14th Annual Ladies & Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference

[Carolann Schmitt]

As has been the custom since it was first established, the 14th annual Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference will be held the weekend of the first Friday in March. Please mark your calendars for March 6-9, 2008.

The Conference features presentations on the clothing, social, and material culture of the mid-19th century of interest to both ladies and gentlemen; a full slate of optional pre-conference hands-on workshops, focus seminars and tours; an extensive display of original garments, accessories and artifacts; a needlework/craft competition; and a juried Martkeplace. The registration fee also includes an extensive notebook of handouts and source materials (200+ pages) and all meals during the conference.

Information on the 2008 program will be posted on our website and in major publications on or before July 1, 2007.

For additional information, please contact us at the address below.

[Amtmann]

Re: 14th Annual Ladies & Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference

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[Amtmann]

Re: 14th Annual Ladies & Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference

As has been the custom since it was first established, the 14th annual Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference will be held the weekend of the first Friday in March.

I wish this was a "custom" that could be changed.

I love the conference, but I always dread the trip home (and sometimes there.) The weather at this time is not the best. Both times I've had a nine hour drive home through many hours of 30 mph winds and snow in the mountains of Maryland and W.V.(a few years ago on the way home was the first time I had witnessed lightning and snow).
I just wish it could be moved a few weeks towards a time of better weather.

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: 14th Annual Ladies & Gentlemen of the 1860s Conference

There are several reasons why the Conference is held on the weekend of the first Friday in March:
- It's a "slow" time in the living history schedule for most areas of the country. There will always be conflicting events at any time of the year, but early March is one time when the possibility is much less.
- We avoid possible conflicts with Palm Sunday, Easter and Passover. This is always an issue for any event scheduled between mid-March and late April.
- It is possible to obtain "off-season" rates for lodging, an important issue any time of the year but especially in an area where conferences and tourism are popular and most facilities are booked from mid-March to mid-November.
- We can obtain the necessary space needed for all of the Conference activities. The Conference uses all available meeting space and almost all of the hotel rooms at our current location. We could not obtain that much space later in the month due to other longstanding events in the area.
- Having a consistent date is an important issue in event planning. It helps the participants plan their calendars well in advance - a major factor when many have to submit vacation schedules months or a year prior to the date.

We're always watching the long-range forecasts and making appropriate sacrifices to the weather gods. Unfortunately, bad weather is a possibility any time of the year: snow, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, nor-easters or flooding can occur in any part of the country at almost any time of the year. In the 13 year history of the Conference, we've usually been very lucky and the travel weather has been good for most of the participants. I'll loan you my weather 'idol' for your next trip. :)

Regards,
Carolann Schmitt