Preparing a
Proposal to Host an ADGA Convention
With the new hosting structure for ADGA Conventions, the “Proposal to Host an ADGA Convention” that will be presented to the Board of Directors will be a joing proposal from the prospective local host group and the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee. However, a lot of background work on the part of the prospective host group is necessary before this partnership can be realized.
First, your group needs to decide whether it can, realistically, be a host partner for an ADGA Convention. To make this decision, you should being by contacting the Chair of the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee. He or she will tell you what Convention years are ”open” and in what regions of the country the Conventions will be held before and after the year(s) your group is thinking about. The Chair will also help you understand the requirements for the host facility and special requirements for traditional programs at the Convention. After you have worked through the Convention requirements with the Annual Meeting Committee Chair, you should be better able to assess whether your group can consider becoming a host partner for a Convention.
Proposals may be brought to the Board of Directors up to five years in advance of an ADGA Convention. This means your group can begin working with the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee on the proposal process up to six years ahead of the year your group proposes to host the Convention.
Determining Whether Your Group Should Consider Becoming a Host
Partner for an ADGA Convention
Any group interested in having an ADGA Convention in its area and being a host partner with the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee must have a “Proposal to Host an ADGA Annual Convention” approved by the ADGA Board of Directors. To help you decide whether it is even feasible for your group to consider becoming a host partner for an ADGA Convention, you must begin by assessing your location, potential facilities, and your own host group to make sure that they can meet the requirements for a successful convention.
Before beginning the process of developing a “Proposal to Host” with the Annual Meeting Committee, you should make sure that your group can answer ”Yes” to the following questions. If you have any questions about any of these requirements, you should consult with the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee for clarification.
In some cases, the Annual Meeting Committee Chair may work with the local Visitors Bureau or other tourist or planning group to assess the potential facilities and location. Then, the local group should work with the Annual Meeting Committee Chair and the local or other planning group to do the necessary background work prior to developing the “Proposal to Host.”
Location:
· Is there a major airport located near (within 25-50 miles of) the proposed site?
· Does more than one major airline carrier serve that airport?
· Will the airline carriers serving your location allow goats to be shipped on their planes to your prospective location?
· Are there interstate highways close to your location so those driving will have easy access?
· Is the weather in October usually free of snow and ice?
Potential Convention Facility (Facilities):
· Is there a sufficient number of sleeping rooms available at the potential facility (approximately 230)?
· Is there a sufficient number of meeting rooms available at the potential facility? (See ”Facility Requirements” in this Handbook.)
· Are the sizes and locations of the meeting rooms suitable for the Convention’s needs? (See ”Facility Requirements” in this Handbook.)
· Will the potential facility allow the Spotlight Sale to be held in its ballroom or other appropriate room?
· Will the potential facility allow the Spotlight Sale animals to be housed on its grounds (either in a garage, pavilion, or tent)?
· Will the potential facility allow other activities that involve live goats (Judges Training Conference, A.I. Clinics, Pre-Judges Training Conference, Advanced Judges Seminar or Type Conference, Youth Program, etc.) to be held on its grounds?
· Is there a facility where the second day of the Judges Training Conference can be held? Is this facility within a reasonable driving distance of the main Convention facility?
· Does the potential facility have an area suitable for vendors (preferably located near meeting rooms and with accessible loading and unloading)? (See “Facility Requirements” in this Handbook.)
· Will the potential facility allow outside food (for the Hospitality area and the Wine and Cheese Party) to be brought in?
· Can the potential facility provide refrigerated storage for up to 300 pounds of goat cheese for approximately 3 days?
· Is there suitable parking for both livestock trailers and campers and RV’s either at or near the facility?
Host Group:
· Is there a central group within the prospective host group that can devote time during the next 3-5 years to planning and co-hosting the ADGA Convention?
· Is there a single person to act as Co- Chair (with the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee) of the ADGA Convention for the next 3-5 years?
