C O N F I D E N T I A L Fellow Directors: I am sending you a copy of a motion I plan to introduce at the July Board meeting. I am pleased that Coy has agreed to second the motion. I have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with nearly each of you and will continue to attempt to reach the others. In the meantime, I will appreciate any questions and input you may have. I have briefly discussed the costs related to ARRL exhibits/sales booths at the Hamvention and also these booths with the Hamvention being the National Convention. As I understand from Dave, any truly additional net costs we can expect should be minor. My sense is that provided we begin planning promptly, we should be able to achieve greater income to more than offset any added expenses through marketing strategies focused on Convention/Hamvention attendees. Finally, I have been discussing the Hamvention's request to be the ARRL National Convention with Hamvention General Chairman Gary Des Combes. Although nothing has been formalized toward this, Gary has stated he is eager to cooperate fully with us in making a combined event especially successful for each organization. May I please have your thoughts on this subject? I look forward to seeing you in July. 73, Tnx, Jim W. --------------------------______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ _________ Moved: Weaver 2nd: Day MOVED, that the 2005 Dayton Hamvention is designated ARRL National Convention 2005. The Hamvention will be held May 20, 21 & 22, 2005 at the HARA Arena, in Metropolitan Dayton, Ohio, ACTION: Upon adoption of this motion, CEO Sumner is instructed to take actions as are appropriate through Staff to implement the Convention and President Haynie is instructed to designate such persons as may be appropriate to work with the Hamvention Committee to coordinate developing the program and other ARRL aspects of the combined event. Staff is especially instructed to explore and develop means to leverage the Hamvention-Convention to take advantage of an expected heightened presence of ARRL to enhance sales of membership and publications. RATIONALE: Designating the 2005 Hamvention as an ARRL National Convention is particularly relevant because of the major success of the 2004 Hamvention, the open support of the Hamvention Committee for ARRL and the fact that 2005 is the 75th Anniversary Dayton Amateur Radio Association which sponsors the Hamvention. The Hamvention draws a very large attendance each year and seems to have been placed back on track as an event that satisfies attendees and vendors, alike. Because of the apparent 20,000-plus attendance at the Hamvention each year, sales of ARRL publications and memberships serve as a significant source of new and returned members, and income to the League. ECONOMIC IMPACT: Increased costs to the annual budget by having the Hamvention as our National Convention are expected to be minimal. Costs incurred to Division budgets through travel expenses are to be drawn from the Division budgets which are set on an annual basis. Costs associated with ARRL exhibits and supplies of materials for a combined Hamvention/Convention will at most be marginally greater than for the Hamvention, only. For example, any up-grade to the ARRL Organization booth (vs. our publications sales booth) may just as likely be done whether the Hamvention is or is not our National Convention. Through added emphasis of ARRL, it is anticipated there will be a modest increase in memberships sold as well as book sales from the juxtaposition of the Hamvention and the Convention. The advantage possible through leveraging the ARRL National Convention with Hamvention remains to be demonstrated, but should be significant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------- Jim Weaver, K8JE Director, Great Lakes Division ARRL 5065 Bethany Rd., Mason, OH 45040 Tel.: 513-459-0142; E-mail: <mailto:k8je@arrl.org> k8je@arrl.org ARRL: The reason Amateur Radio Is! AMATEUR RADIO: The only fail-safe communication system in the world.