National Conference 2010 - One Conference!

[finley1991]

I just saw an e-mail on this from one of the loops but didn't see one from HO about this:

Important Announcement About National Conference

National Conference 2010 is going to be one, big celebration! Based on feedback from you, we''re holding a single Conference next year. Conference will be held in Chicago from July 12-15 (Monday-Thursday). Registration opens in April and the fee is $200 if you register online. Start saving for National Conference 2010 by signing up for Conference Club today!

For more details, be sure to read the e-mail we sent earlier today!

Thoughts? I'm excited to be able to see my friends but wondering about just having ONE session??? Will it be a mad house?

[Chef Kearns]

Wow!! That's going to be huge and crazy! Make SURE to pack your walking shoes next year!

[pcjenni]

going to be amazing an HUGE! Not to be missed event for sure!

[dannyzmom]

Wow - I am SO excited!! It's going to be so awesome to get to see all my Cheffer friends who are usually not in my wave. :D

[Nanisu]

They'll have to add more hotels for sure, which ones I wonder? Hope for the Palmer Hilton and the Hotel 71!

[cheftiffany]

Ok it sounds amazing. Sorry to be the Debbie Downer though--My hubby will have to take 4 days off of work to watch the kids. That's like 1/3 of our vacation time. Just trying to think it all through. Anyone every bring your family to Chicago and maybe stayed at a different hotel?

[pcjenni]

I think the hotels can accomodate us. I hve noticed at the Hilton that they often have other large groups at the same time as we are there.

I agree Tiffany, that extra day is going to be hard. I am on the west coast so I have to leave on Sunday morning, early like 6-8 am, in order to get in by Sunday evening in Chicago.

[beckyjsmith]

I am really excited about it!! WOOT!

[baychef]

There are up sides as well as down sides to having the one. Like Carolyn, it will be great to see everyone!! The extra day is sort of a drag but "do-able". When I first started in 2000 I think there were 2 waves and as attendance grew the there were 3 and I think one time 4 (maybe?...my memory stinks).

I can see where they can cut down on a lot of expenses by holding just the one. I have two people who are going to join us this year so I am excited that there will be at least 4 of us!!:party:

[DebbieJ]

people are getting laid off at mc cormick place like crazy so i'm sure their traffic is down and they will be able to accomodate us i know several people who {used to} work there.

[bethcooks4u]

There are up sides as well as down sides to having the one. Like Carolyn, it will be great to see everyone!! The extra day is sort of a drag but "do-able". When I first started in 2000 I think there were 2 waves and as attendance grew the there were 3 and I think one time 4 (maybe?...my memory stinks).

I can see where they can cut down on a lot of expenses by holding just the one. I have two people who are going to join us this year so I am excited that there will be at least 4 of us!!:party:

I agree. It will be great to be able to see everyone this time! And I also agree with the statement I bolded. I just wish they would have passed some of that savings onto us by lowering the fee. I know that as conferences go ours is very reasonable but if they're saving money... After all they already cut back on the gifts (specifically director gift and career club gifts in 2009).

[dannyzmom]

The first year I went to NC the Director's Event was held after everyone else went home and it was held at night so Directors had to stay an extra day - and unless sharing a room with other directors, this was an expensive night at the hotel. So, I am thinking this is better as everyone is staying the extra day so everyone will be splitting the hotel expense

[finley1991]

I'm guessing that one of the reasons they didn't lower the registration fee is that it's 4 days now instead of 3. Just a guess...

[Happy Chef]

Very interesting. I wonder if attendence was way down last year. and thats the reason. It also is probably cheaper for PC- they don't have to do all the general sessions 3 times.

[Chef Kearns]

It really looked like attendance was down at NC. I was wave 3 (I think, or 2). They didn't have the upper balcony area open. No one was sitting up there and there were still plenty of seats open at the General Sessions. That was probably enough to scare them into checking the numbers for 1 gi-normous NC.

I'm looking forward to it! I was really bummed that Leadership ended. That was where I saw a lot of my PC friends from all over the place. So this will be nice. I hope it is not a total madhouse though. Maybe they'll still do the General Sessions in shifts?! I don't know!

[DebChefIA]

There are up sides as well as down sides to having the one. Like Carolyn, it will be great to see everyone!! The extra day is sort of a drag but "do-able". When I first started in 2000 I think there were 2 waves and as attendance grew the there were 3 and I think one time 4 (maybe?...my memory stinks).

I can see where they can cut down on a lot of expenses by holding just the one. I have two people who are going to join us this year so I am excited that there will be at least 4 of us!!:party:

It's actually costing HO $2 million MORE to hold just one Conference. They believe in the power of the large group that much.

[Chef Kearns]

Deb, where did you hear that? $2 mil more?! WHAT?

[pamperedbecky]

I'd love to know too. It just doesn't make sense (to me at least, but that's not saying much) that it costs MORE to cut it down from approx 9 total days of consultants being there with shuttle busses and McCormick Place (not to mention the days before, after, and in between where they have to keep everything "up" in McCormick Place) to four days. It's not like they're paying for a portion of the hotel for us because it will require more conference hotels I'd imagine.

I'd love to know the numbers too because I'm curious.

[finley1991]

Maybe the conference center is booked when we would need it? I guess we could speculate on this forever! :p

[pamperedbecky]

That's a good point. I was wondering what they would have done in 2016 if we got the Olympics. But now I guess we don't have to worry about that, do we??:p

[DebChefIA]

I heard the $2m more from my SED. HO shared this info during Exec Seminar. Now whether that info was shared with the whole group or just the NED's and SED's, I'm not sure. But that is where the info came from.

[Admin Greg]

DebPC and I will be hosting a big Chefsuccess party during the conference :)

[Chef Kearns]

Wow!! We'll be able to meet EVERYBODY!! How exciting! Although I can't remember the last time I went on CS for anything more than a flyer. I'd love seeing all of ya'll in July!! WA-HOOO!!

[SusanBP0129]

Woohoo!! I can't wait to see you all! :D