Web Master's note: The following are proposed guidelines for the acbny convention. They may be different than those shown via the guidelines link at the main page. If these changes are adopted, the new document will be posted under the convention guidelines link.

Convention Guidelines

By Jean Mann

As most of you know, several of us sat down about 13 years ago and put together some convention guidelines for affiliates to follow when hosting state conventions. Mary Ellen Cronin, Lori Scharff and I spent some time this year making a few revisions.

Please read these and get back to us if you have any questions or concerns. We will probably revise them from time to time.

Hope to see many of you the weekend of November 18-20.

AMERICAN COUNCIL of the BLIND OF New York

CONVENTION GUIDELINES

I. Convention Site

• A. The hotel must be ADA compliant.
• B. The hotel must be reasonably accessible by public transportation.
• C. The hotel must provide an adequate guide dog relief area.
• D. The hotel must be able to provide the following facilities:
• 1. A block of fifty sleeping rooms.
• 2. A meeting room able to comfortably seat 100 people theater style, with a head table, lectern or podium, and microphone.
• 3. An exhibit room which can be locked, with adequate table space, outlets, extension cords and/or power strips.
• 4. Facilities for a hospitality room.
• 5. A banquet room able to seat 100 people with a lectern or podium and microphone.
• 6. Restaurant facilities within the hotel.

II. Bids

• A. Bids must be submitted to the Convention Coordinator at least one month prior to the convention at which they will be presented.
• B. Bids must be submitted to the membership at the convention during the calendar year prior to the year during which the proposed convention will take place.
• C. Bids must contain the following information:
• 1. The proposed date of the convention.
• 2. An identification of the proposed hotel with a certification that the hotel meets the requirements as set forth in Roman Numeral I.
• 3. Estimates of the room rates, banquet and other meals and other applicable costs.
• D. Bids must be submitted by any affiliate or groups of affiliates of ACBNY interested in hosting a state convention. In addition a group of at least 10 paid individuals of ACBNY may place a bid before the convention. This may be useful in exploring the possibility of hosting a convention in a location in which no affiliate of ACBNY currently exists.

III. Contracts

• A. All contracts must be in writing and must be signed by a representative of the Host Committee and by a representative of the hotel.
• B. All contracts must contain the following information:
• 1. Sleeping room rates.
• 2. Meeting room, exhibit room, hospitality room rates if any.
• 3. Microphone and audio visual charges.
• 4. Banquet room cost if any.
• 5. If the hotel reserves the right to provide for the hospitality room, the supplies to be provided, the cost of these supplies, and bartender fees.
• 6. Any required deposits, the dates these are due, date of final payment.
• 7. If ACBNY is sponsoring a hospitality room not provided for by the hotel, the contract must contain specific information about any restrictions surrounding operation of the hospitality room mandated by the hotel.
• C. The Host Committee may make arrangements with the hotel through a travel agent or other third party, provided it results in no additional cost to the convention attendees.
• D. The contract must be signed no later than May 1, with a copy sent to the Convention Coordinator.

IV. Cover Letters and Registration Forms

• A. Cover letters and registration forms should be mailed to ACBNY members and friends no later then July 31 and should be returned to the Host Committee no later than three (3) weeks prior to the first day of the convention.
• B. Cover letters should include the following:
• 1. The time, date and location of the convention.
• 2. Room rates.
• 3. Registration fees, including late registration fees, if applicable.
• 4. Banquet selections and costs.
• 5. Other meal selections and costs, if applicable.
• 6. Hours of registration at the convention.
• 7. A tentative convention schedule, including tour information, if applicable.
• 8. Gground transportation information.
• 9. Instructions on making room reservations.
• 10. The name, address, and telephone number of a contact person on the Host Committee.
• 11. A statement regarding a refund policy.<
• C. A separate registration form for each attendee should be requested.
• D. The registration form should request the following information:
• 1. The name, address and telephone number of the attendee.
• 2. Number of nights attendee plans to stay in the hotel.
• 3. The banquet selection.
• 4. Whether or not the attendee is an ACBNY member.
• 5. Any special needs such as dietary or other areas in which the Host Committee may be of assistance.
• 6. Preferred format of the convention program; braille, large print or cassette.
• 7. Choice of workshop preference if concurrent workshops are being presented.
• 8. Total amount of check being sent with registration form.
• 9. Information about how the check should be made out.

• E. Cover letters and registration materials should be mailed as Free Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
• F. In addition to mailing cover letters and registration forms, the Host Committee is encouraged to publicize the convention locally, and in magazines for the blind such as "The Braille Forum", "Matilda Ziegler", and "Dialogue."

