AVSA-AVSC Joint Convention 2012

AVSC MinilogoPlease note: The 2012 Joint Convention of the African Violet Society of America, Inc. and the African Violet Society of Canada is now over. We will have a report on the Convention with photographs as soon as it is available.

AVSC attempts to have a national convention and show every year. Each convention is hosted by a local affiliate society of AVSC. Occasionally we have to skip a year and 2012 was to have been one of those years. Then we heard from the African Violet Society of America, Inc. who were planning to have their national convention in Detroit, Michigan (right on the border with Canada) in 2012. Would we like to join them in having a joint convention, they asked. Naturally we were very pleased with their invitation and so will be having that joint convention in June of this year, June 3 -10, 2012.

Attendance at the Convention is open to all members of the African Violet Society of America, Inc. and the African Violet Society of Canada. We are hoping to have a good turnout from Canada as the Convention city is very convenient to many of us. To see full Convention information including show schedule, events schedule, tours, meals, etc. please go to the website of AVSA at www.avsa.org or go directly to the Convention pages by clicking on the Convention logo below:

AVSA-AVSC Convention Logo

Please read also this invitation from our hosts which follows:

An Invitation to the AVSA/AVSC 2012
Joint National Convention
“Violets Bridge Borders”

The Michigan State African Violet Society and the African Violet Society of Canada are pleased to invite you to attend the joint convention of the the African Violet Society of America, Inc. and the African Violet Society of Canada in Detroit, Michigan from June 3rd - 10th, 2012. Detroit is a fitting location for this joint event. Detroit and Windsor, Ontario share the Detroit River and have the Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge connecting the two cities. The last AVSA convention in Detroit was in 1959. A lot of water has flowed down the river and under the bridge since then! Detroit now boasts everything from distinctive cultural institutions, casino hotels, and a transformed riverfront, to championship sports, exciting nightlife and delectable dining options. “The D” is a lively area with much to see and do.

The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, our convention hotel, is ideally located in the downtown business district on the RiverWalk, next door to Hart Plaza, and directly across the Detroit River from Windsor. It is contained within the General Motors Renaissance Center. The complex is so large that you never have to leave the “Ren Cen” to have convenient access to shopping, restaurants and entertainment. If you can find a minute away from the show and sale to venture out, the Detroit “People Mover”, an elevated monorail, enables guests to visit top attractions that surround the hotel. Floor-to-ceiling windows and dramatic views highlight the hotel rooms. The hotel occupies the tallest tower of the complex and soars 73 floors above the Detroit River. The Coach Insignia, one of the nicest steak and seafood restaurants in the city, occupies the 71st and 72nd floors, offering both incredible food and a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view of Detroit, Windsor and the Detroit River.

Downtown is alive with renowned museums and theaters, casino hotels and an active riverfront. We’ve heard concerns about security... and there are areas of Detroit that would not be safe places to wander. However, the convention hotel is located in the heart of the business district and is surrounded by popular venues (the Tiger’s Coarnenca Park, Greektown, and Hart Plaza to name a few) which bring many folks downtown. It is a safe and exciting location to hold our convention. Obviously it would not have been selected otherwise! So please plan to join us to help rival the 1959 convention, which the AVM magazine at the time described as “one of the largest attended in all time”. Cavalier (hybridized by Eyerdom and registered in 1953) won the Silver Cup award that year. Perhaps that plant on your shelf will be the BIS winner at our joint AVSA and AVSC convention in 2012!