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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Here are some pertinent details for the upcoming convention. Please read in its entirety to minimize confusion in Portsmouth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Climate Control<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That is to say, we don’t have any. As much as I would love to promise we’ll take a Goldie Locks approach to your comfort in the various ballrooms, please kindly bring warm clothing for the inevitable times when you might get chilly.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Dietary Functions<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The deadline to express your dietary wish is this coming Friday, October 25 at 5 PM. Please send all box lunch and banquet requests to Sandy Halverson via email: <a href="mailto:sjh300@outlook.com">sjh300@outlook.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Meal Tickets<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At registration you will receive tickets for the hospitality event on Friday evening, box lunches, and banquet. Please work extra hard at not losing these tickets, especially the meal tickets. If they are lost, you will need to purchase new ones. I have been vocal about my dislike of this system, but since I have not been vocal about coming up with a better alternative, I too will have to make sure I do not lose my tickets. No exceptions. For banquet in particular, absolutely every person in that room must have a ticket to help us with accounting after the convention. If you have a question about who may already be covered, ask now, not at the banquet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Restaurant Menus<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The host chapters are kindly having the hotel restaurant menus embossed. For your convenience, I’ve also posted downloadable menus on the <a href="http://nfbv.org/convention">convention landing page</a> under the Meal Functions section. There are different files for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Check Out on Sunday<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regular checkout from the hotel is 11 AM. This property normally charges for late checkout and for luggage storage. I’ve gotten them to waive the luggage storage fees, but please, before coming down for General Session at 9 AM, drop your things off at the front desk. Let’s do our best to avoid the craziness we experienced last year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Hospitality Suite<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year the Commodore Room will serve as our hospitality suite throughout the weekend. Several groups will be utilizing the Commodore Room. Please kindly build cleanup into your time slot and task someone from within your own group to oversee the cleanup process so that we may easily transition from one function to the next. Though we are doing our best to provide coolers, please plan on there being no refrigeration for your food and beverages. There will be two large trash cans for disposal. Jacki Bruce is my designated traffic cop and general hospitality coordinator. Whatever she says is right.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Alcohol Consumption in Hospitality Suite<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Groups may provide alcohol in the Commodore Suite, as appropriate; however, it is up to you to ensure no alcohol is served to minors, under no circumstance, for any reason.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Convention Agenda<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The convention agenda can now be downloaded from, or viewed on, the affiliate website. Please visit the <a href="http://nfbv.org/convention">convention landing page</a> for details. Note that the online version features links to certain speakers and their companies as a means of making the agenda a little more interactive. This is just a little experimentation on my part to help you more easily connect with speakers in the program.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Connecting with Me<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you need me for convention-related questions or concerns throughout the weekend, you can reach me at: 202-810-4023. Issues with your guest room should be taken directly to the hotel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If I haven’t covered something here, do feel free to reply to this message and let me know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It’s going to be a great convention. Our president has worked hard on making this an exceptional program. I myself am very excited to see you there, and if we’ve never met, please make a point to stop me and shake hands. Preparing for this thing is always so much more worth it when I can associate the convention with individual guests.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Joe Orozco, Convention Operations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>