Hi everyone!

Well, it's time for all the convention details you have been waiting for! Below is the IBBA 2002 Niagara Falls Convention presentation schedule, full registration details, as well as accommodation and travel information.

The theme of this year's IBBA Convention is "Expand Your Horizons." Many of the presentations this year explore using your existing butterfly knowledge to expand your efforts into new ventures to increase your bank account! Have you ever thought about becoming a butterfly gardening consultant? If you know butterflies and their hostplants, you have the knowledge to do it! Have you wanted to do educational programmes but were unsure how to break into it? Come visit us in Niagara Falls and let us explore new opportunities together. Come and "Expand Your Horizons" to open a whole new world of possibilities for yourself and your butterfly business!

The IBBA 2002 Niagara Falls Convention will held at the Renaissance Fallsview Hotel (www.renaissancefallsview.com) located very near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The Convention will start on Friday, 1 November 2002 at 2 p.m. and end on Sunday, 3 November 2002 at 1 p.m. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the hotel at: 1-800-363-3255. This is a toll-free call from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. For reservations from outside the U.S. and Canada, please contact me directly at minnehan@infinet.com and I will make arrangements to have our hotel person contact you to secure your accommodations.

Special Room Rates Exclusively for our convention:

Single - $99 CDN
Double - $99 CDN
Triple - $109 CDN
Quads - $119 CDN

Please Note: These prices are in CANADIAN DOLLARS! The current exchange rate is 0.626522 (as of 5 Aug.), meaning that one Canadian dollar would cost you about 63 cents in U.S. dollars. The exchange rate may vary daily, but right now at this rate, the $99 CDN Single room rate would cost you about $62.03 in U.S. dollars! And remember, the Renaissance Hotel chain is a top quality hotel, and this is a great rate! Don't worry about messing with the exchange rate or paying in Canadian dollars... if you use your Visa or MasterCard, your card company will automatically handle the exchange for you... just know that this is a GREAT exchange rate, and your U.S. dollar will go much further in Canada!

IMPORTANT: To obtain these special rates, you MUST state you want the International Butterfly Breeders Association rate, or you will not be able to get your room at these rates! These rates are for standard "cityview" rooms, and would normally cost $159 CDN or more! We are guaranteed that these special rates will not be available anywhere else... so if any of you are able to find a rate at this hotel for less money, internet or anywhere else, please let me know! NOTE: This special room rate will not be available after 1 October, and there are a limited number of rooms available, so please make your room reservations NOW so you won't miss out!

These rooms are available to reserve anytime beginning NOW through 1 October. The convention dates are 1, 2, & 3 November 2002, but don't forget that Linda and Nigel will also have their Butterfly Breeders Seminar on 31 October 2002 (details HERE) and these special room rates will be good for that date too... in fact, if you wish to visit Niagara Falls a day or two before or stay a day or two after the Seminar & Convention, these special rates will be good then also. PLEASE let me know if you run into any problems reserving your rooms, and I will help, I promise. This is a WONDERFUL hotel with a great indoor pool and it is very close to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (just outside the front door!). Besides the special room rates we are getting, we will also have free parking at the hotel (they normally charge since it is so close to the Falls!) I have worked hard to get us the best deal possible, and I think you will all love this hotel! Our meeting rooms and everything will be first class!

The IBBA 2002 Niagara Falls Convention Presentation Schedule

Final Revision, October 20.

FRIDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 2002

SATURDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2002

SUNDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2002

As you can see, a lot of your food needs are being offered by our hotel, and all of these food costs are covered in your convention registration fees!

Convention Registration Fees

IBBA Members:

$175 if registering BEFORE 1 October 2002
$200 if registering on 1 October or thereafter

Non-IBBA Members:

$200 if registering BEFORE 1 October 2002
$225 if registering on 1 October or thereafter

Extra tickets for the Banquet or Sunday morning buffet breakfast, if needed:

Your convention registration fee also pays for a special banquet on Saturday night, and a breakfast buffet on Sunday morning. No further payment is required from anyone who has registered for the convention.

If you wish to bring any guests, spouses, family members etc. to the banquet and/or buffet (i.e. any individuals who have not paid to attend the convention) there will be a charge for each additional person:

Extra Banquet ticket per additional person: $30.00

Extra Breakfast Buffet ticket per additional person: $12.50

To repeat, the extra payment is required only for extra guests and spouses not registered for the convention. Convention registrants do not need to pay, these events are already included in their registration fee. No limits or discounts apply.

***** All funds quoted are U.S. Dollars *****

How To Register For The Convention

EVERYONE attending the convention must pre-register. You may register for the convention by visiting the registration form page HERE.

Registration is now open! You may mail the registration form into the IBBA Treasurer Doddie Drake (mailing address is on the registration form) along with your personal cheque (made out the IBBA) or by using PayPal and then mailing in your completed registration form. Any questions regarding registration payments or registration in general, please contact Doddie Drake directly at: flutter@wcc.net.

