N E W S L E T T E R - American Society for Horticultural Science

12
Where to stay?
We know that for many attendees fi nding the lowest possible
hotel rate is paramount, and we are aware that often people choose
to stay on the outskirts of town and then drive to the conference each
day. However, before you book your hotel room for the American
Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference,
please consider the following . . . .
Facilities Usage Fee ($250)
The American Society for Horticultural Science
continues to make every effort to keep
costs at a minimum for those attending the
ASHS Annual Conference. One way this is done
is to make a commitment to the host hotel (for
2005, the Riviera Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas,
Nev.) that a specifi ed number of hotel rooms
will be occupied by our conference attendees.
In exchange for the hotel room occupation, the
property provides ASHS with complimentary
meeting space.
Over the last several years, many unsuccessful
attempts have been made to explain this process
to conference delegates. In 2004, ASHS did
not fi ll its committed number of sleeping rooms,
and, as a result, faced hefty penalty fees.
Individuals who choose to stay at the nonhost
hotel receive the benefi ts of the facilities,
but do not contribute to the necessary commitments
that allow the Society to use meeting
space on a complimentary basis.
Therefore, the ASHS Board of Directors
has instituted a “Facilities Usage Fee” for those
who are attending the conference, but have cho-
sen not to stay in the conference hotel. This is
the only way that we can continue to run the
conference without raising registration fees.
The $250 Facilities Usage Fee will apply
only to those who register (including exhibitors,
speakers, students, one-day attendees, etc.) for
Discounted Airfare
the conference (with the exception of guests)
but choose not to stay at the Riviera Hotel and
Casino. Therefore, we encourage all conference
attendees to avoid this Facilities Usage Fee and
stay at the host hotel at a rate of $88/night, plus
tax [please be aware that if you are sharing with
another delegate, the best way to register is to
call 1-(800) 634-6753—both names must appear
on the room reservation by the 18 June
hotel reservation cut-off date, otherwise you
will be assessed this fee and obligated to pay
it in order to pick up your registration credentials].
In addition, please be aware that this fee
is currently below the government per diem for
Las Vegas.
Staying at the host hotel makes it easy to enjoy
the the comaraderie of fellow ASHS members
inside and outside of scheduled activities.
Just imagine—no commuting time to conference
activities; additional networking time with
colleagues; and amenities, such as room service,
safes, exercise facilities, and restaurants/
shops—everything in one convenient location.
It certainly is your choice as to where you
stay during the conference, but please understand
that ASHS does have contractual commitments
that we must honor, and we must do
all we can to assure that there are no negative
financial implications to the Society and the
ASHS Membership.
America West Airlines is offering a discount of up to 10% on airfare, plus other
travel discount options to and from the ASHS-2005 Annual Conference.
There are three options for making your discounted reservations:
1) Online: Use the Convention and Meeting Services (CAMS) Code at
americawest.com in the eCertifi cate area of the Air Reservations page.
CAMS Code = AP6717T (ticket purchased 60 days or more prior to travel)
CAMS Code = AP6717 (ticket purchased less than 60 days prior to travel)
Your discount will be outlined in detail on the Purchase page.
2) Call the America West Group & Specialty Travel Department directly at
800-548-7575 Monday through Friday from 6 am–6 pm.
3) Contact your preferred travel agent and reference your CAMS Code.
Host Hotel for ASHS-2005
Bureau/LVCVA
Riviera Hotel
News
and Casino
Vegas Las
rivierahotel.com Photo:
Riviera Hotel and Casino
Conference Facility
All conference activities will be
held at this full-service hotel.
Rates:
$88 = Single/Double
$175 = Petite Suite
To obtain this rate you must
identify affiliation with the
American Society for Horticultural
Science.
Reservations:
Online: go to ashs.org/
a n n u a l m e e t i n g /
arrangements and follow
instructions.
Phone: (800) 634-6753 or
(702) 734-5110
Fax: (702) 694-9451
To secure a reservation, you
must provide a credit card
number or send a check equal
to one nightʼs deposit, plus
Clark County Room Tax.
The hotel must receive the
check payment within 14 days
of making the reservation or it
will be canceled.
All reservations will be confi
rmed by the hotel directly to
the guest.
ASHS NEWSLETTER, Vol. 21(5), May 2005