National Randolph-Sheppard Training and Leadership Conference (NRSTLC) Tradeshow
June 9 - 12, 2010
Bigger and Better than BLAST for 2010
$125.00 registration fee BEFORE May 1, 2010
$175.00 registration fee AFTER May 1, 2010
Reserve your hotel rooms as soon as possible to take advantage of conference rates. The number of rooms is limited. The final date to reserve rooms within the block is May 18, 2010.
Crystal City Hyatt RegencyReserve rooms online
Reserve rooms by phone by calling 1-888-421-1442
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: 402-592-6464 or 1-888-421-1442
Rate: $149 + tax
Room block: Randolph Sheppard
Partnership puts progress ahead of politics: Brings business, leadership, advocacy, support and training to Randolph-Sheppard.
Rehabilitation Services Administration to serve as key sponsor for National Training and Leadership Conference, June 9-12, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in ARlington, Virginia.
For many years, the National Association of Blind Merchants has been proud to present Business Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST) to educate and empower blind entrepreneurs and our many agency and private sector partners. Kevan Worley, President of the National Association of Blind Merchants, recently said, “By any measure, BLAST has been the acknowledged leader, bringing timely and transformative training to our field. In 2010, we look forward to the next level of enlightenment, instruction and empowerment and we are proud and excited to support this new transitional training event.”
The time to register for this transitional, educational event, open to all blind vendors, agency administrators and partner consultants, is now!
Many blind entrepreneurs plan to spend much of Wednesday, June 9, on Capitol Hill. We will have a breakfast briefing that morning. It is important that we go to Congress to bring them our message. This will be the perfect opportunity. There will also be breakout education sessions Wednesday afternoon and a reception that evening. The National Association of Blind Merchants will be sponsoring a robust tradeshow with exhibits sure to bring value. Tradeshow will be held the afternoon of Thursday, June 10. Do not miss it!
The Rehabilitation Services Administration, working closely with the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind, National Association of Blind Merchants, and other stakeholders, are finalizing plans for the Randolph-Sheppard National Training and Leadership Conference, in Arlington, Virginia, June 9-12, 2010. According to Nicky Gacos, First Vice President of the National Association of Blind Merchants, who has been serving on the planning committee, “The planning team has worked to make sure that many of the most powerful, educational and networking elements of BLAST will continue, while ensuring the involvement of others.” Nicky explains, “We of NABM have always believed that a conference which is national in scope, bringing all segments of the Randolph-Sheppard and blind business development community together, is the only real way to ensure cutting edge instruction for all. This process, underwritten with significant funding from RSA, will help raise program expectations and the profile of our program.” “Holding this conference in Washington, DC, the seat of government, also makes a great deal of sense,” Gacos said.
The conference agenda currently being developed calls for a schedule of events, training sessions, receptions and tradeshow to follow a schedule very similar to what has become the traditional BLAST schedule; however, the ability for the Rehabilitation Services Administration to utilize its authority and contacts within federal agencies, will likely result in additional reach, potentially bringing greater recognition of the Randolph-Sheppard priority among government officials. Moreover, direct funding from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the United States Department of Education will provide for stipends which will assist more State Licensing Agency personnel and licensed blind vendors to be able to afford to attend the Randolph-Sheppard National Training and Leadership Conference.
State agencies will soon be notified about the process for obtaining stipends to assist blind vendor and SLA delegates. In addition, the National Association of Blind Merchants will work hard to offer some limited financial assistance as well. It is our fervent hope that many of our state merchant associations and elected committees of blind vendors will work closely with their constituents to develop funding sources, making it possible for more blind vendors to take advantage of this national Randolph-Sheppard education event.
