> Seattle's fine. Boston too would be fine. I just don't like/trust Logan. > > Now if someone in or around Albuquerque could schedule an IWP9 some year > around the beginning of October.... Tough place to get to, but kill two > birds w/ one stone (flight): IWP9 + Albuquerque International Ballon > Fiesta.
I'm not currently living in Albuquerque, but I've lived there maybe half my life. I am also on the board of directors of a small non-profit which operates out of Albuquerque and I have some interesting connections that might be able to help at least set things up. One of these connections is an old friend who is a professional conference organizer for the Marriott. In addition to the Balloon Fiesta, there are other potentially interesting venues for day-trips such as one of the worlds largest trams (runs to a 10,000 foot mountain peak), wildlife refuges, Old Town, Pueblos, and for the geekier there is Kirtland AFB, Sandia National Labs, and various tech centers. If we did not have the conference in a big hotel like the Marriott, maybe we could get the HPCC at UNM to give us access to conference rooms, etc. (which would likely cut down on expenses). Ron's comment on cost is important to note, but possibly more important is that it becomes almost impossible to find ANY accommodations in the area at that time. So, if you were serious about this I take a look into it and find out what it would take. EBo --
