I posted a reply to a question on Woodcentral this morning, and thought I should copy the bulk of the information here as well, regarding the forthcoming AAW Symposium in Phoenix this coming June 12th through June 15th.
One of the most significant changes is that the Educational Opportunity Grant Auction will take place on Friday evening (June 13th) as a separate event (i.e. no longer following the banquet). It will be a "live", called auction and will include an on-line auction opportunity, where about 65 previously-juried pieces will be auctioned. Photographs of the pieces will be available on-line prior to the symposium, and the real-time auction on Friday evening will take place as we have done in past years, but with the added on-line bidding now a possibility. I believe people will be able to participate in the auction as bidders (or spectators) from anywhere in the world - details will appear on the AAW web site as the symposium date approaches. If you can't attend the symposium, at least you can "virtually" attend the auction!
Because the live auction will move from after the banquet to Friday evening, the banquet on Saturday evening will provide an opportunity for members to attend the awards presentations following a buffet dinner. Meal cost for the banquet has been reduced from previous years - this is a chance for more symposium participants to enjoy the evening together.
The concurrent Special Interest Night activities are being scheduled for a block of time on Thursday (June 12th) evening instead of Friday evening as in past years. We are currently determining which groups would like to schedule their SIN activity; those meeting topics will be announced when the preliminary schedule becomes available in the near future. Expect a shorter symposium opening session on Friday morning, gallery openings and SIN sessions on Thursday evening; full, day-long demo/vendor/IG and panel sessions on both Friday and Saturday, and demonstrations and other activities on Sunday morning until early afternoon. There's good food and good beer/wine locally (within walking distance), and lots to do in the Phoenix area before and after the symposium.
We are also trying to schedule additional time for the Trade Show "open" times for symposium participants to have more access to the vendors, as well as to the Instant Gallery. Most of the concurrent demonstration rotations will take place in the same wing and on the same floor of the Convention Center, making moving between sessions very simple and easy. The Trade Show and Instant Gallery are located beneath the area where the demonstration rotations will take place. Nearby escalators and elevators will make movement between the demonstration rooms and Trade Show/IG very easy. The area for the Trade Show and Instant Gallery is HUGE, and will accommodate many attendees to visit with the vendors, catch some lunch, and marvel over the pieces in the Instant Gallery. A parallel silent auction to the EOG auction will also be held for other members' pieces submitted for sale through the silent auction activity.
The host hotels are located within a 5 to 10 minute easy walk to the Phoenix Convention Center (at the January Board meeting in Phoenix, it took me about 3.5 minutes to walk from the front door of the hotel to the entrance door of the Convention Center). The walk is very direct and very easy with few "turns". If you are flying-in, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is a short shuttle ride from the hotels/convention center area and is very convenient from the traveling standpoint. There will be at least two parking lots available close to the Convention Center for vendors and daytime visitors.
Plan on having a great time at the Phoenix symposium! Enjoy meeting the demonstrators, both in the rotation rooms as well as on the Trade Show floor. Be sure you visit the vendors to see and touch the latest and greatest turning tools and supplies so you can buy them and bring them back home with you! There will be an on-site UPS booth at the Trade Show to assist you in shipping your goodies home for those things that won't fit in your luggage.
There is still a lot of final arrangement planning taking place over the next few weeks, but AAW staff, board members, AAW advisers, and many local volunteers are working very hard to make sure the 2014 Symposium will be an excellent, "total woodturning immersion" experience!!
Keep an eye on the following link for registration, activity schedules, demonstrator and vendor lists, along with other news and Symposium updates:
http://woodturner.org/sym/sym2014/index.htm
I hope to see many Forum friends in Phoenix in mid-June!!
Rob Wallace
One of the most significant changes is that the Educational Opportunity Grant Auction will take place on Friday evening (June 13th) as a separate event (i.e. no longer following the banquet). It will be a "live", called auction and will include an on-line auction opportunity, where about 65 previously-juried pieces will be auctioned. Photographs of the pieces will be available on-line prior to the symposium, and the real-time auction on Friday evening will take place as we have done in past years, but with the added on-line bidding now a possibility. I believe people will be able to participate in the auction as bidders (or spectators) from anywhere in the world - details will appear on the AAW web site as the symposium date approaches. If you can't attend the symposium, at least you can "virtually" attend the auction!
Because the live auction will move from after the banquet to Friday evening, the banquet on Saturday evening will provide an opportunity for members to attend the awards presentations following a buffet dinner. Meal cost for the banquet has been reduced from previous years - this is a chance for more symposium participants to enjoy the evening together.
The concurrent Special Interest Night activities are being scheduled for a block of time on Thursday (June 12th) evening instead of Friday evening as in past years. We are currently determining which groups would like to schedule their SIN activity; those meeting topics will be announced when the preliminary schedule becomes available in the near future. Expect a shorter symposium opening session on Friday morning, gallery openings and SIN sessions on Thursday evening; full, day-long demo/vendor/IG and panel sessions on both Friday and Saturday, and demonstrations and other activities on Sunday morning until early afternoon. There's good food and good beer/wine locally (within walking distance), and lots to do in the Phoenix area before and after the symposium.
We are also trying to schedule additional time for the Trade Show "open" times for symposium participants to have more access to the vendors, as well as to the Instant Gallery. Most of the concurrent demonstration rotations will take place in the same wing and on the same floor of the Convention Center, making moving between sessions very simple and easy. The Trade Show and Instant Gallery are located beneath the area where the demonstration rotations will take place. Nearby escalators and elevators will make movement between the demonstration rooms and Trade Show/IG very easy. The area for the Trade Show and Instant Gallery is HUGE, and will accommodate many attendees to visit with the vendors, catch some lunch, and marvel over the pieces in the Instant Gallery. A parallel silent auction to the EOG auction will also be held for other members' pieces submitted for sale through the silent auction activity.
The host hotels are located within a 5 to 10 minute easy walk to the Phoenix Convention Center (at the January Board meeting in Phoenix, it took me about 3.5 minutes to walk from the front door of the hotel to the entrance door of the Convention Center). The walk is very direct and very easy with few "turns". If you are flying-in, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is a short shuttle ride from the hotels/convention center area and is very convenient from the traveling standpoint. There will be at least two parking lots available close to the Convention Center for vendors and daytime visitors.
Plan on having a great time at the Phoenix symposium! Enjoy meeting the demonstrators, both in the rotation rooms as well as on the Trade Show floor. Be sure you visit the vendors to see and touch the latest and greatest turning tools and supplies so you can buy them and bring them back home with you! There will be an on-site UPS booth at the Trade Show to assist you in shipping your goodies home for those things that won't fit in your luggage.
There is still a lot of final arrangement planning taking place over the next few weeks, but AAW staff, board members, AAW advisers, and many local volunteers are working very hard to make sure the 2014 Symposium will be an excellent, "total woodturning immersion" experience!!
Keep an eye on the following link for registration, activity schedules, demonstrator and vendor lists, along with other news and Symposium updates:
http://woodturner.org/sym/sym2014/index.htm
I hope to see many Forum friends in Phoenix in mid-June!!
Rob Wallace
