Planning, organizing, and executing a conference is akin to baking a cake. To bake a cake you require utensils, ingredients, and the skill and creativity to put them all together. The creativity is what distinguishes one cake, or conference, from another. In August of 2009, TIAC is baking a beauty in Newfoundland. We have all the fixings for what could potentially be the best TIAC conference ever. From August 14th through to the 17th members of TIAC, their spouses, and what we anticipate to be a record number of their children, will descend upon St. John’s, Newfoundland. This will be the first time visiting “The Rock” for most of us and we can’t wait.

With a population of just over 100,000, St. John’s is the oldest city in North America. John Cabot entered the harbor where the city of St. John’s currently resides in 1497. From the very first years after Cabot’s discovery, ships from Western Europe came to Newfoundland to fish, and St. John’s was a rendezvous for them all. Unfortunately, with Don Bell and John Jackson up coast at the time, these visits were never confirmed.

Some 512 years later the 47th annual TIAC conference finds its way to the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula. There are old cities, but none as old as St. John’s; there are new cities, but none with as bright a future; every city has people, but no other city has St. John’s people. These people are a special breed. They are the unique element that embodies the heart of Newfoundland, whether they come for work or play. It is true that there is nobody quite like a Newfoundlander. TIAC attendees to this great old seaport can expect to be greeted with affection, laughed at without scorn, treated with respect, and even insulted with humor and gentility ... and perhaps all at the same time!

Catch a glimpse of icebergs, whales, birds, and wildlife. Find hiking trails, parks, historic sites, and scenic driving routes. For nightlife excitement, head to George Street where clubs, pubs, bars, and restaurants are stacked and crammed along this famous cobblestone street.

Newfoundland and its people offer a special quality that makes an unforgettable holiday to Newfoundland last forever. Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and book early to avoid disappointment. If its your first TIAC conference, welcome; if you’ve been away awhile, welcome back. 