Convention Reports 2005

We present below the reports of Linda Lockwood, AVSC's 2005 Show Chairman, and "Violet", the Convention Mascot on their impressions of the 2005 Convention and being hosts to AVSC members from across Canada and beyond. They should give you some idea of the fun, hard work and cooperation that is involved in staging our Conventions and the plant shows that go with them. These reports appeared earlier in the Edmonton AVGS Newsletter and AVSC's Chatter magazine.

For the information of the public, our AVSC Convention is an annual event and our local affiliate societies take turns being the host society. In 2005, Edmonton AVGS was the host.

AVSC Convention 2005:
Show Chairman’s Report

Well, the show is over and I can almost climb stairs unassisted and I am no longer afraid to take off my shoes in case I can not get them on again. For the most part I think we did a pretty good job for our first National Convention!!!

The visitors were pleased with the location and facilities at the hotel. The range of plant material and designs for exhibit were exceptional. The sales room looked pretty full and colourful at the beginning of the Convention.

I would again like to thank the many volunteers who helped out before, during and after the Convention. Many of you helped with goody bag collection and preparation (all delegates were thrilled with what they received). Thanks to Joanna for managing the hospitality room and to everyone who brought supplies and food. We tried to schedule times to make it easy for delegates to visit hospitality and they were pleased by our efforts. When the need arose, members became tour guides or chauffeurs for Jubilations.

Many of you responded with our requests for donations and went out and canvassed local business (big and small were all very much appreciated). You donated items for the silent auction and then bid on them, giving us one of our most successful fundraisers ever. Thanks to those who secured equipment for use during entries and presentations - the LCD projector, computer and the printer. Thanks for donations of display material. And a big thanks for hours of work at the registration and plant sales tables, placing exhibits, acting as security in the Show room and for hanging out in the hospitality room making our guests feel welcome.

We would not have been able to pull off such an event without the co-operative effort of the club, and I must not forget all the help from the Calgary folks.

We learned a few lessons that we will be able to share with the 2006 Convention Committee in Ottawa. We also earned the top show award from the AVSA. If we look at the show critique and make some changes to our operations we should be able to put in a bid for a future National AVSC Convention.

Thank you all again and Congratulations on a Convention well done.

Linda Lockwood

Violet’s Convention & Show Report

I am quite pleased to provide a report on the EAVS hosted African Violet Society of Canada National Convention and Show. Five years of thought, planning and hard work...and poof, it’s over. But it was a really terrific Show and a wonderful Convention...I know that my memories will last forever.

The Convention unofficially started on the morning of Wednesday May 18 when a group of delegates headed out to Devon to visit Leduc #1, the site where oil was first discovered in Alberta. A tour of the Devonian Botanic Gardens followed, not too many flowers were out but everyone enjoyed themselves just the same. In the evening, a group of 26 headed to Jubilations Dinner Theatre to enjoy a wonderful dinner and a hilarious presentation of ‘Batman’. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, tables were looking very classic with our new black class dividers and 102 new class cards. Also in the show room, the large backdrop designed by Fran Graham was set in place behind the future Court of Honour.

Convention delegates continued to arrive on Thursday as Carlos Beca and his team processed 402 entries using the computerized entries program for the first time. Placement volunteers did an excellent job of handling the exhibits and getting them to their correct locations without any spills. I have to admit I was amazed by Doris Tannahill who just kept going back and forth like the Energizer Bunny with her trolley of changing exhibits. Although the day was long, it was worth the wait to see Bill Price walk in with his amazing gesneriads after their long trip from Vancouver by car. By then, delegates who went on tour to the Alberta Reynolds Museum were back and everyone was heading to the President’s Reception and the first of many fine meals at our Convention hotel.

Friday morning was crunch time as judges took their first look in the show room. Although we had a large number of judging teams, decisions did not come quickly and the Judges Luncheon started with many of the judges still in the show room. After Councillor Michael Phair officially opened the Show at 1:00 pm, a long line of excited plant lovers raced into the show and sales rooms. First impressions were stunning and everyone was pleased. I was particularly mesmerized by the beautiful collection of Petrocosmeas, a genus which only a short time ago was basically unknown to us. The Best in Show was an outstanding specimen of the species Saintpaulia velutina. This selection must have been one of many difficult tasks for the judges as there were many excellent exhibits.

Violet
 

There is so much to see at a convention show. Members attending as delegates mingle with members of the public here in the showroom at the Edmonton convention. Please visit our Photo Gallery to see just some of the  winning plants up close.

Another aisle with more to see in the Edmonton show-room.

And here are some members of the hosting team from our Edmonton affiliate society. They seem to be having a meeting in front of the Court of Honour.