Going back a few years, when settling on St. John’s as a venue for the 2009 convention, we had some reservations. The attraction was that it was “different” and a destination that a lot of members had never before visited. But, what about the weather? Are there enough activities for all to enjoy? Where’s George Street and can it handle our group? How can we attract more people?

This turned out to be the best attended conference—EVER. Moving the date into August helped on two fronts. There were better chances of good weather and members were encouraged to take their families before school started. In fact, the only rain we had was the golf day to remind us that we were indeed in Newfoundland.

While this was a business conference, we will all enjoyed the local culture, sights, great meals, screech, entertainment, and the late George Street nights. The basic reason for the success, however, was the Newfoundlanders themselves. They went out of their way to inquire about us and whether we were enjoying ourselves. Typically we learned about their lives and their politics in the 25 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. Stepping off the sidewalks was a signal for drivers to stop – whether we were at a crosswalk or not – and wave us on with a smile. They relished in explaining Jelly Bean Row and were proud that Marconi achieved his success right there. Some of us even had the opportunity to pose with the Labrador and Newfoundland dogs.

The only problem we had was not enough time to really explore the rest of the province. Some did and became spokesmen for the tourist bureau. Those that didn’t have vowed to return to all the other wonderful places to explore around the island. The bar has been set to a new height as a target for future conferences.