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AIS Convention 2009:
Kansas City, Missouri
(updated March 18 2009)
AIS Convention 2009:
May 11-16 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri
The
Greater Kansas City Iris Society (GKCIS) invites you to explore America's
Heartland the week of May 11th through the 16th, 2009 when we host the
American Iris Society National Convention. The Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park is our convention headquarters.
In addition to the thousands of irises being grown as the main attraction, the Historic Iris Preservation Society has donated over 300 varieties of irises that have been planted at various convention tour gardens. These plantings will be an added delight for all convention attendees as well as providing a visual history lesson in the development of the modern garden iris.
"Three Trails KC" commemorates the pioneering legacy of our area. Lewis and Clark explored the Kansas City area in July 1804 on their travels with the Corps of Discovery paving the way for more pioneers to head west.
The
GKCIS convention committee has incorporated as many suggestions as
possible to improve the garden tour experience of the attendees. We have
put our focus on having the gardens we visit to be within one-hour
travel time of the convention hotel. We also sought out locations that
would accommodate large quantities of iris so we could spend quality
time in the gardens evaluating irises and less time on the bus or
watching a clock. These goals led us to sites where the most people, the
general public or convention attendees, could appreciate the plantings
and the efforts of the hybridizers. We are fortunate to have the support
of three major public display plantings: Powell Gardens, Overland Park
Arboretum and Botanical Garden and Kansas State Research and Extension
Center as sites for the major guest plantings. We will also visit two
private gardens, one in a suburban setting and one rural.
By carefully managing our travel time, we hope to be able to provide our visitors a more relaxed pace to enjoy each iris garden, visit with other attendees and even visit a few points of local and historic interest along the way. You will note the schedule of programs and judges training sessions do not overlap so you can actually attend every program if you so desire. We have worked to provide attendees with an optimum convention experience. Or you can just take time to enjoy the convenience and comfort of your room at the Doubletree Hotel, utilize the amenities and enjoy the woodland hotel setting. You'll have time to socialize with other AIS members in the lounge or restaurant, or blaze a trail to area restaurants and attractions.
We hope your trail leads you to KC and Overland Park for an exceptional, evenly paced "Quality Iris Time in 2009".
If you wish you may visit the organizers website: Kansas City AIS 2009 Convention (please note that this is not part of the AIS website, it is provided by the 2009 convention organizers)
For your convenience and
easy reference, some important information on the 2009 AIS Convention is
organized and provided below:
Convention Hotel Information
Convention Registration/Form
Convention Schedule of Events
Optional Tours
Geek Dinner
Convention Site Weather
Saving on expenses
for the 2009 convention
AIS 2009 Convention May 11-16, Kansas City, Missouri
2009 Convention Chairperson:
Debora Hughes, 3395 Utah Road, Wellsville, KS 66092
phone: (785) 883-4737
e-mail:
dhughes936@earthlink.net
Dr.
Norlan Henderson – A Lifetime of Science
The Greater Kansas City Iris
Society is dedicating the convention to Dr. Norlan Henderson to honor
his contributions to the understanding of iris pigmentation and his
generosity and dedication to education. Dr. Henderson retired as a
professor of botany from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and
has been associated with Powell Gardens since its beginning. He has
tirelessly tended the Award of Merit collection and educated visitors on
iris every spring during the Iris Festival weekends and continues to do
so even in his 92nd year. Norlan has been a member of AIS for over 50
years and is a charter member of the Median Iris Society. He also served
as a judge and RVP for Region 6 before moving to Kansas City in 1964. .
He joined the Greater Kansas City Iris Society shortly after arriving in
Kansas City and served as its president from 1969 to 1970.
The
American Iris Society is filled with people who love irises simply for
the beauty they bring to the garden each spring. And hybridizers who
spend untold hours making crosses, waiting for the seedlings to
germinate and bloom, hoping as each bud unfurls that maybe this bloom
will have the unique feature they have been striving for. We are so
blessed to also have the scientists and educators who have the tenacity
it takes to unlock the secrets of the plants we all love so much. We are
indebted to you Norlan, for your lifetime devoted to the research and
sharing of your knowledge of iris. As the blooms of our convention
irises unfurl, we will consider them our flags of tribute to you.
Photo: This is the iris "Kansas City" introduced 1988 by Norlan Henderson.
Note: There is a detailed article on this dedication on the organizers website.
2009 Convention Hotel:
Doubletree Hotel-Overland Park, 10100 College Boulevard, Overland Park,
KS 66210
phone: (913) 451-6100
Hotel information website:
Doubletree Hotel-Overland Park
The Doubletree Hotel at
Overland Park welcomes attendees of the American Iris Society
Convention. We have provided a special rate during your stay. Go to the
special hotel website link above. All bookings for group attendees may
be made online to receive your special negotiated rate.
