Hi all,

The convention committee has asked me to pass along a few bits of
convention advice for those who are preparing for their trek to Louisville
this weekend for the Great Louisville COA Convention:

If you are driving, parking is free. As you come in on 4th Street, pass the
front door  to the GaltHouse East Tower (right side of the street) and take
the next turn to the right. That will take you into the Galt House garage.
There is also space for big vans...turn BEFORE the door to the Galt House
East.  You may need valet help with this though...sometimes its gate is
locked.

If you come by cab, the fee from the airport to any downtown location,
including the Galt House, is set at $14. If you have one of much discussed
$89 suites, have the cab drop you  at the Galt House East. If you have one
of the scarce $79 suites, have the cabbie take you on around to the Galt
House West tower. But if you get out in the wrong place, they are just
across the cul-de-sac from each other.  There are check-in desks in both
towers, but you must check into the tower where you are staying.

Convention registration on Saturday is in the lobby of the Galt House East
from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. . On Sunday, it moves across the street to the third
floor of the Galt House West. A large convention will be leaving on Friday
and Saturday. The lobby may be crowded at certain times of the day.

If you are one of our volunteers to help with some specific aspect of the
convention, or just volunteers in general, or just want to hang out, look
around for the COA crowd and make your presence known.   On Saturday, those
of us who are not busily hauling convention parts into the hotel and
stashing them in various storage places, or doing nameless other
convention chores,  will likely be down in the Galt House East Lobby.  Come
register, get your goodie packet,  and, if you are new to COA conventions,
get acquainted.

Saturday evening, starting at 8:00, there will be some early bird programs
in the Galt House West on third floor in the Water Poet Room, way around to
the right. (There'll be signs. And a map in your registration packet.)
Also, as an amusement for you early  and antsy arrivals, there will be a
return of an old favorite event, the " Great Fifty Cent Bargain Table." All
shells are fifty cents, all are donated, and they are on sale til they're
gone. A rainbow of T-shirts bearing the really nice COA logo for 1999 will
be on sale.  And hats.  Don't miss Gene's hats! And the last  of the Walter
Sage fabrics, and raffle tickets on four great prizes, including an albino
Chambered Nautilus donated by Don Dan, and a marvelous walnut, brass and
glass shell-display coffee table crafted by Dave Kempfer.

So what with viewing and volunteering,  (who can blow a conch horn?)
schmoozing and buying, you'll have plenty to keep you busy until the
convention gets into full swing on Sunday afternoon at 1:15 with the
Opening Ceremonies and a kick-off program by our own Paul Monfils, "What's
In a Name?"

Bring a sweater in case the air conditioning is hyperactive!  Hotels never
do get those big meeting rooms just right!

One last thing:  any of you within spur-of-the-moment distance, hop on into
Louisville this weekend or next week for the greatest shelling experience
of your lives!   You can register at the door. And you don't have to
register to go to the world famed bourse (32 dealers, last count!)  on
Wednesday and Thursday, or to the fabulous Oral Auction on Tuesday
afternoon.  And you'll get to meet a LOT of Conch-L members. At least 63 of
us will be here at the Conch-L party on Tuesday night. Please join us! And
if you can't be here, Carole and Karlynn will keep you posted, I am sure!

Lynn Scheu
Louisville, KY
Home of the 1999 COA Convention, where everything finally getting done!