Why Hawaii?

These are serious times.

Perhaps at no time in the 40 year history of NACAS have we faced as many tough decisions as we are in 2009. We want to keep you informed regarding our decisions and as always work with our Board, leaders and members to strengthen the Association’s service to auxiliary/ancillary services.

Recently some of you have asked us “Why are we holding the annual conference in Hawaii?” The Board gave very careful consideration to postponing or cancelling the Hawaii event and determined it was in our best interest to move forward with the event as planned.

The reasons for this decision are complex, but some of the most important included:

We would have incurred over $700,000 in hotel, meeting facilities and food penalties and foregone income had we cancelled;
We further explored trading contracted expenses for a future meeting date; alternate dates did not coincide with time frames during which we traditionally hold the annual conference;
We contemplated increasing membership dues and fees to offset losses. However, as stewards of your funds, we rejected that option.

What You Will Gain in Hawaii

There are many great reasons to continue the conference in Hawaii this November:

During these dire economic times, the need to explore solutions together as colleagues is more important than ever. The NACAS annual conference has always provided the single most significant return on your investment of any professional development activity. We need that education and networking with peers now, more than ever;
We have renewed our effort to provide you with the best presenters and experts available. We have scheduled a certification program for emergency preparedness; speakers from international venues on the worldwide approach to auxiliary services; sustainability programs in the world’s most sustainable state – Hawaii; and cutting edge courses on dealing with the current crisis;
Our Business Partners stand ready to help us work together to face the current challenges. There is no better one-stop-shopping location for knowledge, programs and support than our exhibit hall;
We’ve taken steps to ensure that your expenses for this conference will be LESS than any previous year.

Our Pledge

We pledge to make this the single most valuable resource for you and your institution in our 40 year history.

Let us know what you think! Contact Dr. Bob Hassmiller, CAE, Chief Executive Officer with comments, questions, or ideas about the Hawaii conference.