EPAF Meeting Location Determined by Vote from Association Members

The results are in and the EPAF annual conference will be held at the Buena Vista Palace in Orlando from 2008-2012.  A total of 221 votes were placed by the deadline of December 19, 2006.  Approximately two-thirds of the votes were in favor of signing a five-year contract with the Buena Vista Palace.

Discussion about the 2008 conference site was held at the December EPAF board meeting.  Concerns were raised regarding the standard site rotation and bids submitted from panhandle facilities that could cause registration rates to increase. 

The Buena Vista Palace offered a five-year contract which would guarantee only a 4% room rate increase each year.  The 2008 rate would be $119.  Typical annual rate increases could be as high as 10-15%.  Additional concessions would be included with each year of the contract.

Had the decision to sign a long-term contract not been made, the standard rotation would have been continued in 2009 with a request to panhandle faculty for assistance in trying to secure and negotiate feasible rates. 

The EPAF board decided that the decision on a long-term contract needed to be voted on by association members.  Thank you to all who took time to vote on this important issue.