Subject: RE: [Harp-L] SPAH St Louis 2013 hotel

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Steve: 
 
Once you become a SPAH member, all of this info will be sent to you in the  
mail with your SPAH package along with issues of Harmonica Happenings so I  
suggest you sign up, something I believe you can still do at the 
_www.spah.org_ (http://www.spah.org)  site. Click on the log in/join link.  It's 
$50.00 this year for an individual/$65.00 per family to join for the year. 
 
 
The typical SPAH convention Hotel Room usually comes in around $99 per  
night (or less, depending on how good a deal SPAH arranged with the Hotel). Of  
course there are always those 'extra' taxes Smokey's mentioned. Many people 
 wish to keep costs down so if you're traveling alone and would like to  
share a room to cut expenses, there will be a bulletin board you can post  on 
at the SPAH site as the Convention draws closer.
 
The entire cost of the Festival (which is a more accurate description to me 
 since I think Convention gives some people the wrong idea about what it's  
like) is roughly $175(?) if I remember correctly (unless it's gone up a few 
 dollars) INCLUDING your Saturday night dinner for which most people do 
dress up  a bit, although some don't. This includes ALL of the evening shows 
and  seminars, as well as the Saturday Night main Entertainment (the biggest  
night) with one exclusion: the Al and Judy Smith chromatic teaching  Seminar 
which is a separate charge (a nominal $30 fee - paid separately for  those 
who wish to sign up and usually quickly booked up). You get a LOT for your  
money at SPAH. The biggest cost will be the Airfare to and from (assuming 
you're  flying?) and your meals apart from the Banquet. IF you can drive there 
 and/or share a ride; pick up some groceries to keep in your  room, you'll 
be considerably ahead of the game.
 
Harmonica will be heard in every nook and cranny of the Hotel --at least on 
 those floors designated for the Festival and in rooms you pass by where  
harmonica players are staying, as well as outside. Groups of all  sizes play 
together everywhere and you'll make friends immediately. All it  takes is a 
smile and an introduction. Once you register you'll have a name tag  to wear 
and inside your packet will include your booklet and list of events. I'd  
suggest you don't miss the Filisko teach-ins and do check out the evening 
Blues  and Jazz jams --since they're both extremely enjoyable even if you 
prefer to  listen in at first.
 
Trust me, you'll remember this as one of the most enjoyable times of your  
life and will come away having made a whole host of new harmonica friends. 
I'm  sure hoping I can get back to SPAH this year--especially since it's the 
big 50th  Anniversary celebration. I've missed it very much after attending 
14 Harmonica  conventions (including 6 SPAH's) since 2005.
 
Best,
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 7
Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 16:19:11 -0700
From: "Steve Pirner"  <medicalop@xxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] SPAH St Louis 2013  hotel
To: "'Winslow Yerxa'" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>,  <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Winslow,

Could you please give us  "virgin" SPAH goers, a little primer on the
convention. For example, once you  join SPAH, what are the costs involved in
attending the convention? What is  the registration fee for the conventions
and are the seminars included in the  registration fee, etc., etc.? I can't
seem to find any of this information on  the SPAH website. 

Thanks so much...I'm sure I'm not the only person  wondering! :)

Steve
Goodyear, AZ