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2023 Conference Email Archive

Date: Sunday, July 9: Conference email #8: Hotel reservations due Monday, July 10

(Link to archive of previous conference emails: http://ropaweb.org/support/2023-annual-conference/2023-conference-email-archive/)

Hi, all – this is a reminder that hotel reservations need to be made by Monday, July 10 (tomorrow or today, depending on when you are reading this email).  If you have not booked your room yet, please make time to do this as soon as possible.

Hotel Registration Link (deadline for the ROPA discount rate: July 10): 

https://book.passkey.com/e/50490306

 Hotel rate per night is $155 (+ taxes). The hotel is the Courtland Grand Hotel Atlanta 165 Courtland Street NE. The hotel phone # is  404.659.6500.

Rooms booked after Monday will be at the normal rate for the hotel.

And again, if you have not already done so, please register for the conference at this link: http://ropaweb.org/about/ropa-conference-registration/

And also, please get your orchestra reports in.  There quite a few turned in over the past week, and an update on the website was done a couple of days ago.  To read them, go to this link: http://ropaweb.org/news/settlement-bulletins/

Please remember that there is an extra layer of security to get through to access the reports.  Please refer to Email #7 for instructions.  If you are filling in as delegate, you will have access to the ROPA website from now until conference is over.  Watch for an email from WordPress.

Thanks!  Karen

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Date: Tuesday, July 3: Conference email #7: Orchestra Reports are now live; Settlements posted; reminder to book your room and register for conference

(Link to archive of previous conference emails: http://ropaweb.org/support/2023-annual-conference/2023-conference-email-archive/)

Hi, all –

The Orchestra Reports and Settlement Bulletins that have been received have been posted on the ROPA website for you to examine.

There are links to both Orchestra Reports and Settlement Bulletins on the website on the conference page http://ropaweb.org/support/2023-annual-conference/

The direct link to the Orchestra Reports is http://ropaweb.org/2023-orchestra-reports/

The direct link to the Settlement Bulletins is http://ropaweb.org/news/settlement-bulletins/ They can also be found on the homepage under the “News” dropdown menu.

Please note that these documents are protected by an extra layer of security to avoid being found during a Google search (as are a few other ROPA documents). Once you log on to the website, you will need to follow instructions provided to get to the documents. When the extra layer asks for username/password, they are NOT your usual log ins; the page will tell you what username/password you are to use.

Here is a link to ROPA Website Hints that will help you get in.  Please contact me (karensandene@gmail.com) if you have difficulties. (The site was designed to require this extra security – sorry for the inconvenience!)

Thanks for those of you who met the “deadline” for orchestra reports!  Some reports came in last night after I posted them – I’ll incorporate them shortly.

Of course, we’ll still accept reports and settlements. The reports are especially important because they show the long-term progress of your orchestras. Don’t wait for the last minute – there are almost 100 reports to process!

Also, please book your hotel room for conference as soon as possible – the deadline for the ROPA rate is July 10.  Please let me know if you have difficulties making your reservation.  Also, please register for conference on the ROPA site.  Thanks!

Have a safe 4th of July – stay hydrated!  Karen Sandene

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Date: Tuesday, June 20 / Conference email #6: Sandene on the road through Sunday, June 25 / Please register on the website/book your room/ submit your orchestra reports

Hi, all – I will be “out of the office” this week – I will be on my annual bike tour in the Nebraska countryside and will have limited internet access. I will be able to read emails on the phone, but certain things are much easier to do on a computer rather than on a phone in a tent. If you have questions, you can contact your member-at-large, or leave me a message and I can get back to you starting Sunday night.

Also, please remember to do the required conference preparation items: register for the conference on the ROPA website, book your room (by July 10), submit orchestra reports if you settled this past year, and turn in an orchestra report.

https://book.passkey.com/e/50490306 Hotel rate per night is $155 (+ taxes). The hotel is the Courtland Grand Hotel Atlanta 165 Courtland Street NE. The hotel phone # is  404.659.6500.

Thanks!  Karen Sandene

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Date: Thursday June 15: Conference Email #5: Hotel name change; deadline for hotel, registration and orchestra reports

Hi, all –

  • The conference hotel has recently changed ownership, and the new name is the Courtland Grand Hotel Atlanta. Nothing else has changed, and those of you who have already booked your rooms, all is good.
  • The hotel is extending the deadline to book your rooms until July 10. If you have not already booked your room, do it right away.
  • Register for the conference and turn in your orchestra reports (refer to Conference email #3 dated June 7 for instructions.)

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Date: Friday, June 9: Conference email #4: Regional Orchestra Players’ Association 2023 Conference

Dear ROPA Delegates, Local Officers and Friends,

The 2023 Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA) 40th Annual Conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from Tuesday, July 25th through Thursday, July 27th, with the AFM Negotiating Orchestras Workshop Seminar taking place on Monday, July 24th.  We would like to invite you and other interested AFM members to attend these informative sessions.

