2008 ILDA Conference overview

Tom Harman and Christine Jenkin from Laser Production Network (LaserNet) will be hosting the 2008 ILDA Conference on board the Carnival Imagination, cruising the Eastern Caribbean from September 8 to 13.

Some Conference events are open only to Members; other events such as the ILDA Awards and Lase-Off are also open to family and friends. There is a tentative list of attendees here.

Below is some preliminary information. Additional details on making reservations, pricing, passports, airports. etc. is here.

Ship

Carnival Imagination, a floating hotel/resort with 1,000 guest rooms and a capacity of 2,600 guests.
 

Quick Schedule

Click here to find out more about the ports and the public itinerary.
 

Detailed Schedule

Cruise Cost

ILDA has reserved 30 low-cost interior cabins (no windows, Category 4A, with twin/king) at Carnival’s standard rate of USD $349 per person, double-occupancy. There are some additional port and fuel fees, and taxes, which add on approximately $109, plus a $50 gratuity charge. Keep in mind that the rate includes not only the cabin, but ALL MEALS (excluding drinks) and shipboard activities.

Because of the dollar/Euro situation, we believe this is an extraordinary value. Compared to having a conference in Europe or Asia, Americans can pay in dollars which keep their value at home, and Europeans and others are getting a bargain – hotel AND food AND entertainment for 5 nights/ 4 days at less than USD $500 per person.

More information on reserving a cabin is here.

ILDA Registration Cost

This is by far the most affordable ILDA Conference ever. Registration with ILDA for the Conference is just $149 for Members and their employees, and $298 for non-members. This gets you into official, non-public ILDA events such as the seminars, tabletop tradeshow, and first-night Welcome Cocktail Reception. Also, each registrant will receive a welcome gift basket from ILDA; it will include an official t-shirt, a laser pointer and other cool items.

• There is no charge for anyone to attend the ILDA Awards Presentation, Lase-Off, and Lido Deck laser party. These are open to all Carnival Imagination passengers.

• Conference registration is separate from the cruise line's cabin fees, port charges and other fees. In other words, the Conference registration fee of $149 for Members ($298 for non-members) is paid directly to ILDA and not to Carnival.

Sponsorships

In addition to the host, LaserNet, we are pleased to have other sponsors who help support ILDA and the Conference. Their names are listed in the logo at the top of this page, as well as on the Hosting/Sponsorship page.

Tabletop tradeshow

There will be a tabletop-type tradeshow. Because of space limitations, we cannot do a booth-type trade show. there is a fee of $99 per table for any Member wishing to exhibit their product or service. Details are here.

Important notes

YOU WILL NEED TO PLAN AHEAD. Rooms will not be available at the last minute. Already, similar rooms have completely sold out on other sailings in August and September. Therefore, attendees should make reservations and plans early. ILDA is holding some rooms; however, we think you should plan to reserve your rooms early in 2008.

A note about the September date

One reason for choosing the September date is that the pricing is significantly lower (about 1/3) compared with any other dates available to us. We looked at March-August, but the price is about 50% more! Also, we tried to get a date that would not conflict with the PLASA show in the U.K. (7-10 Sept.) but all other sailings were sold out of our room needs.

Summary

This is going to be an ILDA Conference to remember! It is a vacation and a conference together, so plan on bringing your family. With four days at sea, we will have enough time for a leisurely ILDA schedule that allows plenty of time for fun, on and off the ship.