Price Increases
FIT has consistently raised our costs about 10% per year, and other costs have gone up substantially since the last time we increased prices three years ago. We're doing our best to keep expenses down, including our decision not to mail full packets of convention forms this year. We have realized, however, that we must raise convention prices this year. Other prices have also gone up,including those that we pass-along with no overhead or profit, such as housing and dinner. The good news for the dinner is that we have been assured that we will again have the bright and pleasant space in the Student Cafeteria that we were shifted to last year at the last minute.
New T-shirts
Brian Chan has designed this year's logo and t-shirt, and we're really excited about some of his other t-shirt designs. We're planning on carrying them all year at The Origami Source, but if you order them in advance of the convention, you'll enjoy special introductory pricing. If you'd like to pre-order them for pick-up at the convention, add them to your registration form. They're also available on the "Sorry I Can't Attend" form for mailing. See images of all this year's T-shirts here.
New T-Shirt Deadlines
We must place our t-shirt orders by June 1st. In prior years, we received a flurry of orders just before convention, which substantially changed the number of shirts we required in each size. So this year we're adding a deadline - all shirts must be ordered by June 1st. If you do not order your shirt by June 1st, you may still purchase shirts at the convention, but there's no guarantee that we'll have your size, or that we won't run out before you get to the Source.
Exhibition Awards
This year we're introducing a very special award in Exhibition - People's Choice award. Each public access visitor will receive a ballot where they can choose their favorite models. Three gift certificates will be given to the top vote getters.
Sonobe Modular Challenge
You'll notice that our logo includes models formed with a classic module - the Color Box module - developed by Mitsunobu Sonobe of Japan in the 1970's. It's become famous as the "Sonobe module," and it's spread so far that we forget that it's not traditional. We're featuring it this year with the kind permission of Sonobe-sensei, obtained with assistance from the Nippon Origami Association.
We'd like to offer a challenge to our attendees - bring with you, or fold on-site, your favorite Sonobe module construction, with many modules and/or intriguing color combinations. We'll have a table set up in Exhibition to demonstrate the exciting possibilities of this simple module. There will be a separate People's Choice Award for the Sonobe Modulars.
Oversized Folding Event on Sunday Evening
Last year Sok Song's Oversized Folding Event was an overwhelming success. Teams of two to four folders took photo backdrop paper, some as large as 9' wide, and created extraordinary and exciting huge models. It was truly enjoyed by the participants, and also became a performance art event that dazzled the audience that formed to watch.
We're going to do it again this year, co-sponsored by OrigamiUSA and OMGNYC (Origami Meet-Up Group - New York City). So start thinking about what you'd like to fold, and gather your team. There will be a sign-up sheet at the Information Desk, and you'll need to register early to ensure that we can cut paper on time for you. More details available on this page.
Website Changes
We've made a lot of changes (hopefully improvements) to our website, One noticeable difference is that all paper forms can now be completed on-line, including the "Sorry, I Can't Attend" form and the Vendor form on the Sales page. All forms are also available as pdf downloads on their respective instruction pages (the preceding links, which you can also find in the left menu) and on the General Information page.
Model Menu and Teacher Ticketing Priority
We need to have the Model Menu ready for Friday evening's Open House, and in recent years many people have brought their models very late on Friday, or even on Saturday. This makes it very difficult for Attendees to plan their schedules, and so we have added a time limit to Teacher Ticketing Priority requirements. All teachers must have provided their models by 6:45pm on Friday, or they will not be permitted to obtain Teacher Ticketing Priority.
Annual Meeting Schedule Changes
In 2010, we will be changing the voting process that takes place at the Annual Meeting on Saturday in order to allow more time for voting by attendees at the meeting and more time for tallying the votes.
This year, the Annual Meeting will begin at 12:15pm in the Great Hall.
From 12:15pm – 1:45pm the only agenda item will be voting.
If you want to vote in person, you must vote then.
An Election Committee member will be at the Information Desk to confirm your eligibility to vote and give you a ballot. The voting section of the Meeting will be closed at 1:45pm.
At 1:45pm there will be a break in the Annual Meeting (so that people can attend classes) and we will resume at 5:30pm in the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre for the rest of the agenda (which includes all of the reports and Q&A that typically take place at the meeting). The results of the voting will be announced at the end of the 5:30 session.
It is always easier for our vote counter to use the proxy ballots that are mailed in and so we encourage members to vote using the mail-in proxy ballot, but if you want to vote in person, you should be aware that we will not take votes after 1:45 or during the second part of the meeting.
The proxy ballot by mail will work the same way that it has done in past years; if you mark and send in a proxy ballot, it will be cast on your behalf by the designated proxy at the Annual Meeting.
If you have any questions, please visit the elections page or contact the Elections Committee using the link thereon.
Non-Folding Parents
Sometimes it's not clear where non-folding guardians can go, and some expect to join their child in class. This is not a great idea – students in each class should be able to fold independently, there are sometimes limited seats, and parents and other guardians can be distracting. We ask that non-folding guardians wait in the Hospitality Area or outside the room. If a guardian wishes to join their child in class, they must register as folding Attendees with Classes. If there are cases of handicaps or other restrictions where an aide is indeed necessary, please let the convention organizers know ahead of time, and we'll make special arrangements. Guardians: please consider volunteering while you wait for your child. We'll make sure that your assignment is in a centralized location where your child can find you easily. And if you wait in the Hospitality Area, please make sure that you and your child identify a specific location in the room to meet.