NEWS 2007

Posted January 04, 2007

Announcement from Roger Skirrow, GSE President

Dear GSE member, On behalf of the GSE Executive Board I would like to extend a Happy New Year and Best Wishes for the upcoming year. We would also like to commend all those who have attended a GSE luncheon or dinner presentation during the 2006/2007 season. Attendance at these functions has increased dramatically and all GSE members can be proud of the current level of participation. We encourage all GSE members to continue to show their interest in professional development, life-long learning and support for the GSE. Well done.

On a related matter, although attendance at these events has been exemplary, there are inevitably a number of no-shows at each event. We understand that circumstances can change rapidly, beyond anyone's control and plans have to be changed accordingly. However, no-shows do represent a significant financial liability to the society. We are obliged to provide a confirmed attendance number to the hosting facility a minimum of 48 hours prior to the event. Our compensation to the hosting facilities is based on this fixed number of attendees. If more people show up than were registered the hosting facilities can typically accommodate the increased numbers. However, when the attendance drops below the registered number, meaning that we have more no-shows than unregistered attendees, we are still on the hook for the no-shows meal costs. The solution seems simple: If you have registered for the event but are unable to attend the presentation, have someone else in your organization attend, and have that person notify the registration desk that they are taking your place; or take a few minutes, 48 hours in advance of the event to send an email to notify us that you can't make it. If this situation persists we may be left with no choice but to invoice individuals no-shows. We view this as a last resort and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Sincerely,

Roger Skirrow,
President, GSE