The news release below popped up in my mailbox this week.
"Take Off With ALA” This January to Palm Springs, CA for LabAutomation2009
Innovative Collaboration Designed to Maintain Momentum and Success of the
Annual Conference and Exhibition Despite Difficult Economic Times
CHICAGO – The Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA), a multi-disciplinary, non-profit scientific society serving diverse industries and technology sectors, announces a new mission-centric program intended to diminish the financial impact of rising travel costs on individuals interested in participating in the organization’s annual conference and exhibition, LabAutomation2009, January 24-28, Palm Springs, CA, USA.
The unprecedented “Take Off With ALA” discount program provides $200 off airfare for the first 500 airline tickets purchased by full-conference paid registrants for the LabAutomation2009 conference and exhibition. This discount applies to any airline available through the LabAutomation2009 Travel Desk. ALA guidelines, policies and disclaimers apply. Visit labautomation.org for complete details.
Cool! Trade shows in general have fallen on hard times. We know the reasons: the Internet, tighter budgets, less time, crummy travel, etc. Good to see these folks taking some creative steps to keep the folks coming. It'll be interesting to see how well the strategy works. Maybe other organizations will adopt similar strategies.
