2012 ACE Conference to Offer Special Sessions

For Retirees & Life Members

The date for the 2012 ACE Annual Conference is rapidly approaching. This year's conference will be held June 11 to 14 in Annapolis, Maryland. The conference venue is Loew's Annapolis Hotel, within walking distance of the Annapolis waterfront and a number of other local attractions.

As always, the ACE conference brings together communicators, educators, and information technologists from around the country and a few from around the world. This year, we've included some special items on the program specifically for retirees and life members.

Since we are approaching the 100-year celebration of ACE, there will be a dedicated space at the conference to record members' thoughts about ACE. We hope you will stop by and reflect on your ACE experiences.

On Tuesday, June 12, we'll share the results of the ACE retiree survey at 4:30 p.m. If you haven't already filled out the survey, be sure to do so by May 16. Just click on this link -- http://bit.ly/ILyzRi -- or paste it into the address space on your web browser.

Following the survey presentation, there will be a "meet-and-greet" time for retirees and life members. There is no scheduled conference dinner that evening, so any who want to continue their conversations over dinner at a local restaurant can do so.

On Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., ACE President Elaine Edwards will answer members' questions about changes to the ACE constitution and the new structure of ACE. Also, that evening, there will be a Crabfeast Buffet at Kentmorr Restaurant, which features waterfront dining on scenic Kent Island.

On Thursday, the final day of the conference, there will be a special ACE tour of Fort McHenry in Baltimore,  best known for its role in the morning attack by the British Navy during the War of 1812. The event inspired Francis Scott Key, who witnessed the attack, to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," a poem that eventually became the national anthem of the United States.

Retiree registration this year is $345 ($100 less than for regular ACE members) through June 1. After June 1, the retiree registration fee will be $370. You can also register for single days.

The conference website at http://www.aceweb.org/conference.html includes all the info you'll need to register and learn more about the sessions. We're looking forward to seeing you in Annapolis.

Marci Hilt
Retiree Director-Elect

May 10, 2012