Tuesday: Conference Week

Part Two of a Seven-Day Series

As predicted, the cold front is moving north and in its wake are coming blue skies and warm temperatures for our 29th National Arts and Crafts Conference Weekend.

It may even reach 60 degrees on Sunday!!!!!!

The Omni Grove Park Inn has a major food show going on today, so I’m staying here in the office. Our four truckloads of materials have been delivered and are being stored until we officially take over the historic 510-room hotel tomorrow morning at 8:00am.

Today, however, Alex gets a head start at the Registration Desk, which is in the Sammons Wing, where the seven major seminars and nearly all of the thirty-some Small Group Discussions and Workshops take place. The Registration Desk was not being used today, so Alex is taking the opportunity to set up her computer, printer, file boxes, and supplies, and to start signing up exhibitors for the two loading docks leading into the Grand Ballroom in the Vanderbilt Wing.

If this all sounds a bit confusing, rest assured, it quickly becomes clear and easy to navigate – and we include a map of the hotel on the final page of your free 88-page Conference Catalog. And anywhere you turn, you’ll find either an Omni Grove Park Inn staffer or one of the twelve people who work for us to make sure everything runs smoothly for you.

As of today, however, our office phone number will only get you an answering machine, so if you have a question or want to see about getting a room or enrolling in a workshop, please call the hotel at 828-252-2711 — and ask for the Arts and Crafts Registration Desk.

As for me, well, I have my Opening Remarks to rehearse, as well as my seminar entitled “The Role of the Roycrofters at the Grove Park Inn.”

So far only Daisy and Jasper have heard it, and you can see by Daisy’s reaction that it still needs a little work.

And the last thing I’ll do today is take them both for our daily afternoon walk along Cane Creek, and try to explain to them why it is that we won’t be going on any more walks until next Monday.

But they won’t buy any excuse I give them …….

Until tomorrow morning,

Come join us in Asheville!

Bruce