Newsletter  No. 35                                                                  February 18, 2015

Regional Groups
Chairpersons and Committees
Registration Update
140 days until DS 2016
In This Issue
Regional Groups to Shine at DS2016
Lining up Chairpersons and giving them their assignments
Deadline near to complete Early Bird Registration payments
Info on Sharing a Room or a Ride
Click here to read past Newsletters 
Click here to visit our Committee Web Pages

I am hearing form some of the regional groups and tyring to give them any support they may need in coordinating the attendance of their members at  DS2016.  More information on their plans for regional meetings and their appearance in the parade of red suits is listed below.

Currently I am also working on lining up all of our chairpersons for each of the convention committees.  I have to thank everyone who has come forward to be part of the convention organization.  Each day that we draw closer to DS2016, more and more of our committees are starting their work.  

We are still calling on some of those who volunteered to be chairpersons and hopefully in the next two weeks we will have all positions confirmed.

And finally we have a little more info for those who have already registered and those still interested.  

NOTE: We have been holding blocks of rooms at four hotels. If we have not sold the rooms by  April 1, we must return the rooms back to the hotels so they can sell them for the summer tourist season. And this will be a much higher rates. So make your reservations now,. 

If you have any questions, just drop me a line.

Santacerely,

Santa Tim Connaghan
General Chairman
DiscoverSanta2016

REGIONAL GROUPS SHINE AT DS2016

If you are in a regional group, you may have already seen convention activity by some of your fellow Santas and Mrs Claus.  Although this is a national and international event, A major element that I wanted to insure happened was to give all of the state and  regional groups room to shine.

We have heard that some groups even have a bit of a uniform for all of their members. But, whether you have a uniform or not, each group is welcome to host their own activities and show their unity.

All of this is, of course, is up to the groups themselves. But the convention stands ready to try to assist all groups in setting up their own activities and ways that they want to participate in the overall convention.

Regional Night - July 6 - Evening
All State and regional groups have the opprortunity to host their own regional meeting, dinner or event on Wednesday night, July 6.  This evening was left open, on purpose, just for this reason. 

Each group can decide on what they want to do,  They can have a simple hospitality room at their hotel, or make arrangements to go to dinner somewhere in town.  Or they can opt to go to one of the many shows and dinner shows that Branson has to offer.   Taunya is ready to assist with suggestions and options for planning your group activity.

The Parade of Red Suits - July 7 - 7:00 a.m.
Possibly the most exciting part of the convention will be "The Parade of Red Suits!"   This parade will feature some celebrities, floats, marching bands and a few autos.

But the hightight will be the entrance of the Santas.  Hosted at the beautify Branson Landing, this parade will be seen all over the world. Hundreds of Santas and Mrs. Claus will be the finale of the Parade. And each state, region or association will have the opportunity to shine.

If you are planning to have a eregional or state group, please let me know.  We also have a listing on the convention website with all of the groups and associations that are coming to the convention.  If you wish to be listed there, please also let me know.  Here is a link to the listing page: Participating Organizations. 
LINING UP CHAIRPERSONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

The logistics for running a convention like this takes lots of planning and a team of good volunteers to help run everything.  And so far we have gotten some folks with great experience to step up and chair some of the committees.

But, I am still looking for some special volunteers, with special backgrounds to help out.  Are you a DJ, a media publicist or reporter?   Have you coordinate entertainment or produced a live show?  if  you have please let me know.  And remember, there is compensation paid to you depending on the amount of work or volunteering you do.

Before I continue, I do want to thank the handful of Santas and Mrs. Claus that called right after I announced this convention, and offered to help. Without the involvement, input, and suggestions of the chairpersons, plus their management skills, I would not be able to put all of this together. 

We currently have over half of our chairpersons.  

