Florida Native Plant Society
Board of Directors Meeting
July 17, 2014
Teleconference
Tallahassee 2015 Conference Committee Report
The 2015 Conference Committee is planning on hosting the state conference from Thursday, May 28 thru Sunday, May 31. This is the weekend after Memorial Day. The theme is “Born to Burn – Conservation, Restoration, and Preservation on Public and Private Land”. Instead of the usual format of two days of field trips and two days of programs, we propose changing the focus to three days of field trips and one day of programs with business meetings continuing to being held on Friday. Registration will begin during the evening of Wednesday at the Doubletree hotel located in downtown Tallahassee (same hotel as 2010 conference). A combination of full and half day field trips will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Business meetings will be held on Friday and science programs will be held on both Friday and Saturday. A full day of programs will be held on Saturday utilizing the IMAX and Digital Dome theatres within the Challenger Learning Center plus conference rooms in the Tallahassee Community College Capital Center which is also located within the Kleman Plaza and is within 5 minutes walking time from the Doubletree hotel. The exhibitors and plant sale vendors will be set up on Friday and Saturday along the Park Street directly across from the Doubletree hotel within the regularly scheduled Saturday Downtown Market which will charge $30/day/vendor to register, setup and take down the tents, and they will provide free advertising during the two weeks leading up to the event which will increase our exposure to the general public. The book vendors will be set up within the hotel. The hotel will charge $90/night for king or two queen plus refrigerator with no additional charge for parking, Wi-Fi or meeting rooms. For the evening venues, we are considering the top floor of the Capitol, Wakulla Springs, and Tall Timbers. We have applied for a $4,499 grant through the Leon County Tourist Development Council (TDC). We are also exploring a possible transportation grant through the same group and requesting additional assistance from Wakulla County. We are now requesting and awaiting approval of this plan so we can proceed further.
Respectfully submitted,
Helen Roth
2015 Conference Committee Co-Chair