| Last updated
Monday, June 14, 2010 BRAT Convention 2010
Thursday, June 24 - Sunday, June 27, 2010
Amenities
| Events | Event Prices
| Vendors
Raffle/Auction Items | Convention Store
| Useful Links
Volunteer Opportunities |
Convention Survey |
FAQ
Holiday Inn Alexandria
625 First Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1511
Hotel Front Desk: 1-703-548-6300
Hotel Website
Group Reservations
Group Discount Rate: $109 per night
(Suites available at an additional
expense.)
This group rate expires Monday, May 24, 2010.
Phone Reservations: 1-800-HOLIDAY
Online Reservations
Amenities
§ Just a flat $25 pet fee for your stay
§ On-premises restaurant and cafe
§ Indoor/outdoor pool
§ Fitness center
§ Free shuttle to and from DCA airport and King Street
§ Free high-speed Internet access in rooms
§ Spa facilities
§ Pet friendly (of course)
§ On-site ATM
§ Free garage parking
§ Grocery store across the street
§ Walk a few blocks to a small off-leash dog park
§ Walk or drive to Old Town Alexandria shops and restaurants
§ And more . . .
Schedule of Events
Please note the venue change for all events
on Friday and Saturday!
Thursday, June 24
§
12:00 p.m. District Coordinators Working Meeting
§ Registration and Check-In
§
6:00 p.m. Meet and Greet at our host hotel restaurant, Holiday Inn,
on the upper level
Due to an accidental double-booking of our event
space at the Holiday Inn, our Friday and Saturday seminars and
our Saturday evening banquet are going to take place at their sister
hotel, the Crowne Plaza, just 1½ blocks away from our host hotel. The
address is 901 North Fairfax Street. Hotel parking is available.
Friday, June 25
§
8:00 a.m. Registration and Check-In
§ 8:30 a.m. - 10:30
a.m. Welcome, Opening Remarks, and Introductions
§
Friday Morning Seminar
§
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Tellington Touch
with Pam Wanveer of
Woodside TTouch
will present the techniques that have been proven to
overcome behavioral, physical, and performance problems in
companion animals and horses.
§ Lunch—On
your own or Special Interest Topic Lunches
§
Friday Afternoon Seminars
§
Ask the Behaviorist with Pam Nashman,
CPDT-KA of
All About Dogs. Pam is a colleague and protégé of author
Colleen Pelar and she has experience working with basenjis.
§
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Health and Aging with Dr. Kim
Danoff, DVM of Paws To Heal Veterinary Hospital.
§
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Your Dog's Friend Agility Training
with Michelle Mange of Right Start Maryland.
§
5:30 p.m. The BRAT Picnic will be held at Montgomery Park, 901
North Royal Street—directly across the street from the Crowne Plaza.
The deadline to register to attend the picnic is
Thursday, June 17. Visit the
BRAT
Convention Store online to purchase event tickets or send
email to the
Convention Coordinator indicating you will attend and the
number of persons in your party so that we can ensure we order
enough food for everyone.
Saturday, June 26
§
Saturday Morning Seminars
§
8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. The Wimauma, Florida Rescue Effort
with Pam Hamilton.
§
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Rescue in the Digital Age with BRAT
president Mike Swan and BRAT volunteers Kristen Ayers, and Pam
Hamilton.
§
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Fosters: The 'Heart' of Rescue.
Panelists discuss the joys and pains of fostering.
§
12:30 p.m. Advisory Board Meeting
§
Saturday Afternoon Seminars
§
Holistic Care & Breeding/Raw Diet
with champion breeder James Hicks.
§
Diet & Nutrition with Pennye
Jones-Napier of
The Big
Bad Woof.
§
Maryland's Dog Whisperer
with
Susie Homire, DVM.
§ 6:30 p.m. Banquet, Awards, and Auction/Raffle
The deadline to register to attend the banquet is
Thursday, June 17. Visit the
BRAT
Convention Store online to purchase event tickets or send
email to the
Convention Coordinator indicating you will attend and the
number of persons in your party so that we can ensure we order
enough food for everyone.
Sunday, June 27
§ Farewell
Event Prices
§
Friday Seminars Day Pass, $5
§
Friday Picnic, $15
§
Saturday Seminars Day Pass, $5
§
Saturday Banquet, $30
Event prices are all-inclusive (there are no
additional fees/taxes) and cover the cost of the meal. The $5/day fee
for the Seminars Day Pass will help cover the cost of renting the
meeting space. There is no 'profit' for BRAT included in these fees.
Therefore, we encourage you to buy plenty of raffle tickets for the many
wonderful raffle items. The raffle and silent auction are the only
fundraising income for BRAT during Annual Convention.
Vendors
§ Cary Hall-Warner—Petlane Products
§ And more . . .
Other businesses
wishing to sell products during the convention must contact the
Convention Coordinator to secure booth space.
Raffle/Auction Items
Each year, the primary fundraising event for the Convention is a
raffle of a number of prizes. This year we are lining up an amazing
array of items for silent auction and/or raffle.
§
Thundershirt—The
best solution for dog anxiety.
§
Basenji greeting cards by greeting card designer Jean-Philippe
Laplagne of
Dodger Design
Studio.
