45th Annual Meeting in Tulsa, OK Rescheduled for 2023
THE 2020 Southern Region annual conference in Tulsa, OK rescheduled for 2023
Dear IPPS Southern Region members,
Thank you all for participating in the membership survey included in our last newsletter. Your insights helped guide the Executive Committee to make the exceedingly difficult and disappointing decision to reschedule the 2020 annual meeting planned for Tulsa, OK.
We are pleased to have confirmed Tulsa as our 2023 destination October 28- November 1.
In consideration of members’ safety, travel plans, and the uncertainty of holding an indoor educational event during the pandemic - the EC feels confident that rescheduling the 2020 annual meeting is the safest and financially-prudent option. Thanks to the dedication of Sec-Tres, Donna Foster, and leadership of EC Boards – the IPPS-SR is in strong financial standing.
The Tulsa host hotel did allow us to reschedule to 2023 without penalty. Unfortunately, for 2020 the hotel was unable to accept less than 70% of our guaranteed nights and would not make concessions on our food and beverage, thus creating a possible financial burden if attendance levels were not high.
Thank you, Dr. Todd Lasseigne and the entire 2020 Site Committee, for your hard work planning and dedication to the IPPS Southern Region. We sincerely look forward to visiting Tulsa in 2023!
Continuity & Moving Forward
Most importantly, the Executive Committee will continue to operate with prudence for the safety of membership and the financial viability of IPPS-SR in these unprecedented times. The EC voted to maintain the current board and all committees. This is in compliance with our by-laws. It also enables greater leadership continuity during this challenging year.
We are committed to planning future events and look forward to seeing everyone at the 2021 meeting in Mobile, AL October 23-27. Local Site Chair Dr. Jeremy Pickens has organized a fantastic event and it will truly be an epic reunion for all!
Future Meetings
2021: Mobile, AL October 23-27
2022: Athens, GA (date TBA based on football schedule)
2023: Tulsa, OK October 28-Nov 1
2024: Durham, NC (date TBA)
We recognize that nothing will ever replace the camaraderie of an in-person event. One of the fundamental attractions of IPPS is attending the conference and networking with industry leaders, long-time friends, and colleagues. We WILL have the opportunity to gather again but, in the meantime, we have some exciting news to share!
IPPS North American Virtual Summit & IPPS-SR Educational Activities
A new initiative is being planned! Southern Region is proud to be collaborating with leaders from the Eastern and Western regions to create a first-ever North American Virtual Summit – in October 2020. This online event will feature top speakers, production information and high-quality nursery tours. All sessions will be free, thanks to our generous sponsors. Look for more information in the July newsletter!
This June, the IPPS-SR is initiating a monthly series of online events including Zooms, YouTube videos, and virtual nursery tours. Stay tuned for info on Laura Barth’s Zoom video on navigating the IPPS website. By the way: congrats to Laura on her expanded responsibilities as the new IPPS-SR Digital Communications Manager!
And check out the 2019 (vol 69) IPPS Combined Proceedings, which were recently posted: http://sna.ipps.org/proceedings-volume/Volume-69-IPPS-Combined-Proceedings-2019/124
Thank you for your dedication
No question, the world, and the horticulture industry will continue to evolve. The IPPS mission to “Seek and Share” remains strong as ever and we look forward to serving your professional development needs now and in the future.IPPS members are adaptable, hard-working, patient, and innovative. The IPPS-SR Board wishes everyone good health and a speedy recovery to their business operations.
Sincerely,
Brie Arthur 2020/ 2021 President