V. Exhibits

• A. The Convention Coordinator shall maintain a listing of past exhibitors and shall make this available to the Host Committee.
• B. Letters shall be sent to potential exhibitors no later than April 30, with reminders no later than July 15.
• C. All responses must be received no later than three (3) weeks prior to the start of the convention.
• D. Exhibitors are exempt from registration fees.
• E. The Host Committee may charge exhibitors a nominal fee for exhibiting.
• F. If any ACBNY affiliate exhibits at the convention it shall not be subject to an exhibitors fee, but it shall be subject to a registration fee.

VI. Speakers and Workshops

• A. The Host Committee is responsible for arranging for speakers and workshops.
• B. Invitations to prospective speakers must be in writing, and should be mailed as early as possible.
• C. The invitations should contain some information about ACBNY, information about the composition of the audience, the topic the speaker is to address, an indication of the length of the presentation, whether or not the speakers will be part of a panel, whether the speaker is expected to absorb costs incurred in his or her speaking at the convention, hotel information and cost if the speaker does not live in the geographic area of the convention.
• D. If any ACBNY member speaks at the convention, said member shall have registration fees waived.
• E. The Host Committee reserves the right to invite a representative of the ACB National Office or other keynote speaker to address the convention.
• F. ACBNY will pay up to $500.00 for expenses incurred by a representative of the ACB National Office speaking at the convention.
• G. If a keynote speaker is invited in lieu of a national representative, the Host Committee may request that ACBNY pay up to $500.00 for expenses incurred by said keynote speaker. However, prior approval of the keynote speaker must be obtained from the Board of Directors or the Executive Board.

VII. Convention Packets

A. Convention packets should contain the following:

• 1. A convention program in the format of choice.
• 2. A banquet ticket.
• 3. Other meal tickets, if applicable.
• 4. Convention favors or souvenirs, given at the discretion of the Host Committee.
• 5. Easily identifiable ID badges.

VIII. Host Committee Responsibilities At the Convention

• A. A registration table staffed by one print and one braille reader must be open several hours on Friday afternoon, Friday evening, and Saturday morning.

B. The following materials should be available at the registration table:

• 1. implements for writing print or braille;
• 2. registration packets;
• 3. extra programs; and
• 4. extra registration packets if the Host Committee chooses to accept late registrations.

• C. The Host Committee may charge late registration and banquet fees if this was announced in the cover letter.
• D. It is the Host Committee's responsibility to train hotel personnel and to recruit and train volunteers if these are deemed necessary.
• E. Volunteers and key convention personnel should be identified by markings on their identification badges.
• F. A Host Committee representative must be present in the exhibit room during all open hours.
• G. It is at the discretion of the Host Committee whether there should be a banquet speaker, door prizes or entertainment.
• H. The Host Committee should decide whether there will be a head table at the banquet, and who will be invited to sit there. However, if a state officer is invited to sit at the head table, and said officer is not a member of the Host Committee, all officers must receive the same invitation.

IX. Finances

A. Revenues include the following:

• 1. registration fees;
• 2. late fees;
• 3. monies received from the hospitality room;
• 4. exhibit fees;
• 5. raffles;
• 6. banquet tickets; and
• 7. fund raising projects.

B. Expenses include the following:

• 1. meeting room fees;
• 2. banquet room fees;
• 3. banquet;
• 4. speakers;
• 5. hospitality room and supplies;
• 6. exhibit room;
• 7. favors;
• 8. door prizes;
• 9. publicity;
• 10. microphone and audio visual fees; and
• 11. stationery, printing, and mailing.

• C. If the revenues received are greater than expenses, the Host Committee shall retain the surplus.
• D. If the expenses are greater than the revenue, the Host Committee is responsible for the deficit. However, it may apply for reimbursement.
• E. ACBNY may reimburse the Host Committee either the cost of the mailing of the cover letter and registration form including any cost for postage, or the amount of the deficit, whichever is less.

F. The Host Committee, if it wishes to request reimbursement, must adhere to the following steps:

• 1. It must present documentation of its mailing cost to the Finance Committee at time said Committee meets during the convention.
• 2. The Finance Committee may then approve a budget line to not exceed the amount of the mailing costs.
• 3. Following the convention, if there is a deficit, the Host Committee must submit documentation of its expenses and revenues to ACBNY State Treasurer.
• 4. ACBNY's State Treasurer must then issue a payment to the Host Committee in the amount of the actual deficit, whichever is less.

Last updated February 19 2007