You are invited to participate in the 47th annual convention of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), to be held at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, July 4 - 12, 2008.
Approximately 2,000 blind and visually impaired people are expected to attend the convention from across the United States and from several foreign countries. There will be blind entrepreneurs, students, teachers, attorneys, musicians, parents and rehabilitation professionals. There will be people looking for work, people who use all kinds of adaptive technology; people who are interested in large print, recorded, digital or Braille products; and elderly people who are just learning to live with vision loss.
As a convention exhibitor, sponsor and/or advertiser, you will showcase your products and services to a broad cross-section of blind and visually impaired people as well as show your support for the good work of the American Council of the Blind.
Below you will find details on how to become an exhibitor, how to advertise in the official convention program and newspaper, how to become a convention sponsor, and how to place your product samples and literature in our registration bags.
To reserve ad and booth space, and to customize a sponsorship package that will meet your unique goals, please complete the following online forms provided for your convenience.
For more information, contact Michael Smitherman (Exhibits) or Brenda Dillon (Advertising and Sponsorships), or visit our website at www.acb.org/convention.
Thank you in advance for your participation in the 2008 ACB convention.
Michael Smitherman, Exhibits Coordinator
Phone: (601(366-5523
email:
amduo@bellsouth.net
Brenda Dillon, Advertising and Sponsorship Coordinator
Phone: (615(874-1223
email:
brendan0@bellsouth.net
To reserve an exhibit booth or order convention advertising, first thoroughly read the information and instructions below. Then complete the online Exhibit and Advertising Registration Form.
Check out the 2008 sponsorship information; use the handy sponsorship registration form to add your company name to your preferred events. Event sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please provide all information requested. Your designated contact will receive on-site materials for your company. If you utilize a third party for booth management, please include address.
Premium booths include 8- by 10-foot booth space, color-coordinated backdrops and side curtains, large print and Braille booth signs, one 8-foot skirted table, two chairs, one wastebasket, ONE electrical hook-up with three outlets, and complimentary listing of your name and booth number in the Exhibit Area Guide.
Tabletop and ACB affiliate booths include draping and sign, one 8-foot skirted table, two chairs, wastebasket and listing in Exhibit Area Guide. Electricity is NOT available for these booths.
NEW THIS YEAR! ACB wants to help blind entrepreneurs such as musicians, authors, craftspeople and others grow their businesses and market their products at the national convention. Look for big discounts on tabletop booths for blind and visually-impaired small-business owners who participate in the Exhibit Hall for the first, second or third time.
Early-bird registrations (by June 1, 2008) receive a discount off full convention rates, and will be included in the official convention program. Pricing in parentheses is late registration amount. We reserve the right to accept exhibitor registrations in accordance with ACB Resolution 99-30.
The American Council of the Blind, the ACB National Convention Committee, the Galt House Hotel, and show management are NOT responsible for contents placed in booths.
DO NOT SHIP EXHIBIT MATERIALS TO THE HOTEL. Use the drayage services provided by the decorator so your boxes will be waiting for you at your booth.
Booth space will be assigned when full payment is received.
Dates and hours of exhibits are:
Saturday, July 5, 9:00 AM - Noon, Set-up; 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Exhibits open; 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Exhibitor Reception
Sunday, July 6, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday, July 7, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday, July 8, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, July 9, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, July 10, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM; 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, tear-down
Cancellation requests must be received in writing. We will honor cancellation requests according to the date the request is received as follows:
Before June 1 - Full refund
June 1 - 14 Fifty percent (50%) refund
After June 14 - NO refund
Let the world know about your products and services by placing your ad in the official convention program. Your ad works for you long after convention week; we place your ad and links to your email and website (if included in your ad) on our Convention Program Advertisers page at www.acb.org/convention. Many attendees keep their programs as a reference throughout the year.
NEW COLOR PAGES - Place a full-page ad in our program and select the color option. A great way to have your ad stand out from the competition!
The ACB convention program will be available in Braille and large print, on cassette tape, and in electronic format at the convention and on our website. Printed programs will be spiral-bound, black ink on white paper, 8-1/2- by 11-inch pages, and 18-point font (large print). We recommend that you use nothing smaller than a 16-point font when designing your ad.
All ads must be submitted with registration form (electronic format preferred). ACB does not have the capability to develop, produce, repair defects/damage, or resize advertising materials. Ads must be received by June 1, 2008 to be included in the convention program.
Prices in parentheses are special exhibitors' discounts.
Let us drop your information or branded items in our registration bags. Conventioneers like finding ink pens, sample-size lotions, lapel pins, signature guides, discount or contest coupons, large print or Braille brochures, packaged snacks etc. in their goody bags.
ACB must approve all items to be inserted in bags. Submit product samples to the Minneapolis office prior to June 10.
Registration inserts MUST BE RECEIVED at the hotel by June 30, 2008; we cannot guarantee that materials received after this date will be included in the bags. Shipping address for registration inserts will be provided by June 10, 2008.
Prices in parentheses are special exhibitors' discounts.
Place your ad in the convention newspaper, published daily July 5 through 10. The newspaper is available in Braille, large print, electronic format, and via telephone and email. It's another great way to drive traffic to your exhibit booth or promote your products even if you cannot attend the convention.
Newspaper ads are text only; no graphics, please. Submit ads with registration forms (electronic format preferred). Prices in parentheses are special exhibitors' discounts.
For additional information concerning exhibits, please contact Michael Smitherman, Exhibits Coordinator, at home (601)366-5523 or work (601)968-4164 or by email at amduo@bellsouth.net.
For questions about advertising and sponsor packages, contact Brenda Dillon, Advertising and Sponsorship Co-coordinator, at (615)874-1223 or by email at brendan0@bellsouth.net.