Hi, all. I wonder how the scheduling came about that both conferences would
select the same city, same dates? From what I understood at the LLLI conference
last week (it was WONDERFUL!) they were able to get the hotel at 1995 rates
because no other group was willing to schedule a conference around the 4th of
July!! Has ILCA ever been that early in July?

Perhaps given that neither group is likely to budge on this one (partially due
to deals made already), the two groups could look for ways to mutually
accommodate each other to maximize  attendance and/or minimize fees. Some ideas
come to mind:

1. How about a joint reception of some kind at one hotel or the other (anybody
know how close the hotels are to each other?) that would require either name
badge for admission?

2. How about if some of the big name speakers are asked to speak at one
conference and then repeat the session at the other, thereby saving travel
expenses and perhaps even some of the speaking fees? That way the two conference
committees would not end up going head to head to line up folks that both groups
might like to have come.

3. How about some kind of special registration fee for attending select sessions
from the other conference? So that way, if I signed up for the LLLI conference,
for example, I could attend some ILCA sessions for less than if I only
registered for a partial time at ILCA or vice versa.

As for the good publicity for both being held simultaneously, would this not beg
the question why are two groups working for much the same goals be held so that
folks were forced to decide between the two? Seems like better publicity might
have been the result of back to back conferences....

Then there are the moms back home who try to call someone for help: all the LCs
are out of town at ILCA, and all the LLL Leaders are out of town for LLLI. Sure
hope the hotels have 800 numbers for hotlines!!!!!!!

Melissa Vickers, IBCLC (and LLL Leader who hopes to have either money or funding
so as to be put in the position of "having" to decide which conference to go
to!)
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