Here is the latest information regarding the SACES conference in Houston following Hurricane Ike. I have spoken to representatives from the Houston Convention Visitors Bureau and with our representatives at the Hilton Post Oak. The good news is that both groups have assured me that they are very optimistic that things will be back to “normal” in time for our conference. The Post Oak sustained only minor damage (landscaping and remarkably only one window broken), never lost power, and the staff are in remarkably good spirits.

Clearly, the reports from friends and the media in other areas of the gulf coast are much more troubling. Parts of the region will be struggling to get back to “normal” for weeks, months, or even longer, and it is uncomfortable to think about attending a conference while people are struggling nearby. I will reiterate the call that ACA issued for volunteers to help in the recovery efforts, and note too that there are many ways to support the recovery in this region. The Houston community will benefit, if even in a small way, if we go forward with the conference, contributing to the local economy and allowing cab drivers, cooks, housekeepers, and others to work. We will likely make some adjustments to the conference itself, primarily scaling back events, but please be assured that if we had concerns about your safety getting to or staying in Houston, we would cancel or relocate the conference.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. In the meantime, we are moving ahead with registration and high hopes that we can have a successful conference in a resilient city.

Gerard

SACES 2008 Conference Registration Form

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The SACES 2008 Conference will be held at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel, near Houston’s Galleria district, from Thursday October 23rd through Saturday October 25th. The schedule is below.

There are a couple new features at this year’s conference. We are offering two pre-conference workshops, designed to help busy counselor educators and supervisors meet their continuing education requirements. The first workshop presented by Barbara Herlihy and Harriet Glosoff, is called "Preparing Culturally Competent Counselors: An Ethical Imperative" and runs from 12:00-2:00. The second Pre-conference Workshop, called "Revitalizing Group Supervision: Strategies for Effective Leadership" is presented by Keith Mobley, and runs from 3:00 - 5:00. The pre-con workshops are only $15.00 each, and end in plenty of time to prepare for the “Welcome to Texas” opening reception Thursday evening. The conference sessions run Friday and Saturday, and will include 140 content sessions, 62 Poster Presentations, and 68 Roundtable sessions. And, if you are giving a poster presentation, you can purchase a poster during the registration process, for just $10.00 and save yourself the time and hassle of bringing the poster with you.

Registration is available on-line at: www.regonline.com/SACES_2008

Travel Options:

Air travel to Houston can be arranged through either Houston William P Hobby Airport (HOU) through George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH), or you can search both at once with airport code (QHO). Both airports are about 45 minutes from the hotel. There is shuttle service available with SuperShuttle, and their rate (as of June 2008) between Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and the Hilton Post Oak is $24 per person, one way, and the rate from Hobby Airport (HOU) is $19 per person, one way. Taxi service is about $45 each way, so if you are traveling with someone else, it is a toss up, but if you are arriving alone, SuperShuttle is probably less expensive. SuperShuttle reservations can be made by calling 1-800-BlueVan (258-3326) or online at www.supershuttle.com.

Hotel Accommodations:

We have a block of rooms reserved at the BEAUTIFUL Hilton Post Oak hotel. This is a tricky business, because we blocked a certain number of rooms based on an educated guess of how many people will be staying each night. It is helpful if folks reserve their rooms early, so we are able to adjust our block if necessary, and try to provide the best rate possible. You can reserve your room at the Houston Hilton Post Oak, by visiting http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/IAHWSHH-SAC-20081022/index.jhtml.

When planning your visit, the schedule is as follows:

Thursday October 23
Ethics Pre-conference Workshop 12:00-2:00
Supervision Pre-conference Workshop 3:00-5:00
Emerging Leaders Workshop 1:00-5:00
Opening Reception 6:00-8:00

Friday October 24

State President’s Breakfast 7:00-8:00 AM
Content, Poster, and Roundtable Sessions 8:00-5:20
Committee and Interest Network Meetings All Day
Business and Awards Luncheon 12:00-1:15
President’s Reception 5:30ish

Saturday October 25

Committee and Interest Network Chair’s Breakfast 7:00-8:00 AM
Committee and Interest Network Meetings 8:00-3:30
Content Sessions 8:00-3:30
Post and Roundtable Sessions 8:00-1:00

If you have any questions about the spectacular SACES 2008 conference, please contact Gerard Lawson at glawson@vt.edu.