Special rate: $109 per night
Book by: April 10th to receive this special rate. Group Code: ASN
Kansas City International
Airport to AIS convention hotel:
Distance from airport to hotel: 34 miles (as measured on MapQuest)
click here for map and driving instructions:
Airport to Doubletree Hotel-Overland Park
Transportation to and from the Airport
Type Typical Minimum Charge
Bus Service Call hotel for information
Limousine 71.00 USD
Super Shuttle 44.00 USD
Rental Car Call hotel for information
Taxi 90.00 USD
Guest Parking: Complimentary on-site self-parking
Convention Registration/Form
Please follow this link for
the viewable/printable
2009
Convention Registration Form (PDF file)
All the convention registration
rates are fully detailed on the form including the advance registration
amounts and deadlines.
Please note that the first registration
deadline is February 15 2009
The second registration deadline is March 15 2009
The third and final registration deadline is April 15 2009
Send this form and your check made
payable to AIS Convention 2009 to the address below.
If you have questions or need to make changes, Andrea can be reached at
(816) 891-9911 or by e-mail at
gkcisconf@sbcglobal.net
AIS Convention 2009 Registrar
Andrea R. Foster
10620 NW 86th Terrace
Kansas City MO 64153-3688
Make checks payable to AIS Convention 2009. Please send the completed registration form to Registrar. When you register, please indicate if you require special transportation or have special diet requirements.
Registrations received after April 15, 2009, will be accepted at the discretion of the registrar. Refunds for cancellations requested on or after April 1, 2009, will be made at the discretion of the Convention Committee.
Convention Schedule of Events
This is available but may be subject to revision by the the organizers:
2009 AIS Convention
Schedule (PDF file) version
March 13 2009
Some optional tours are arranged. Sign-up
section for these is on the convention registration form. Please check the
organization's website for the details.
Follow this link:
Kansas City AIS
2009 Convention
(please note that this is not part of the
AIS website, it is provided by the 2009 convention organizers)
Geek Dinner
and Auction
Going to the AIS Convention? Sign up for the 2009 Geek Dinner!
11th ANNUAL GEEK DINNER
Have you heard the rumors?
The Geek Dinner is the place to be! Don’t know where to eat? Eat with
the geeks and non-geeks that have learned what a fun time everyone has.
You don't have to be a computer Geek to attend. Join a bunch of great
people for dinner. Not only will there be dinner and good conversation
among iris friends but door prizes and an auction will be part of the
entertainment.
After having spent your day getting off the tour bus and rushing around
the garden trying not to miss anything...then back on the bus to the
next garden to repeat the same thing again...what better way to end your
day than a relaxed evening with friends at the Geek Dinner reviewing all
those iris that are now on your "wish list."
First there is meeting with all your friends and then making new ones.
If you happen to be a subscriber to one of the iris lists or electronic
robins, you can meet other members and put faces to all those funny
email names.
Then there is a great meal. This year it will be Spinach salad, rolls
and butter, Chicken Marsala, and Bread Pudding dessert.
Then of course the real fun for the night… The Geek Dinner Auction where
you get to bid on new iris introductions, gift certificates from
commercial iris growers, iris themed items and the “piece de resistance”
a petit-point creation in an iris motif donated by Jill Bonino. The
proceeds from the auction go directly into the American Iris Society
Electronics Services fund that sponsors such things as the digital
projector for slide shows and the online iris databases.
Oh and of course some great door prizes.
Now is the time to make plans for the, 11th annual Geek Dinner being
held right in the convention hotel of the 2009 AIS National Convention.
Meet new friends and catch up with old ones.
The tables always fill up fast and unfortunately pre-registration is
necessary. PLEASE RSVP to Paul Gossett by Friday, May 1, 2008.
COST: $27.00 (not included in convention registration)
DATE: Friday, May 15, 2009
TIME: 6:00 – 9:00 pm (of course you can leave the auction at any time)
LOCATION: Convention Hotel (Room TBD)
MENU: Spinach salad, Rolls and Butter, Chicken Marsala, Bread Pudding
RSVP: Paul Gossett
Email: pwgossett@juno.com
| Phone: (918) 742-1204
Make check payable to: Paul W. Gossett
(Please include your email address on your check so Paul can acknowledge
your reservation)
Mailing address: 129 East 33rd Place, Tulsa, OK 74105
Also, if you have items to donate to the auction, please let John Jones
know at: jijones@usjoneses.com
know as soon as possible so we can prepare the auction.
Weather is always an important consideration
for any event. As a guide, the local
existing weather conditions and a detailed weather forecast the
following few days are provided by following this link:
The Weather Network:
Kansas City
- Missouri
Saving on expenses
for the 2009 convention
Are you trying to figure out your finances so you can attend the AIS
Convention? It’s your dream. Perhaps you have told your family no presents this
year, just money toward the trip to the 2009 AIS iris convention in
Kansas City, Missouri.
Here’s a way to cut expenses: Sign up for a roommate. You can save money
by sharing your hotel room, and have more money for the convention. The
deal is: You make the match-up. I will provide a list of names and you
contact the people on the list, then make your own deal.
For more information, contact me:
Char Holte, 17308 W Observatory Rd., New Berlin WI 53146
e-mail: cholte@wi.rr.com
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