Dear Skålleagues,
Hopefully, that light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter for you all. I think we're all ready to see our friends and fellow Skålleagues in person. We were hoping that the World Congress would move forward but began preparing to hold our National Committee Meeting at another venue just in case. Once we learned that they had canceled the Skål World Congress in Quebec City, we finalized our plans, and I’m pleased to announce that SKÅL USA will be hosting our NCM in Chicago September 10 - 12.
We chose Chicago because the central location was ideal, with nonstop flights available from most U.S. cities. We selected the Rosemont Hilton O’Hare Hotel as they offer shuttle service to and from the airport and have graciously offered our members an excellent rate for pre-and post-stays as long as rooms are available. We were looking for the most cost-effective convenient way for our members to attend.
The meeting and auxiliary programs will focus on membership growth and relevance and will feature smaller breakout sessions which will encourage creative thinking. We need to both grow and retain members and show them why Skål can benefit them professionally and personally.
Other sessions will focus on automation. Many of our members cannot navigate our websites. We cannot understate the importance of connecting our websites globally. We are actively working on rebuilding our website into one that everyone can connect to and integrate with Skål International. One login, and you’ll have access to both your local and global library and news. No more calls or emails to the help desk. We hope to have all of that ready in time to share with you in detail at the NCM.
All Skål members are invited and encouraged to attend the meeting. Of course, our meetings can’t be all business and no play. We have some fun things to do planned as well. Friday night, we are planning an evening dinner cruise on Lake Michigan, and after the meetings on Saturday, we’ll have a group dinner at Carlucci’s, a short distance from our hotel.
How great will it be to see our friends in three dimensions again instead of squares on a zoom screen! I hope you all join us in Chicago and renew your Skål spirit.
English
