Dear Convention Attendee:

You are receiving this email because you are registered for the 61st ELFA Annual Convention, Oct. 9-11. Earlier this week we announced that the Convention will be held in a new location: the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, Florida. This new location is fully operational without any advisories or restrictions, and ready to welcome our attendees to learn, network and do business together. We appreciate all the positive outreach we have received from members regarding the Convention in Orlando, and we look forward to an outstanding event with robust attendance.
 
Please read this message carefully for important updates for all attendees.

• Travel: If you haven’t already, we recommend you book your travel to Orlando as soon as possible. The JW Marriott Grande Lakes is conveniently located 15 minutes from Orlando International Airport.

• Cancellations: As a reminder, if you are not able to attend the Annual Convention, please contact ELFA in writing at meetings@elfaonline.org by Wednesday, Oct. 5 and we will refund your registration in full within 30 days.

• Hotel Reservations: Please review the following information regarding your hotel reservations:

• If you previously had a reservation at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort or the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort, you should have received (1) an email from Marriott confirming that your Marco Island reservation has been cancelled and (2) an email from Marriott confirming your new reservation at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes. If you did not receive an email confirmation, or you wish to make any adjustments to the new reservation, including cancellation, please contact Marriott at 800-433-5402. (Note: If you didn't receive the email, you may want to check your spam folder, or check with a colleague who made the original reservation for you, in case they received the email.)

• If you previously had a reservation at another property in the Marco Island area, you will need to contact that property directly to cancel that reservation. To book your room at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes, please email your arrival and departure dates to Lisa Ramirez, VP, Business and Professional Development, at lramirez@elfaonline.org and Lisa will add you to the ELFA room block at the ELFA rate of $347 per night (plus taxes and fees).  

• Updated Schedule: We have an outstanding agenda planned for you in Orlando, and the terrific lineup of keynote speakers and breakout sessions has not changed. There have been some changes to the reception schedule, most notably that we will hold a New Member, Leadership, Women's Council, Emerging Talent and Equity Combined Reception on Sunday evening. For the latest schedule, please see the Convention website.  

• Mobile App: Prepare for the Convention by downloading the ELFA Engage mobile app today! The app offers an array of benefits and networking opportunities, including in-app messaging. All conference materials you'll need will be within easy reach in the app, including the full conference agenda, attendee list, session surveys and session handouts. There will be a mobile app help desk located near the registration desk if you require assistance.

• ELFA Gives Back: Our thoughts go out to everyone who has been impacted by Hurricane Ian and in the ELFA tradition of giving back, a portion of every convention registration will be donated to storm relief. In addition, we are exploring opportunities for a community service project in support of those impacted by the storm.

 We encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions on the Convention website for more information.  We thank all of you—attendees, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and vendor partners—and we look forward to welcoming you to the 61st ELFA Annual Convention at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando.

Sincerely,

Ralph Petta, ELFA President and CEO & Mike DiCecco, ELFA Board Chair