Kringle Famiy Showcase (Vendors)    Bob Elkin
Workshops     Santa Bob Elkin
Blood Drive     Santa Kevin Scott
Parade of Red Suits   Bill Lomas; Santa Roger Edmonds & Santa Jim Herbermann
Fashion Show     Santa Larry Shaw
Hall of Fame   Santa Phil Wenz
ADA - Special Needs    Debra Gabrelcik
Shuttle Buses     Santa Randy Gabrelcik
SNO-lympics     Santa Ron Campbell
Registration / Hotels   Taunya Lay
Advertising & Sponsors    Santa Steve Eastis
Artwork    Santa Greg Gilpin
DVD Recordings    Greg Stavish - Digivision
Welcome Committee     Trish Parris
Volunteers / Manpower   Santa Dale Parris

But, there are still some opportunities for qualified individuals to step up and chair one of our committees join the team. 

Entertainment Liaison
General Session Director
Logistics, Facilities and Equipment
Public Relations and Marketing
Social Media
DJ - Audio Visual and Music coordinator
Photography/videography/documentary

Compensation for Chairpersons.
All general volunteers will have special recognition on their registration badges and will receive a minimum $50 stipend or compensation in exchange for their contribution or services to the convention and their fellow Santas. 

Individuals who volunteer on a larger scale, Chairpersons or those who handle special tasks, will receive additional compensation in the form the general registration ($377.00), sans lodging, or as agreed upon, prior to their volunteer work.  Some volunteer work may occur on days before or after the convention.  The more involved the chairperson's job the larger the compensation.
 
CURRENT CHAIRPERSONS - OUR STEERING COMMITTEE

The key leadership for the convention comes from the Steering Committee, which consists of the Chairpersons of the many Committees.  You can always find an updated list with email addresses on the main web site at www.DiscoverSanta2016.com/Committees  

REGISTRATION UPDATE

ALMOST 750 REGISTERED!

Balance on Early Bird registrations due by February 29!

My dream for DS2016 is to have at least 1,000 Santas and Mrs Claus attend the convention  We are almost at 750!

Over the  holidays we did loose a few registrations due to schedule conflicts and changes in personal agendas. But in the ast few weeks we have made all that back and more.

I f you have been thinking of attending DS2016, or maybe you have just been waiting for you Christmas Income to arrive.   Well, now is a good time to register.

Registering now also insures you have a little better chance of getting the room and hotel you want.

As we have been telling everyone for months. Registration and Sign-Ups for Discover Santa 2016 can be done any time 24-7-365. Taunya Lay at Branson Ticket and Travel (BT&T), is the lovely lady who has been helping Santas and Mrs. Claus ever since she coordinated our 2006 convention.  And with the team of experts at BT&T she is again doing a fantastic job. 

We have packages to fit every Santa and Mrs. Claus' pocket book. Click here to view the Registration Page.

BUSES FOR GROUP OUTINGS

If you are planning a group or regional outing or trip to a show or dinner, check with Taunya for buses & vans  She will have a special fleet of buses and vans, brought in for the week as there are not many in Branson. These are dedicated to the convention and she can save you money by letting you use equipment and drivers that are already in Branson.

REMINDER FOR EARLY REGISTRANTS - FEBRUARY 29.

Taunya wants to remind you that that February 29 is the final day for completing your early bird registration payments. We urge you to contact her as soon as possible to finish your early bird registration and keep your special early bird rates 

If you wish to make changes now is also a good time to call Taunya and have her assist you.

If you have a credit card on file, and she has not heard from you by the end of February, she will automatically charge that card. 

Or Call Taunya at Branson Ticket & Travel 800-432-4202
LOOKING TO SHARE A ROOM?  NEED A RIDE? 

We have been receiving requests from Santas and Mrs. Claus who are looking to share a room at DS2016. We have also received a few requests for those were looking to share a ride. 

If this is you, or if you've been thinking of the same thing we have some suggestions for you:
  1. Visit our Facebook page and let others know that you're looking for a roommate or to share a ride.
  2. Visit ClausNet, and again, let others know you're looking for a room or a ride.
  3. Check with your regional or state organization as you may find someone who you can share with.
  4. And finally, go ahead and fill out one of our registration forms let us and Taunya know you're looking to share.

We can't guarantee you will find the exact match. However you need to be pro-active in letting others know your needs. Do all of the above!


Once you have connected with someone you then can work out your all deta ils and set up your details for sharing. Good luck! 

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