· Will the host group be able to provide a sufficient number of people to carry out the various functions that are expected of their group during the planning of an ADGA Convention? The Convention Host Committee will be made up of members of both the local host group and the Annual Meeting Committee. These people will be expected to work on the Convention plans during the time after the “Proposal to Host” has been accepted until after the Convention itself.
· Will the host group be able to provide a sufficient number of people to carry out the various functions that are expected of their group during Convention week? (Exact functions will be specified both in the Letter of Agreement and in the Committee assignments tha the Convention Co-Chairs develop
· Will the host group be able to provide the required number and selection of goats required by the Judges Training Conference? (See ”Specific Requirements for the Judges Training Conference” in this Handbook.)
· Will the host group be able to provide the required number of handlers for the Judges Training Conference? (See ”Specific Requirements for the Judges Training Conference” in this Handbook.)
In addition, the potential facility should be able to provide the large number of tables, chairs, audiovisual equipment, and also office space needed during Convention week. Having to rent these items will add considerable expense to the Convention budget and registration fees.
Preparing the “Proposal to Host the ADGA
Convention”
The prospective host group and Annual Meeting Committee are required to fill out the form ”Proposal to Host An ADGA Convention.” This “Proposal” and supporting materials will be presented to the ADGA Board of Directors by the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee (or his/her designee). In order to complete the “Proposal,” the prospective host group and the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee must have selected a facility and have approval from the required ADGA Committee Chairs (Spotlight Sale and Judges Training) for these activities that are a part of the Convention. The local group plus the local Visitors Bureau or other tourist group may give a short presentation to the Board in support of its “Proposal.”
Selecting the Host Facility
Before the “Proposal” can be prepared, the local group and the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee must select a host facility. To get an idea of what kinds of facilities are available, members of the local host group and’/or the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee should visit with local Chambers of Commerce and/or state or local Tourist Bureaus. They should be able to guide you to facilities likely to meet the needs of the Convention as well as give you lots of promotional materials about the area. They may send out requests for proposals to those facilities that meet Convention requirements.
A representative or two of the prospective local host group may begin by visiting all potential facilities. They should make an appointment to meet with the Director of Sales and the Director of Food or Catering at a potential facility, and use the questions above as a guide to the discussions. Use these questions to eliminate facilities that are not appropriate.
You must be sure that the facility will be able to accommodate our Convention during the entire week in October ADGA will be there. Participants (especially vendors) will begin arriving the Saturday before the Convention begins, and many may want to stay until the following Sunday of Convention week. The prospective facility must be able to meet these room needs.
Remember that virtually everything is negotiable. Sites usually offer reduced rates or even free rooms when a certain number of sleeping rooms are reserved. Meeting rooms are often free if the group guarantees a specified rate of room occupancy. When calculating the cost for rooms, be sure to add any required taxes.
Look at the food menu and discuss the various food options and prices. When calculating the cost of food, be sure to include the required taxes and gratuities. When discussing the Wine and Cheese Party, ask whether the Products Committee may bring in its own wine and pay a corkage fee rather than buy all wine from the facility. (Having to buy the wine at the facility will add considerably to the expenses.)
Discuss candidly the Spotlight Sale and the housing requirements for the Sale animals. If you can, bring a videotape of a previous Sale to show the facility managers exactly what our needs are.
At the end of your meeting, ask the Director of Sales and the Director of Food or Catering to prepare a proposal from the prospective host facility. Be sure to tell the facility management that you will be considering proposals from a number of other facilities so their proposal will have to be competitive. Go over the important points you want included to make sure everyone understands what the facility has offered and what the host group requires.
You should explain to the Director of Sales that ADGA cannot sign a contract until its proposal has been accepted by the ADGA Board of Directors. Most facilities will hold the dates until after the Board meeting. If your Proposal is denied by the Board, you should notify the facility immediately so the prospective dates can be freed for another group.
In some cities, the local Convention and Visitors Bureau will take the lead in developing competitive host facility proposals. Members of the local group and/or the Annual Meeting Committee Chair would then meet with a representative from the Bureau who would develop a profile of our Convention needs and send it out to likely host facilities for proposals. If the local Convention and Visitors Bureau is willing to undertake this part of the selection process, it will save the local group and/or Annual Meeting Committee a lot of time and will weed out facilities that do not meet our needs.
