>Travel</u> is central to the mass population <br></li><li><u>Registration</u> cost is low ($50) for both conf and banquet<br></li><li><u>Lodging</u> cost is low ($55) /night (university housing on campus)<br>
</li><li>venue and program is standard to CAP conferences<br></li></ul><div>the key is accessibility - the bottom line is cost to the volunteer - the $$ flying out of our own pockets - in all areas: registration, lodging and travel. </div>
<div><br></div><div>Perhaps the local wing conference will always attract a higher rate over the National conference, simply because it's closer to home for our volunteers. </div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
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<br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Annette<br><br>Thank YOU for all YOU do in CAP! <br><br>Annette Carlson, Lt Col, CAP</div></font></font></font></font>Wing Public Affairs & </font></span><span style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14px">Information </span><span style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14px">Officer (PAO/</span><span style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-size:14px">PIO)</span></div>
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<div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br><br>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 13:54:42 -0700<br>
From: Steven Solomon <<a href="mailto:ssolomon@cap.gov">ssolomon@cap.gov</a>><br>
To: "<a href="mailto:cap-pao@lists.sempervigilans.org">cap-pao@lists.sempervigilans.org</a>"<br>
<<a href="mailto:cap-pao@lists.sempervigilans.org">cap-pao@lists.sempervigilans.org</a>><br>
Subject: [PAO] Annual Conference comments<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<<a href="mailto:CAFVMVuQTvK4-YXC7Ux1RK_O4TKENM91UKy5BPAe1Ti6kHnimhQ@mail.gmail.com">CAFVMVuQTvK4-YXC7Ux1RK_O4TKENM91UKy5BPAe1Ti6kHnimhQ@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
<br>
Hello,<br>
<br>
There has been much discussion the last few days on this list-serv about<br>
the cost, location and even the necessity of CAP's annual conference. Some<br>
of my PAO colleagues have even gone so far as to question renewing their<br>
CAP membership. I'd like to share a few of my thoughts.<br>
<br>
Although many of you said you wouldn't be attending this year's conference<br>
due to the cost, the latest stats (three weeks prior) show that more than<br>
650 people are registered at this point and we expect to have between<br>
700-800 by the time registration closes. This means that this conference<br>
will be one of the largest (if not the largest) national conferences CAP<br>
has had in the past 10 years. That's a success by any measure.<br>
<br>
<br>
But this doesn't mean that concerns about cost fall on deaf ears. I know<br>
personally that the National Staff takes the input of all our members very<br>
seriously. Past conference survey comments have indicated that reducing the<br>
cost of the conference hotel is very important to our members and the<br>
National Staff is doing its best to do that.<br>
<br>
<br>
For example, this year?s hotel rates were the lowest we know of in recent<br>
history: $75 for Mon-Thurs and $110 for Fri-Sat. This includes free parking<br>
and free Internet in guest rooms. The hotel waived its normal<br>
conference/resort fee of $19.99. The hotel sold out of the CAP room block<br>
before the cutoff date because so many CAP members took advantage of the<br>
low room rates. The hotel provided many additional rooms to CAP members at<br>
the same low contracted price even though they were not obligated to do so.<br>
<br>
<br>
Also, food and beverages are expensive at hotels. On top of food costs most<br>
hotels charge a 22% service fee plus taxes. This is true whether you go to<br>
a smaller city or a larger one. The total is usually 30-32% above the cost<br>
of the F&B. (CAP is not tax exempt in many states when purchasing F&B). To<br>
reduce the cost of meals for our members, like the prayer breakfast ($15)<br>
or the banquet (early bird registration was $60), CAP subsidized the cost<br>
of these events. The actual cost of these meals is much higher.<br>
<br>
<br>
The early bird registration fee was $99. This is the same it has been for<br>
many years. Most other non-CAP conferences that provide similar<br>
professional development opportunities charge $400 or more for their<br>
conference fees. Check it.<br>
<br>
<br>
The banquet speaker, Air Force Maj Gen Kevin McLaughlin, and special guest<br>
speaker, famous aviation fiction author Dale Brown, are not being<br>
compensated for speaking. Both have special ties to CAP. Gen McLaughlin and<br>
his wife are very active in CAP as are their three sons. Gen McLaughlin is<br>
also commander of AF Cyber Command so this is another tie to CAP?s<br>
important cyber role. Capt Dale Brown is a CAP squadron commander in NV.<br>
<br>
<br>
In general, holding conferences at smaller cities could help reduce the<br>
cost of hotel rooms but it is usually more expensive to fly into cities<br>
like that, so the out-of-pocket expenses might offset each other unless you<br>
are driving.<br>
<br>
NHQ plans on National Conference attendance being between 500-800. These<br>
numbers and the fact that we require a lot of breakout rooms to hold<br>
between 50-60 Learning Labs during the conference limits the hotels we can<br>
use to only larger ones. Using conference centers is usually more expensive<br>
overall than using larger hotels that can accommodate CAP.<br>
<br>
NHQ tries to move the conference around the country each year so it will be<br>
close to a large population of CAP members who could drive in to attend. In<br>
2015 CAP is planning to have it nearer the eastern part of the United<br>
States, because it has been farther west in 2013 and 2014.<br>
<br>
<br>
Finally, at the upcoming conference we are delighted that we will be<br>
conducting limited testing on the ability for our members to virtually<br>
attend key professional development sessions via webinars. If the tests go<br>
well this year, and we expect they will, CAP will increase the number of<br>
Professional Development sessions that will be broadcast via webinars in<br>
2015. This will allow more CAP members to participate in specific events<br>
even if they can?t attend the conference in person.<br>
<br>
<br>
I hope my input helps answer some of the questions you've had. But because<br>
NHQ doesn't monitor this list-serv, I suggest using the chain of command if<br>
you'd like official feedback. And as always, you may call me at any time.<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Steven<br>
<br>
<br>
STEVEN SOLOMON, Lt Col, CAP<br>
National Public Affairs Officer<br>
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters<br>
105 South Hansell St., Building 714<br>
Maxwell AFB AL 36112-5937<br>
s <<a href="mailto:ssolomon@cap.gov">ssolomon@cap.gov</a>><a href="mailto:solomon@cap.gov">solomon@cap.gov</a> <<a href="mailto:ssolomon@cap.gov">ssolomon@cap.gov</a>><br>
Cell: 240-505-6279<br>
<br><br>
<br>
End of CAP-PAO Digest, Vol 64, Issue 4<br>
**************************************<br>
</blockquote></div><br></div></div>