Yes, it is over the July 4th holiday, and the LLLI conf is the same time, same
city, Washington, D.C.  People questioned this at the annual mtg, and the
logistics of this year's close scheduling.  It required people who didn't want
to be away from family for almost 2 weeks straight to choose one conf, or one,
plus selected days of the other, with the added costs involved.
The reply was that ILCA has always held its conf the 1st or 2nd week of July
since the beginning (tradition), and having two major confs together would be a
good publicity event for both.  They offered no hope of change.  I guess
contracts are signed and committments made.
Unfortunately, I see lower attendance at both, or some people paying extra fees
at both as they shuttle back and forth between the two events.
Aren't we the experts in breaking traditions that no longer work?  :-)
Phyllis Adamson, IBCLC
Phoenix, AZ