§
Art prints by artist
Dave Schock.
§
Basenji Sculpture by
Kenn Klick.
§
Basenji paintings from PropellerDog.com
§
Framed digital-tinted photograph by Mark Murphy of
K9TAG
§
Stuffed Basenjis from Donna Troyna of
Total
Basenjis
§
Donna Troyna will also be donating a full set of life-sized stuffed
basenjis!
§
Photo quilt with photos and logos from past Conventions from
Katherine Moore.
§
Painting by graphic designer Mark Zeigler.
§
$100 gift certificate for
Petlane
Products from Patricia Petersen.
§
Basenji topiary by
Petlane
Products from Carey Hall-Warner (Carey donates a portion of
all her Petlane sales to BRAT.)
§
Painting by graphic designer Mark Zeigler.
§
Gourd art by Pat Dukes.
§
Giclée print, Guarding
Dreams by Susan Kamen-Marsicano from Chey Miller.
§
Four afghans from Nelson Kahler
§
Weiss Walkie Harness
A veritable treasure trove of basenji items
from Joan Duszka including:
§
12 x 14 signed/numbered limited edition print of a Basenji by L.T.
Raciot (1992)
§
A genuine African Hunting Bell worn by basenjis in Africa, with a
photo of natives carrying a dog wearing the bell
§
Basenji jewelry
§
Many additional items
Convention Store
§
The BRAT convention online store is now open for business.
Click here to
purchase convention t-shirts, totes, event tickets, and seminar day
passes. Other items will be added as they become available.
Useful Links
§ Convention Ride Board: Need a ride? Have a rescue that needs a ride? (coming soon)
§
BRAT
Convention Store: Register, buy event tickets, order
t-shirts, etc.
§
Old Town Alexandria
visitor
information.
§
Washington, DC
visitor information.
Volunteer Opportunities
There are a number of opportunities for people to volunteer to assist
with the Convention planning, especially for people living in or near
the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. If you are interested in
getting involved, please contact the
Convention Coordinator to learn more
(or tell him) about how you can help make this a memorable Convention.
Convention Survey
If
you're planning to attend, it would be a great help with our planning if
you would RSVP by
clicking here. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is parking available?
The hotel has a private parking lot. BRAT guests will receive
free parking for the duration of their stay.
We would like to do some
sight-seeing in DC. Is it easy to get into the District and is parking
accessible?
DC is literally right across the river from Alexandria, and
only 7-10 minutes drive from the host hotel. You can find parking around
the National Mall in DC, if you are willing to drive around a bit to
look for an open spot. However, you can also get into DC using the Metro
(subway), taxi, or various tours. We'll provide lots of sight-seeing
information as part of your registration packet and the hotel has still
more. You might want to investigate some of these alternative
transportation options and avoid the hassles of driving and parking in
DC. Speaking of tours, if you are interested in guided tours around DC,
you can find almost every kind imaginable from "Duck Tours" (amphibious
vehicles) to bicycle tours to Segway tours. Of course, you might prefer
to just strike out on your own since there is so much to see. Just
remember to bring your walking shoes, and you might want to start your
'spring training' by building up your walking tolerance now. The
National Mall is very deceptive—it's much larger than it feels. You can
spend the entire day just walking around the Mall and the various
museums and monuments.
Can we bring our Basenji(s)?
Our host hotel was selected because it is one of the few
(affordable) pet-friendly hotels in the area. Your dogs are welcome.
BRAT guests will be charged a single $25 flat pet fee for the duration
of your stay. Since housekeeping will need to enter to clean and refresh
your room, it is suggested that your Basenji remain crated if left in
the room alone to avoid any escapees running the halls—and to avoid any
damage to the rooms. In addition, your dogs are welcome to attend the
seminar sessions with you during the day, and of course at the picnic on
Friday evening.
Are there pet services
available?
You will be provided a map as part of your registration
packet which will mark the location of nearby pet services, including
Banfield Animal Hospital and PetSmart about 5 minutes drive from the
hotel. There is a small off-leash dog park near the hotel where you can
take your Basenji during lunch or evening breaks. Of course, Old Town
Alexandria is a very walking-friendly area and there are lots of small
parks along the waterfront if you'd like to take your dog for a stroll
around town. Many shops in Old Town are pet friendly as well.
Is there anything special we
should know about local ordinances for dogs?
Dogs are required to be leashed except in off-leash dog parks.
However, you will find that many people allow their dogs to run
off-leash in unenclosed parks as well. Local dogs are required to be
licensed, but visitors may wish to bring a current health certificate
just as proof their dog has the basic vaccinations that are required for
licensing (bordatella, DHPP, rabies). Owners are expected to "scoop your
poop" to keep the city clean. We will be providing free 'green' poop
bags for BRAT guests since many people aren't used to that requirement
at home.
Will there be food and beverages
available during the day?
The hotel does not provide a continental breakfast, however there
is a coffee shop and restaurant in the hotel lobby area. BRAT will have
coffee and tea service in the meeting room. Lunches are on your own.
There are a number of eating establishments within a few blocks walking
distance of the hotel as well as a Giant grocery store across the
street. |
