NYC - downtown conferences

March 20, 2006

I'm all for a NYC conference, thinking outside the box to make it work, etc.

I think LPA has gotten more adventuresome, thinking of the

once-in-a-lifetime non-LPA opportunities available at the conference, like in

Toronto, the

conference planners were hesitant about how many people would buy the very

expensive Broadway type tix to see " The Lion King " but they sold out the first

block and got a second block of tix. People realized this was something they

wanted to do and went for it, even though it was quite expensive. Orlando

wasn't quite the same thing, but another conference that proved to be more

popular than originally expected.

When we did the first Boston conference in 1983, I mean, when we were

planning for it, in 1982, we debated, downtown or burbs (20 mins away by bus).

And

to us, an extra $10/night to be downtown, seemed worth it, to be LP walking

distance to so much and on the waterfront. It was $80 instead of $70

(suburbs). We didn't pay $80/night for conference hotel again for several

years.

We won the bid in 1982, against a cheaper bid too, and really worked hard to

sell the conference 82-83. It was driving distance, but unfortunately, I

think another of our " firsts " was the first conference where one had to pay

parking. It was $10/night. We had 425 people, half of the year before (Reno)

and half the year after (St. Louis). Another thing going against us was that

at least back then, western conferences had higher turnouts, related to

bigger, more active and highly populated districts I think. Now my big

brother, an

expert on almost everything, tells me that there was a recession or some

such in 1983, unemployment, etc., which he says would have caused the lower

turnout.

I don't know why I'm saying all this, because I favor a NYC conference,

sometime in my lifetime. I guess it is that LPA members have had a reputation

within LPA of being cheap and scared of downtowns, but I think we're evolving.

(And maybe in my son's lifetime we'll change the name too)

And the Seattle conference hotel is at least connected to downtown via

direct public transportation if I recall correctly, not having to take a cab or

hotel shuttle to the T as we say in Boston.

Ruth Ricker

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