 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
|
|
 Previous: GAREC-07 |  Next: ARRL Director Elections Scheduled for November |
The 2007 ARRL National Convention, held in conjunction with the Huntsville Hamfest, lived up to its promise to be "chock-full of activities and exhibits." The centerpiece of the Convention was ARRL EXPO — an entire exhibit area showcasing many ARRL programs and services. According to Charlie Emerson, N4OKL, vice president of the Huntsville Hamfest Association, more than 5000 people enjoyed the National Convention and hamfest, held August 18-19.
ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, helped lead the team that organized ARRL's exhibit and convention activities. "The Huntsville Hamfest Committee rolled out the red carpet for ARRL members and friends. We were delighted to sign up more than 150 new and renewing members throughout the event. But the greatest measure of this event's success was in the relationship-building that took place throughout these days. GAREC, the Huntsville Hamfest and the ARRL National Convention brought together the very best of our Amateur Radio Service."
Just prior to the hamfest, the 2007 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC-07), sponsored by the IARU, was Thursday and Friday, August 16-17. GAREC-07 registrants participated in emergency communications-themed presentations, discussions and demonstrations.
ARRL staff and volunteers ran booths and tables at the Convention, showcasing the services and programs offered by the League. Representatives from various ARRL departments were in attendance, including the ARRL Lab, Public Relations, Publications, DXCC and Awards, and the ARRL VEC, to name a few. The big ARRL Bookstore offered hundreds of books and other ARRL publications and merchandise, as well.
ARRL Officers and Directors were on hand, too, including ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN and ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. Representatives from the IARU, including President Larry Price, W4RA, and Vice President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, made the trek to Alabama, as well.
ARRL Headquarters staff and Field Organization leaders gave more than a dozen short mini-forums on the ARRL Stage during the Convention in ARRL's big exhibit area. Presentations on the ARRL Stage included an update on Broadband over Power Line (BPL) given by Ed Hare, W1RFI; suggestions for energizing young -- and potential -- hams, presented by ARRL Youth Contributing Editor and Georgia Assistant Section Manager/Youth Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM; a "how-to" session on writing for QST, presented by ARRL News Editor S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA; an introduction to ARRL Operating Awards and the ARRL QSL bureau with ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L; tips for contesting with QST Contributing Editor and ARRL author Ward Silver, N0AX, and an overview of Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) presented by Rob Suggs, KB5EZ, NASA Space Environments Team Lead from the Marshall Space Flight Center.
ARRL staff presented forums at the hamfest, as well as on the ARRL Stage. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, moderated the ARRL Membership Forum. ARRL Education Services Manager Debra Johnson, K1DMJ, led the ARRL Education Forum which included an overview of the ARRL's new Education Services Department. She also covered topics on the new ARRL mission statement on education, new licensing materials, enrichment courses and an update on ARRL outreach activities through the Education & Technology Program and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS).
ARRL Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB took visitors on a virtual ARRL Headquarters tour, sharing stories of ARRL special event activities aimed at encouraging on-air activity among new and newly active hams, including real-time Web blogs and videos, Hello-Live! and the W1AW HF Open House. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, talked about ARES and the media, and discussed ways to help public service activities capture the attention of the media. ARRL DXCC Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, and ARRL Web and Software Development Manager Jon Bloom, KE3Z, presented ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) and the DXCC award program.
More than 8000 copies of the 2007 Public Relations brochure, "Getting the Message Through" were distributed at the Convention, as well as 200 copies of the revamped "Hello!" brochure, according to Pitts.
Another activity offered at the Convention this year was the ARRL Passport. While this activity was a smaller version of the one offered at the Dayton Hamvention®, it provided the same excitement and thrill as its counterpart. Billed as the ultimate Convention scavenger hunt, those taking part this year searched the ARRL EXPO area and attended ARRL Forums to acquire special Passport codes that once entered in the Passport entry, qualified the hunters to win one of two prizes. Out of nearly 500 entries, Richard Pavalonis, KE5ORR, of Santa Fe, Texas, won an Icom IC-7000 HF/VHF/UHF all-mode mobile transceiver, and Tim Shipman of Owensboro, Kentucky, son of Walter, KI4OHY, will have fun with the Yaesu FT-8577D HF/VHF/UHF all-mode mobile transceiver. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who participated.
For those who couldn't make it to Huntsville, Keane and Bloom together contributed to a Convention Weblog that posted news and happenings direct from the ARRL EXPO area (and beyond!) in Huntsville.
One of the busiest places at the ARRL EXPO was the Youth Lounge. Young people, ranging from ages of about 7 to 17 were all over the Convention and hamfest, exploring all that Amateur Radio has to offer. There were many foxhunts throughout the two days, as well as scavenger hunts, a ham radio quiz show, crafts, prizes and more.
Other hamfest forums covered contesting, emergency communications such as D-STAR, public service, education and many technical issues.
After the hamfest closed on Saturday, the ARRL Alabama Section held a reception for retiring ARRL Southeastern Director Frank Butler, W4RH. Butler is retiring after more than 50 years of elected service to the ARRL. He began his elected service as Section Communications Manager for the West Florida Section. Butler plans to stay involved with the ARRL, attending the IARU Region 2 Committee Meeting in Brasilia, Brazil as a member of the ARRL delegation next month, and the ARRL Executive Committee Meeting in October.
Emerson said that Convention and hamfest attendance reached unprecedented levels. "The hamfest is getting into the ‘unreal' category. We have reports of people coming in from everywhere." Both official hotels, the Embassy Suites (connected to the all air-conditioned Von Braun Center, site of the Convention and Hamfest) and the Holiday Inn (across the street) sold out before the hamfest.
When asked where the next ARRL National Convention would be held, Inderbitzen said, "We're glad to help evaluate National Convention applications, but the ultimate decision is made by the elected officials of the ARRL Board of Directors. In the meantime, we hope that all of our members can someday enjoy attending an ARRL National Convention."
| Previous: GAREC-07 | Next: ARRL Director Elections Scheduled for November |
