The 2008 Grassroots Leadership and Legislative Conference, which will take place February 20-23 at the Grand Hyatt Washington, will be an event to be remembered.

The program will focus on the immense energy and wealth of knowledge within the profession through the AIA's components, knowledge communities, and other member constituent groups and collateral organizations. This focus will help create a shared vision. A concentrated effort is being made to invite many different special member constituencies, including the component leadership and component staff, knowledge community leaders, the AIA Board of Directors, emerging professionals, the College of Fellows, Diversity Committee leaders, AIA National staff, and others.

The conference will be designed to bring together the Institute's premier leaders for a unique blend of networking relationships with shared information, missions and goals, and continuous learning to work across components, knowledge communities, and special member groups, collaborating and partnering with each other to move work forward. Attendees will be given the opportunity to provide input on AIA initiatives, learn from their counterparts from around the country, and network with members of the AIA National staff. Through diverse programming, attendees will explore topics that will meet the many interests and needs of all of the Institute's present and future leaders.

Although Congress will not be in session during the advocacy conference, we will use this opportunity to better educate and strengthen members' skills in the government advocacy arena through panel discussions, nuts and bolts sessions, and leadership in advocacy. Members will be encouraged to practice year-round advocacy by contacting their local and elected officials when they return home.

Conference Objectives

• Examine the relationship of the national component strategic plan to state and local components by providing attendees with an advance exercise that will help attendees to align and create initiatives to meet their component's short- and long-term goals
• Enhance skills and knowledge in the art of political influence through best practices sessions on the nuts and bolts of training members to advocate the AIA's collective message
• Groom future leaders through mentoring strategies and techniques and cultivating talents and teaching skills applicable to the profession such as volunteer recruitment, inspiration, and engagement
• Gain insights into the key leadership skills and techniques that will help prepare members for a future leadership role in their component, knowledge community, or special member group
• Promote and encourage inclusiveness through open and participatory information channels

Additional Links
Session Descriptions   l   Final Roster (by name)  l  Final Roster (by state)  l  2008 Excellence Award Recipients

Presented by
The American Institute of Architects

Conference Highlights
Detailed Agenda

Conference Highlights

Wednesday, February 20

• Preconference Workshops
• Board and CACE Meetings
• Contract Document Sales Meeting
• Opening General Session: Government Advocacy—Asserting Influence
• Identifying Future Leaders—Introduction of Candidates for National Office
• Regional Meetings/Dinners

Thursday, February 21

• Advocacy Breakfast
• General Session: Government Advocacy Basic Training
• Morning and Afternoon Government Advocacy Training  Sessions
• Advocacy Panel Discussion
• General Session: Awards Celebration
• Institute Open House and Octagon Exhibition

Friday, February 22

• Strategic Planning Group Breakfasts
• General Session: Collaborative Leadership
• Morning and Afternoon Collaborative Leadership Workshops
• General Session: AIA Member Forum
• Optional Keynote Presentation:  Overcoming Challenges as Experiences Through Migrating with the Caribous
• AAF Accent on Architecture Gala

Saturday, February 23

• Component Peer Groups Breakfasts
• Knowledge Community Breakfast
• Best Practices Sessions

Detailed Agenda
(All events will be held at the Grand Hyatt Washington unless otherwise noted. )

Session Descriptions

Upon registration, attendees will not receive a Grassroots binder, flash drive, or workshop handouts. Attendees are asked to visit this Web page to download the Grassroots handouts and other information. There will be continuous updates on this page before and after the conference.

Registration Fee
$295

Conference Registration

Advance registration has closed.  Registrations however will be accepted on-site.

Special Needs
The AIA is committed to making meetings and conferences accessible to all to the degree reasonably possible. Please notify us at the time of registration if you have special accessibility needs or specific dietary requirements. Contact Christine M. Klein, managing director of AIA Meetings,  202-626-7453.

Guests
In recognition that many professionals enjoy traveling and sharing experiences with their significant others, the AIA offers a guest rate for its conferences.

• Depending on the event, guests are those attending for personal reasons.
• Guests do not include people attending for professional reasons.
• Guests are not eligible to report continuing education learning units from an event.
• Also subject to space and other limitations, guests may register for optional events that are ticketed separately.

The AIA reserves the right to change the terms governing guest registration at any time. For registration questions, please contact AIA Information Central, 800-242-3837.

Registration Confirmation
Registration confirmations are mailed weekly. If you do not receive a registration confirmation within 10 business days after you register, please contact AIA Meetings. If you fax the registration form, please keep the fax transmittal confirmation for your records.

Registration Policy
Registrations postmarked after February 8, 2008, will not be processed in time to be included on the attendee roster. Registration and nametags will be produced on-site. All registrants will receive a registration confirmation via mail within 10 business days of sending your registration.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds, less a $50 cancellation fee, will be made for cancellations received in writing by Friday, January 25, 2008. The AIA will not issue refunds for cancellations received after January 26, 2008. Fax your cancellation requests to AIA Registrar, 202-626-7365. Please allow four to six weeks after the conference for the refund to be received.