Welcomes from Presidents of ROPA and Local 148-462

Welcomes from ROPA President Steve Wade and AFM Local 148-462 President Bruce Kenney which highlight the week’s activities and Atlanta entertainment options are included with this email and on the ROPA website (www.ropaweb.org)

Conference Information

For more information about the Conference, please visit the Conference Information Page on the ROPA website. Web links for Registering for the Conference and Booking a Room at the Downtown Atlanta Sheraton, can be found there, as well as a tentative agenda. The Atlanta Local is planning on hosting a dinner on Tuesday evening, July 25th. The deadline for booking a room at the discounted ROPA rate is July 2nd.

Provide for Delegate Travel, Hotel and Meal Expenses

Delegates and Local Officers: The Local pays for “reasonable and necessary” Delegate expenses for attending the ROPA Conference. Delegates: please be in touch with your Local officers BEFORE THE CONFERENCE to find out what expenses they will pay for, and how they will reimburse you.

40th Annual Conference

From Steve Wade, ROPA President: “This Conference is a special one, being our 40th. Since it was established, ROPA has grown from representatives from 13 orchestras meeting in Columbus OH back in 1984 to 97 member orchestras today that include over 6000 musicians from all over the Nation. We have a long history of collegial respect and solidarity. Our story represents a generation of change in our industry. Welcome to the next 40 years – We hope to see you in Atlanta!”

Sincerely,

Karen Sandene, ROPA Secretary

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Date: Monday,  June 5:  Conference email #3: Orchestra Reports/Settlement Bulletins

Hi, all – a few conference reminders this evening:

1) Write your Orchestra Report

An important part of conference preparation for us is the submission of Orchestra Reports from each orchestra, so we can compile them and share with delegates prior to conference.  The Orchestra reports are important historical documents that help us keep track of the status of our orchestras over the years.

I’m attaching a sample report to this email as well.  There is no set format, but do your best to keep it to one side of one page – a 1-page summary of how your orchestra did this year. You might want to check with your Orchestra Committee chair

If you are a delegate but someone else will be attending conference, please get a hold of your sub and see which of you will be writing the report.

Please submit reports to me via my gmail account (karensandene@gmail.com) rather than to the whole list.  Do this by July 2, please.

As reports come in, I will compile them into a single document and a link will be posted on the conference page http://ropaweb.org/support/2023-annual-conference/ Substitute delegates, you will have access to the delegates portion of the site so you can view these and other documents you should have access to at conference.

Please don’t wait for the last minute to file your report.  It takes time to process and compile over 90 orchestra reports, so do me a favor and try to get yours in by July 2.

2) Settlement Bulletins

If your orchestra settled contracts this past season and you have not yet sent in a settlement bulletin, please do so, so they can be distributed at conference.

These can be completed 2 ways:

1) Go to the following link to a google form and provide the information http://tinyurl.com/Settlement-Bulletin-Form or

2) If you are fairly comfortable with Microsoft Word and can add rows/columns to a table, you can use the attached Settlement Bulletin Template and create a document.

Thanks!  Karen Sandene

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Date: Wednesday, May 31: / Conference email #2: Registration Link for Phone/Tablet

Hi, again – If you encounter difficulties when trying to register for the conference by way of a phone or a tablet, please use this link instead:

https://tinyurl.com/2023-Registration-Phone-Tablet

Sometimes Google forms embedded in a web page don’t work as expected. Thanks!  Karen

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Date: Tuesday, May 30  / Conference Email #1: Conference Info Page, Registration and Hotel Links Ready to go / Book Your Transportation / Who is Attending?

Good morning, all – here we go!

The conference information is now up on the website.  Info can be found via links on the homepage.

1) Conference Information Page:  http://ropaweb.org/2023-annual-conference/

All information as it comes in will be posted there, including agendas, delegate and Local responsibilities, speaker info, etc.  An archive of Conference Emails will also be found there so you don’t miss anything.

2) Conference Registration Page:  http://ropaweb.org/about/ropa-conference-registration/  Please register by July 2.  Let me know if you have any difficulties.  You should receive a confirmation email after you register.

3) Hotel Registration Link: (Deadline for the ROPA discount rate: July 2): 

https://book.passkey.com/e/50490306 Hotel rate per night is $155 (+ whatever taxes). The hotel is the Downtown Atlanta Sheraton, 165 Courtland Street NE. The hotel phone # is  404.659.6500.  The conference info page has more details about the hotel. It also gives you options for transportation to/from the hotel.

4) Start looking for transportation to Atlanta. Remember, your Local is required to reimburse you for travel expenses, as well as per diem.

5) Make sure your orchestra has a delegate who will be attending the Conference. If you are unable to attend the conference yourself, make sure there is someone available to attend.  Please let your MAL and me know who will be attending, and if it’s someone else, please let us know right away and direct them to the ROPA website so they can get information, register and book a hotel room.

That’s all for now – please let me know if you have any problems accessing the pages or registering.  Please remember that July 2 is the deadline for hotel room, conference registration, and orchestra reports (more about them in a future email).  More later – Thanks!  Karen Sandene

 

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Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA)
A conference of the American Federation of Musicians