Every October, over 550 activity professionals from all over the state of Minnesota come together for the Minnesota Statewide Activity Professionals annual fall conference. This three day event offers top quality educational sessions and speakers, networking, and vendor displays. These activity professionals work in Long Term Care, Assisted Living, Adult Day Programs, Group Homes, Retirement Communities and other healthcare settings.
The conference is held every October in St. Cloud at the Holiday Inn. There are opportunities for individuals, businesses, organizations, and services to be part of the conference exhibitor and vendor display area.
2008 Conference Dates and Schedule
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
| 1:30 – 4:00 pm |
Set-up at poolside |
| 4:00 pm |
Pre-opening (conference pre-sessions will be in progress) |
| 5:30 – 7:00 pm |
Vendor Grand Opening |
No educational sessions or conference events will be held at this time. The Vendor Grand Opening will be advertised in the conference brochure and has become a popular event each year. Door prizes are given to those in attendance at the vendor fair. If you would like to donate a door prize for this event, you can do so at the conference.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
| 7:00 am – 5:30 pm |
Vendor displays and exhibits open all day and ends at 5:30 pm |
There are extended beverage breaks in the morning and afternoon to allow conference participants to visit the vendors.
|
Vending/Exhibitor Arrangements
- Vending/Exhibiting will be held poolside October 8-10, 2008
-
All Vendors/Exhibitors will be charged a per table or floor space fee for the 2 day conference. Please indicate table or floor space on the vendor registration form.
- Physical set-up (moving/arranging of tables, chairs, etc) will be done by the hotel staff and MN SWAP Vendor contact person
- Vendor set-up will be 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm on October 8, 2008, under the direction of Betty Braegelman, MN SWAP contact person.
- To efficiently utilize the vending area, MN SWAP will plan the layout of vendor and exhibitors and pre-assign all vendor spots. A sign on the table or space will indicate the vendor’s assigned location. Vendor spots will not be pre-reserved.
- Vendors who wish to send catalogs only will be charged a representation fee. See vendor registration form for further information.
- To register, print the vendor registration form and mail to Betty Braegelman along with the appropriate fee.
- To have your company name, address, phone number, and website published in the conference book at no charge, registration must be received by July 21, 2008. Send to Betty Braegelman.
- All vendors will receive a complimentary breakfast on Thursday, October 9th. Lunch and Thursday evening banquet meals are also available for a fee. Inquire at the conference registration table.
- For information on phone line for credit card or computer connection, contact Betty Braegelman. There is a fee for a phone line and is paid directly to the Holiday Inn for this service.
Fees
Fees are for the entire conference vending time.
Table Space $60 per table
1- 6 foot table with 2 feet of floor space on each side or 4 feet of space at one end
Floor Space $60 per space
10 feet long by 6 feet wide. This space measurement will be marked.
Electricity $35
Catalog Representation $40
A maximum of 300 catalogs must be clearly marked “MNSWAP Conference” and mailed directly to the Holiday Inn, 75 South 37th Ave, PO Box 1104, St, Cloud, MN 56302
Catalogs must be mailed for arrival no earlier than Thursday, October 2, 2008 and no later than Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Area Hotels
Because the conference draws many activity professionals to the conference, the rooms at the Holiday Inn fill up fast. Here is a listing of other hotels in the St. Cloud area.
Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites (conference location) |
1-800-465-4329 |
Radission Suite Hotel |
320-654-1661 |
Country Inn and Suites |
320-259-8999 |
Gateway Motel |
320-252-4050 |
Super 8 Motel |
320-253-5530 |
Best Western Kelly Inn |
320-253-0606 |
Comfort Inn |
320-251-1500 |
|