Regardless of your form of payment, for added security we suggest that you send an e-mail to Doddie informing her that your registration and payment is on the way.

Vendor Tables

A limited number of vendor tables are available at the following rates:

In ADDITION to the convention registration fee above,

$50 per table (2' x 6')

$25 for each additional table

All tables will be provided by the convention hotel.

In ADDITION to the convention registration fee AND the fee for tables, each vendor will be asked to provide 10% of their GROSS intake made at the convention to the IBBA.

All vendors will be required to man their tables during the hours that the convention meeting room is open.

All vendor tables will be inside the convention meeting room, and the room will be locked by the hotel when the convention is not in session.

No discounts for extra vendor staff help... each person will be required to register for the convention individually.

For more information on obtaining a vendor table, please contact Nancy Hobart at: harold.hobart@snet.net.

Special Note to Vendors and Everyone Bringing Items To Sell At The Convention:

Many people may forget that Canada is a different country and is outside the USA. You will be crossing the border and will be subject to all Canadian rules, regulations, AND duties or other taxes if bringing in items to sell at the convention.

For full information on how this may affect you, please click HERE.

Shuttle Service From Toronto and Buffalo Airports (and back again)

We are working on providing a shuttle service between the Toronto and Buffalo Airports' full details will be available soon. We will need to charge a nominal fee to cover expenses of $10 (U.S.) per person, one way, for IBBA Members and their guests and families, and $15 (U.S.) per person, one way, for non-members. Pick-ups will need to be arranged in advance. Watch for details on the IBBA list and Butterfly Family list.

Besides our convention shuttle, there is a commercial company that provides shuttle service between our convention hotel and both airports' Niagara Airbus (www.niagaraairbus.com) has quoted us a rate of $71.10 (Canadian Dollars), roundtrip, from the Toronto Airport, and a rate of $75 (Canadian Dollars), roundtrip, from the Buffalo Airport (yes, this is correct... even though Buffalo is closer, tolls and the border crossing slow things down, thus the slightly higher rate for pick-up from Buffalo). You may contact "Lou" at 905-327-4978 or loup@bellnet.ca for specific questions. Just be sure to mention the International Butterfly Breeders Association if you make arrangements to obtain these special rates. This service is also by reservation.

Border Crossing Information For ALL Attendees:

U.S. citizens crossing the border into Canada (and back again) may be asked for proof of citizenship. The following forms of identification are acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship:

a valid or expired U.S. passport; or
an original or certified copy of a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

voter's registration cards are not accepted as proof of citizenship.

For information on visiting Niagara Falls and Canada in general, click HERE

For official visitor information from the Canadian Government, click HERE

Visiting Canada From Outside the USA:

Citizens of all countries, except the USA, Greenland and residents of St. Pierre et Miquelon, must bring a valid passport. Some may be required to obtain a visitor's visa: for details, please consult the Canadian embassy or consulate serving your home country.

Obtaining A Canadian Tax Refund On Items Purchased In Canada During Your Visit:

Each time you make a purchase from Canadian stores you will be charged Provincial (PST) and Federal (GST) Taxes. As a visitor, you may be entitled to a refund of some of these taxes. For more information, click HERE.

Please note FYI: You must get your receipts stamped by Canadian customs officials as you leave Canada in order to qualify for a refund.

Why Should I Attend The IBBA Convention?

This is the first time our convention has been held in this region, so there are likely to be many breeders attending an IBBA Convention who have never experienced one before. While it is fun to connect faces with names we are familiar with from our mailing lists, our convention is much more than a social event. Our conventions are wonderful opportunities for learning the latest techniques and advances in butterfly breeding by some of the leading experts in the profession. The networking opportunities for meeting and establishing professional contacts are tremendous! Ask anyone who has attended a convention before - our IBBA Convention is the only one of its kind for the experienced or beginning commercial butterfly breeder! Plus, seeing Rick Mikula in action is worth the price of admission alone!

Should I Plan On Attending Both the IBBA Convention and Linda and Nigel's Seminar? Isn't It All The Same Information?

The same information? No way! Both events are separate, but held in the same place. The IBBA Convention offers a wide diversity of speakers covering an extensive variety of topics, whereas the Seminar is focused on specific breeding topics. For example, this year's Convention will be focusing on "Expanding Your Horizons," exploring different methods of marketing your knowledge of butterflies, involving other areas you may have never explored or even thought of before, or didn't know the steps to getting into these other areas. The Seminar, on the other hand, is focusing on specific ideas for expanding breeding productivity and offers detailed individual help for beginners and advanced breeders alike! By attending BOTH events, you are maximizing your butterfly education and will be taking your business to new heights! Two events, one location! A "One-Two PUNCH" of butterfly breeding excitement!

Still Have Questions?

Please write me directly at minnehan@infinet.com for any questions, problems or concerns you may have.

See you in Niagara Falls!

Best regards,

Randy Minnehan
IBBA Events Chairman