To kick off the conference blog, I will be tackling questions and clarifications about housing opportunities for our 2012 conference, as the situation is quite a bit different from past conferences. We think for the better, but let me explain and you can be the judge.
When considering Alaska for a conference location, the prospect was exciting, but also worrisome. With a tourism slogan like “The Last Frontier,” we could hardly pick a more interesting, sell-able place for outdoor communicators, but the experience doesn’t come cheap unfortunately and we were aware that because it was Alaska, not everyone would want or be able to attend. After finding a place like Chena Hot Springs Resort and a CVB like the one in Fairbanks; however, we knew that we could have a conference that many could not afford to miss. And with a smaller host site, we could easily accommodate the smaller audience we anticipated. We were in for a bit of a shock then when the topic of the Alaska conference came up prior to the membership meeting at the Salt Lake City conference and over half the room raised their hands to say they would be willing to put a deposit that day to save a spot for Alaska. We faced the complete opposite possibility than we anticipated: that because it was Alaska, everyone would want to come! Oh and their spouses and families wanted to come as well!
Luckily Robin and Kevin had come up with creative solutions for this possibility when the idea was conceived 2 years ago and we quickly switched our focus to accommodating as many people as possible.
First step – OWAA headquarters will be coordinating all housing directly. This will allow me to talk to each registrant personally and find the best housing solution possible. I will be calling each registrant to coordinate their housing arrangements after their registration is received. If you have registered already and not heard from me yet, I apologize – I am trying to finish gathering all of the information I can about each housing option so that I can answer any questions you may have when I begin making arrangements. But do not worry – I will make housing arrangements in the order that the registrations were received.
Second step – Use all available beds. Since all of the rooms at Chena have at least 2 beds, we are requiring each room have at least 2 people staying in it. There are a total of 72 Double Rooms and 8 Family Suites with 176 beds and we hope to fill all of them. This will be a cost-saving measure for many as well since we have negotiate room rates around our standard $99/night, but now that cost can be split. Since our roommate list is often underutilized at conference, we recognize this will be a large change for many attendees, but we hope attendees will think of it as an opportunity to catch up with an old friend or meet someone new and be understanding that we want to allow as many people as possible to take advantage of this conference experience. Having just been to Chena Hot Springs this August, I can tell you that what we give up in the number of rooms, we more than make up for in amazing, remote outdoor adventure that is the Resort. We would not be able to get this same experience at a larger location.
The question this new “rule” brings up is most often about spouses. And yes, spouses count as a second person. While spouses are more than welcome to share their room with another friend or couple, we will NOT be requiring couples to share a room with anyone else, unless they want to. However, we have also coordinated alternative spouse and family housing options to optimize the experience for attending guests. We encourage all spouse, families and guests to consider this option. For more information, see “Fourth step” below!
Third step – Take advantage of your surroundings. In addition to the lodge rooms, Chena boasts 7 yurts, 21 RV sites along the river and more space than we would ever need to fit wall and dome tents and additional RVs. RVs and tents will serve as an alternative for individuals who do not want to share a hotel room and all of these lodging options will serve as a fun escape from the traditional conference hotel rooms. OWAA’s staff will be renting an RV for the duration of conference and I could not be more excited for the adventure of it. We have coordinated with RV companies in both Fairbanks and Anchorage to negotiate rates and we are working with a wall tent manufacturer in Fairbanks to arrange for insulated wall tents. We can also rent sleeping pads and down sleeping bags from the local university to outfit you for the whole experience if you don’t want to bring your own. There is a potable water station, plenty of outhouses scattered about and all guests at Chena have access the hot springs and the adjoining pool house, complete with locker rooms and showers. By incorporating these additional lodging opportunities we can significantly increase our capacity and offer an even more authentic outdoor experience for those who crave it! We get some funny looks when we describe our arrangements to some, but then we remind them that for many of our members, this is exactly what they would prefer! You can even use the RV to easily coordinate a driving tour of Alaska before or after conference. Talk to the Fairbanks CVB for suggestions or itineraries.
Following discussions at the Salt Lake City conference, there were some concerns about the ability to feed everyone should we start filling up the Resort, but rest assured we will work with the Resort to feed everyone. We will likely eat most of meals buffet-style to reduce the pressure on the prep and wait staff, but day-events as large as 1000 people are held annually at the Resort including meals.
For RV rentals, the RVs will not be on-site at Chena upon arrival, but can be picked up in Fairbanks or Anchorage, depending on which airport you choose to fly into. Since both RV companies are small, local companies, the RVs will need to be returned to their original pick-up location. Both companies offer a “drop-fee” ranging from $850-$1000 if you would like to leave your RV in the opposite city from where you picked it up and have them transport it back. More information on the models and pricing can be found on the Travel & Lodging page.
Fourth step – Explore Fairbanks. While Chena Hot Springs has a wide variety of activities and trails available on-site, the Resort is located 60 miles east of Fairbanks, so we will be slightly cut-off from the urban Fairbanks area during conference. While this remote feeling is often what we go for, it is less convenient for families and spouses who come along. We make efforts to provide additional programming and activities for these guests with the help of the local CVB at each conference and we are more cutoff from CVB resources up at Chena. There are also no alternative dining options at Chena during the conference as it is taking their entire food staff to feed our conference attendees. Anyone staying at Chena will need to be registered for conference to attend conference meals, or would need to bring and store all of their own food from Fairbanks. Unfortunately the rooms do not have refrigerators, so this would likely only be a feasible option in an RV. All of these factors combined with concerns over lodging space, led to our decision to arrange for alternative spouse, family and guest lodging closer to Fairbanks. A Taste of Alaska Lodge has graciously offered to house any of our guests. The Lodge, just outside Fairbanks, provides great opportunities for wildlife viewing and hiking on the 280 acre property and also give access to the recreational, dining and entertainment activities available in Fairbanks. With room for 20-30 people, it would be a great gathering place for OWAA spouses, families and guests. The main lodge room could accommodate craft classes, such as a local watercolor artist, and the dining room serves breakfast every morning to kick off the day. Fairbanks CVB is committed to providing transportation and coordinating programming as needed for all of our guests in Fairbanks. We will also have a day-trip up to Chena Hot Springs on Thursday, Sept. 6 so that all guests can experience conference favorites such as the Ladies Shoot, the Photo Scavenger Hunt and the EIC and Honorary Awards Banquet, as well as the fun of the hot springs and the Resort. While we do not require that spouses and guests stay in Fairbanks, we strongly encourage you to consider to this option. We feel it is a win-win: freeing up space at the Resort and providing a space for OWAA spouses, families and guests to stay as a group and take advantage of the great opportunities the Fairbanks community has to offer!
To end my long-winded explanation of the housing situation: We see this conference as an opportunity to combine the outdoors experience with our traditional program and are looking to customize the trip for each attendee. We hope to accommodate everyone who wishes to join us for our 85th annual conference and only ask for an open-mind and flexibility. We recognize that our alternative lodging opportunities will not interest everyone and if you feel that a traditional hotel room would achieve your ideal Alaska experience, we ask that you register early. Housing will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact me with any questions about lodging or the conference in general, I would be happy to answer any additional questions. You can reach me at 406-728-7434 or jpollett@owaa.org.
More posts to come. If you have more information you would like covered by me, Bill or anyone else on the planning team, comment below and let us know!
-Jessica Pollett, OWAA Conference Coordinator
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