A limited block of rooms has been reserved at Grand Hyatt Washington at 1000 H Street NW. Reservations must be received no later than January 28, 2008, for the group rate; however, the block may sell out prior to the deadline. You are responsible for making your own reservations. Reservations may be made, modified, or canceled online at https://resweb.passkey.com/go/aia08. Or you may contact the hotel directly, 202-582-1234, or by calling Central Reservations, 888-421-1442 (mention that you are attending AIA Grassroots Conference), to receive the group rate of $219 for single/double occupancy plus 14.5 percent state and local taxes. All reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card when you make your reservation. Cancellations made prior to 72 hours before arrival will be subject to a $50 fee, cancellations made within 72 hours will be charged one night’s fee.

Alternate Conference Hotels

The AIA is pleased to offer discounted airline and car rentals for this conference. To make your reservations, log on to the AIA Web site and click on the Travel Accommodations tab or contact the AIA’s official travel agency, Travel Technology Group, 800-388-8814 (or 312-527-7300 for international callers).

Air
American Airlines offers special rates and numerous discounts on round-trip fares in the United States. Attendees will receive a 5 percent discount off coach and first-class fares by using discount code A9228AR. You can book your flight in one of three ways:

• Contact your travel agent and advise them to call the American Airlines Meeting Services Desk toll-free, 800-433-1790, and refer to discount code A9228AR. The hours of operation are 5 a.m. to midnight Central Time every day. Reservations for the hearing and speech impaired are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-543-1586.
• Call American Airlines Meeting Services desk directly toll free, 800-433-1790, and refer to discount code A9228AR.
• Reservations may also be made directly through TTG or by logging on to the AIA Web site.

Train
Amtrak offers a 10 percent discount off the lowest available rail fare to Washington, D.C., from February 15 to February 27, 2008. Although convention travel cannot be booked via the Internet, you can make your reservation through the AIA’s official travel agency, Travel Technology Group, 800-866-8845 (or 312-527-7300 for international callers). Please be sure to refer to convention fare code X17R-928 when making your reservation. Fare is valid on Amtrak Regional and Acela service for all departures seven days a week, except for holiday blackouts. This offer is not valid on Auto Train but it is valid with sleepers, business class, and first class seats with payment of the full applicable accommodation charges.

Car Rental
Hertz: Special meeting rates are yours with Hertz. Hertz operates in more than 150 countries with almost 1,800 locations in the United States alone, including more than 1,000 suburban locations. Call 800-654-2200 to make a reservation. To receive the special meeting rates, use code CV#022Q3890.

Hertz Green Collection: Now you can reserve fuel-efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that are easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups traveling together. Reservable by specific make and model, with an EPA highway fuel efficiency rating of 28 miles or more per gallon, the Hertz Green Collection includes the following models:
• Toyota Camry
• Ford Fusion
• Buick LaCrosse
• Hyundai Sonata
• Subaru Outback

Please note the Green Collection is available in select cities and based on availability.

Avis: Avis is pleased to offer special discounts to all AIA meeting attendees. Reservations can be made directly with Avis by calling 800-331-1600 (refer to discount code A991499, visiting the AIA Web site and clicking on the Travel Accommodations tab, contacting TTG directly, or visiting the Avis Web site.

Airport Ground Transportation

Taxi Cab Fares
National Airport—approximately $15 and estimated travel time is 20–25 minutes based on traffic
Dulles Airport—approximately $50 and estimated travel time is 45–60 minutes based on traffic
Baltimore/Washington International Airport—approximately $60 and estimated travel time is 60–90 minutes based on traffic

Airport Shuttle
Super Shuttle is offering discounted service to and from downtown Washington area hotels:

• $1 off from Reagan National Airport
• $2 off from Dulles Airport
• $3 off from Baltimore/Washington International Airport

To get pricing or to make your reservation go to www.supershuttle.com and use discount code JM54J or click here to print your coupon for the discounted service and present it at the airport ($1 fuel surcharge and driver gratuity not included).

Local Area Restaurants

AIA Component/Networking Peer Groups

Continuing Education
Participants may earn up to 15.5 AIA Continuing Education Systen learning units (LUs) for attending the entire conference. A participant will not be eligible to receive credit for LUs unless we have received a completed registration form and payment.

Greening the Meeting
To help create an environmentally sustainable conference and reduce waste, the AIA is not distributing printed handouts or printed attendee trosters. As an alternative you will receive the advance attendee roster via e-mail a week prior to the meeting if you register by February 8, 2008.

You are encouraged to do your part as well to assist in the greening. For example, offset travel emission by participating in a carbon balanced traveler program such as www.my-climate.com or www.greentagusa.org

Force Majeure
The performance of this agreement by either party may be affected by force majeure (including but not limited to acts of God, acts of war or other acts of enemies, government regulation, disaster, strikes, floods, civil disorder, curtailment of transportation facilities, or other emergency or event beyond the control of the parties), thus making it inadvisable, unsafe, illegal, or impossible to provide required accommodations and/or meeting faclities, hold the meeting, or travel to the meeting. In the event of force majeure, either party to this agreement may terminate the agreement upon providing written notice to the other party without penalty or obligation. Such right of termination shall not be unreasonably exercised.

In addition the AIA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel this meeting. In that event the AIA shall refund to you all registration fees that it has received from you for this meeting but shall have no further oblication to you of any type, whether monetary or otherwise. Accordingly the AIA shall in no event have any liability to you based on claims for indirect, special, or consequential damages of any type whatsoever, and shall have no other obligation to you of any type except as expressly stated in the preceding sentence.