Once the local group has narrowed down the prospective host facility choices, copies of the hotel proposals should be copied and sent to the Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee, who will work with the local group to make a final decision on a host facility. The Annual Meeting Committee Chair may make an onsite visit to ensure that the facility selection is appropriate to our Convention needs.
If a deposit if needed to hold the prospective dates (usually not needed until after the “Proposal to Host” has been accepted, there are two options. The local group may pay the deposit (with the approval of the Annual Meeting Committee Chair) from its funds and apply to the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee for reimbursement, or it may ask the Committee to pay the deposit directly.
Other Requirements: Spotlight Sale
As part of the “Proposal” you will need the approval of the Chair of the ADGA Spotlight Sale Committee and the host facility. In many locations, you will also need permits for animals to be housed onsite from local and/or state government agencies. A copy of the approval letters must be included with the “Proposal.”
Other Requirements: Judges Training Conference and Pre-Judges Training
For both of these activities, classes of goats are required. As part of the “Proposal” the local host group is required to state how it will meet the animal and location requirements specified in ”Specific Requirements for the Judges Training Conference.”
Other Required Information
As part of the “Proposal to Host” you will be asked to list the name of the prospective host group person who will serve as Convention Co-Chair, the number of likely host group members who will serve actively as members of the Convention Host Committee and their experience organizing previous ADGA Conventions or other ADGA or related functions. You will need to describe the host facility’s amenities and those of the surrounding area. You will need to describe the host facility amenities and those of the surrounding area. You must include detailed plans for transporting both people and goats between the airport and the host facility and an outline of the types of activities and program you envision for your Convention, specifying from where (local college, university, veterinary school, etc.) you will draw speakers and how they will be paid for.
In addition, you must include a signed Letter of Agreement between the prospective host group and the Annual Meeting Committee. This Letter of Agreement will detail the financial and group responsibilities and obligations for both the local group and the Annual meeting Committee. Without this signed Letter, no “Proposal” can be submitted to the Board.
Since
the Convention will be a partnership between the local group and the Annual
Meeting Committee, before it is presented to the Board, the Annual Meeting
Committee Chair will ensure that the “Proposal” is complete and any problems
and deficiencies have been worked out before the proposal is sent to the Board.
Once the Chair is satisfied that the proposal is complete and has the best
possible chance of succeeding, he/she will present the “Proposal” to the Board.
The best proposals will include supporting
materials, especially those that highlight special aspects of the location,
program, local attractions, and financial support. In some cases, a Convention
and Visitors Bureau member may visit with the Board to tout their location and
the advantages of their venue.
In
most cases, after the presentation of the “Proposal to Host,” the board will
discuss the “Proposal” and then vote on whether to accept it. If the Board
declines the “Proposal” because of some deficiency that can be overcome the
local group may (with the Annual Meeting Committee Chair) rework the “Proposal”
and resubmit it. The Chair of the annual Meeting Committee will help your group
decide whether a resubmission is advisable.
Presenting Your “Proposal to Host an ADGA
Convention” to the Board of Directors
Before your proposal can go to the ADGA Board for approval, it must first go to the Chair of the ADGA Annual Meeting Committee. To insure that your proposal is complete, you should work with the Chair as you develop it. In this way any problems and deficiencies can be worked out before the proposal is sent to the Board. Once the Chair is satisfied that the proposal is complete and has the best possible chance of succeeding, he/she will present the proposal to the Board.
The best proposals will include supporting materials, especially those that highlight special aspects of the location, program, local attractions, and financial support. In some cases, a Chamber of Commerce member has visited with the Board to tout their location and the advantages of their venue.
In most cases, after your presentation, the Board will discuss your proposal and then vote on whether to accept it. If the Board declines your proposal because of some deficiency that the host group can overcome, you have the option of reworking your proposal and resubmitting it. The Chair of the Annual Meeting Committee will work with you to help your group decide whether a re-submission is advisable.