For those of you who have attended an International Convention, these hints may be old hand, but for the first or second time attendee, I hope these will help you get the most out of the convention.
The very first thing you need to do is REGISTER and do that today!!!!!! CLICK HERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION I am not sure what the break is financially, but do know that it is less expensive today than it will be in a few weeks/months. If you have attended a convention previously, then most of your information will still be in the system, and if you have a ClubRunner account and you have set up your personal account with Rotary International, then all your information will be in the system.
Once you have registered, then comes the challenge of finding someplace to stay. On the same page where you clicked to register there is a link for hotels that Rotary has blocked off for the convention. I must admit that I just secured our rooms yesterday and am glad I didn’t wait much longer because the majority of the hotels are already sold out. But there are still some that are available.
Here is your first “HINT” you can probably find a hotel that is not on the RI list that has rooms available, but make sure you check to see where it is in reference to the Convention Center. All hotels on the RI site will have transportation to and from the convention center on a regular basis. Those that are not on the RI site most likely will not have scheduled transportation to the convention site.
So now you have registered and have a place to stay, what do you do next? There are two different activity groups. The first is Rotary International Activities, normally consisting of luncheons with various speakers, these will be found under RI events (as of today, July 7, 2019, those are not yet posted) and then there are the HOC, Host Organizing Committee, events. These will be found under the HOC events.
“HINT 2” I encourage you to check these out immediately and purchase your tickets early because they tend to sell out quickly. You will see several events listed, but the one, in my opinion, that you simply do not want to miss is the “Home Hosting” or as they call it “Host Hospitality”. This takes place the evening of June 8, 2020 and you do not want to miss out, so sign up as soon as possible. “What is Host Hospitality” you may be asking. This is where a club or several local clubs plan an event and you are their invited guest. We have done Home Hosting 6 or 7 times and it is one of the highlights of the convention, so don’t miss out by waiting too late to sign up.
"HINT 3”, you will find out that you will want to visit the House of Friendship many MANY times, so plan for that. I think the HOF is the heart beat of the convention. Here you will be able to learn about so many projects that clubs and districts across the Rotary world are doing and are seeking other clubs and districts to help. A very eye opening experience. Also in the HOF are close to a hundred vendors selling everything from foot massagers to find jewelry as well as anything you may need for Rotary. Usually all the big Rotary vendors are there and you can find lots of things for your club as well as for yourself!!!!!
"HINT 4”, try not to miss any Plenary sessions. They are always exciting and are filled with wonderful information that you can take back to your club.
I hope this hasn’t confused you too much. The main thing is not to wait to register, do it today. I promise if you have never been to a convention, you will NOT be disappointed IF you do your homework ahead of time.
PDG John Henson
RI 2020 Convention Promotion Chair
RI 2020 Convention Promotion Chair