Secretary of the National Association of Blind Merchants, Kim Williams, said, “This might turn out to be a dream conference. Many in our field have worked hard to get all the groups to work together. That has certainly been important to the National Association of Blind Merchants. We know that many of our constituents are concerned that NABM has thrown our full support behind this national training conference, rather than having our traditional BLAST event, but we think moving in this direction will ensure that the most positive elements of BLAST will continue and will likely bring even more stakeholders to the table so they too can take advantage of education and networking under a larger umbrella, including RSA, and NCSAB.” According to Mrs. Williams, “it really has been a pleasure to serve on the planning committee with Terry Smith, Director of Services for the Blind of Tennessee, Suzanne Mitchell, the Randolph-Sheppard specialist for RSA, Dr. Tom Finch of RSA, and others. I think we have all learned from the national conference held in the early 90’s and the one held in 2000. Moreover, we are bringing lessons learned and positive energy from the BLAST conferences held over the past decade to this process.”
The National Association of Blind Merchants email box and the weekly merchant message line have been inundated in recent weeks with questions about the 2010 BLAST. We have answered these queries by saying that the National Association of Blind Merchants is putting our energy, experience and imagination to work in a collaborative effort with RSA, NCSAB and some of our traditional sponsors and supporters to create a new, dynamic event which has the real potential to reach a broader audience. Building on the successes of the Blind Entrepreneurs Alliance, it has been the contention of the National Association of Blind Merchants that groups with common interests should be able to work together for the collective good without compromising some of their specific or distinctive political or philosophical principles. Certainly, the Randolph-Sheppard National Training and Leadership Conference will allow us to take advantage of an economy of scale. With the support of some of our traditional suppliers and sponsors, a non-partisan educational climate, the institutional support and funding from RSA, and even greater participation from state agencies, more individuals will be able to take part and there will likely be a broader array of presentations from government and private sector. The stipends to be provided and the economics of scale (understood by most business people) may make it possible for those dealing with severe economic challenges, budget limitations and travel freezes to be able to participate. Moreover, more hearts and heads working in collaboration to face the serious challenges we face in Randolph-Sheppard, the greater the possibility exists that we will literally be able to transform Randolph-Sheppard in a way which will bring better services, greater opportunity, increased energy, and new non-traditional business development for blind and vision impaired Americans.
Plans currently call for blind entrepreneurs interested in taking part in the Blind Entrepreneurs Alliance (BEA) Capitol Hill activities to arrive in Arlington on Tuesday evening, June 8, 2010. Wednesday morning, the 9th, BEA members will be briefed on current legislative issues and then head to Capitol Hill to educate members of Congress to the issues on Randolph-Sheppard challenges and opportunities. This portion of the Washington fly-in experience has no official linkage to, or funding from, the Rehabilitation Services Administration. It will, however, make it possible for more blind vendors to participate in our annual Washington fly-in. They can then remain for the Randolph Sheppard National Training and Leadership Conference.
Plans currently call for training and education sessions to begin Wednesday afternoon and evening reception. Dynamic educational programs on Thursday and Friday. Planning committee member, Nicky Gacos, explains, “Although the actual BLAST conference will be on hiatus for 2010, we are working to provide a dynamic tradeshow to be integrated into this national conference on Thursday afternoon. Our constituents have told us this is important to them. They demand it, the Randolph-Sheppard community deserves it, and we are proud to take the lead to develop it.”
The amount of dollars provided by the RSA grant and method of distributing these dollars to the states to assist SLA officials and blind vendors has not yet been finalized. Certainly not every SLA official or blind vendor can be funded; it is the NABM’s position that many of those who typically attend BLAST will make every effort to use personal funds or secure other dollars as we support the first Randolph Sheppard National Training and Leadership Conference of the new decade. Together we can transform Randolph-Sheppard and build a future filled with possibility and profit for blind entrepreneurs.
If your company wishes to be a key sponsor, please contact me immediately. kevanworley@blindmerchants.org, or phone 866-543-6808. If you know of an exhibitor that you think would benefit from participating in our tradeshow, please be in touch with me immediately. This year there will be a limited number of key sponsorships available and tradeshow space will also be at a premium. But we want to be sure to include all who wish to partner with us to bring benefit to the blind vendors of America.
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