The AMEA Professional Development Conference is moving to the largest convention center in the state, the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), which includes the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.  We’ve had seven great years in Montgomery and may be back in the future, but for now we look forward to what Birmingham has to offer us, including, among other things:

Enough meeting space to eliminate the problem of sound bleeding over from one session room to the next.Two beautiful performance venues – the BJCC Concert Hall and East Ballroom.

The adjacent Uptown entertainment district offers dining and nightlife options.

The Sheraton Birmingham has enough hotel rooms to house all our attendees so everyone can stay in the conference hotel.

A large carpeted exhibit hall – the Birmingham Ballroom – located conveniently just off the hotel lobby.

The conference is January 18-20 and your AMEA Governing Board has worked hard to fill the schedule with outstanding clinic sessions and performances.  In this issue of Ala Breve, you’ll find the complete  2018 AMEA Conference schedule beginning on page 19, conference performing groups beginning on page 24, and clinician photos and bios beginning on page 34. The conference preregistration form is on page 44. Please visit AMEA’s website, myamea.org, to preregister online.  Highlights of the conference will be the keynote address by Peter Boonshaft and performances by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Voctave.

Visit our website to register students for the FAME program by January 12 or submit an application for a lobby performance––we have extended that deadline to November 1.

If you have not renewed your membership, please do it right away.  As many of you know, NAfME recently made changes to the login procedure requiring everyone to update their password.  You’ll need your new password to login, renew membership, or register for the AMEA Conference. If you have not already updated your password, visit either the NAfME or AMEA website, click login, and follow the instructions.  You’ll be asked to enter your email and click SIGN-UP.  Then you’ll receive a verification email.  Once verified, you can renew or register for the conference.

Use the link on our website, myamea.org,  to reserve your room at the Sheraton.  If your school is paying and needs an invoice, call the Sheraton at (205) 324-5000 and request one.  If you’re reserving multiple rooms, use the group reservation form on our website.   We encourage everyone to stay at the Sheraton for many reasons.  Sure, it will be more convenient but you’ll also get a 50% discount on parking.   In addition, construction in the area may make coming and going much more difficult.  Save time, money, and gas.  Check in Wednesday night and out Saturday with no need to crank up your car in between. And, the more rooms we book the better deal AMEA gets in the future on room rates, meeting space expense, etc.

We know there will be growing pains with our move to Birmingham.  You may remember our first year in Montgomery some of us complained that the Renaissance was so large we kept getting lost.  Where’s registration? Where’s my session?  Where’s the coffee?  The BJCC is larger and we’ll likely encounter many of the same issues at first but just like Montgomery, we’ll quickly learn how to get around and become accustomed to our new home.  We hope you’ll join us in Birmingham for what is shaping up to be an outstanding conference.  See you there!