<HTML>In a message dated 7/18/2002 2:54:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, draine@attbi.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:Re: "PTG Convention is focused on teaching...." Date:7/18/2002 2:54:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time From:<A HREF="mailto:draine@attbi.com">draine@attbi.com</A> Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> To:<A HREF="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> CC:<A HREF="mailto:draine@attbi.com">draine@attbi.com</A> Sent from the Internet .    </BLOCKQUOTE>                Well Patrick           I understand all this  but how about some new ideas to keep the cost down on hotel rooms and facilitys, like going to a university setting such as our own Sac state ,which is more than set up to handle such an event. The cost would be incredibly cheaper as the pianos would already be there and hotels within walking distance or shuttle for under 50 bucks a night. This would allow for more instructors to be attracted to teach as they'd be compensated thru higher registration offset by lower hotel and food cost.   How bout some creative solutions other than the same old whining bout why something can't be done? >>>>>>>>Dale Erwin>>>>>> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Unfortunately the Home Office isn't set up to print up US $ on demand. The alternatives are 1) massive increases in registration fees &/or 2) increases in dues. Both of these are eminently reasonable moves BUT they would no doubt result in much howling-in-pain about said increases. Most trade &/or professional associations have much higher dues and convention fees than we do. I think Dale's comment was in the context of current and near future PTG budgets, and doubt that large registration fee increases are in the pipeline. Patrick Draine </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>