ATA Convention How To's

Everyone would like to see the ATA conventions move around the country. In order for this to become a reality the membership is going to have to take a more active roll in their willingness to host.

It does not have to be a difficult project for a group of organized individuals to undertake.

Here is the main criteria that has to be met to decide if your location is a candidate to host an Annual Convention.

• You must do some real soul searching and know that you are ready for the challenge.
• You must have an major airport close by.
• You must have an all weather arena with covered seating for the spectators. This means different things in different parts of the county. If you are in a cold climate it will need to be enclosed and possibly heated depending on how cold it could be in November. Minimum size for the arena would be 100' X 125' longer would be better. If the width dimension is less then the length would need to be more. There must be room for a nice triangle.
• You must have a hotel within easy driving distance to the horse facility and airport. The hotel must have conference rooms as well as a restaurant and bar.
• You need to have area/regional breeders that will be willing to participate in the inspections, show and exhibition.
  
  

If you feel you can meet this criteria, then the next step is to contact Pam and find out what year she is currently working on. This will keep you from wasting time looking for something in a year she has already found a location. Then go out and get general pricing and availability information. You will need photos of the horse facility and a web site for the hotel. The Convention dates are fixed due to the ATA bylaws so you need dates for one of the weekends of November prior to Thanksgiving or for colder climates we can try September. Nothing in October as a rule due to members attending the inspection in Germany.

You can download the convention application here for pdf or here for Word. You will need to fill in the information on the form and send it, email is ok, along with the photos to Pam Norton. Every application will be examined. If it has all the necessary criteria, the prices are affordable, and horse numbers in the area seem to be available, it will be presented to the board and scheduled for an upcoming year. It is our goal to get sites booked in advance for at least a couple of years so send in those applications. If you are working on a specific year please make sure you contact Pam to make sure other arrangements are not being made for the same year.

In your search for a horse facility don't forget about fairgrounds. Many now have covered or enclosed arenas. They are usually inexpensive to rent.

Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Pam Norton, current Chairwoman of the Convention Committee.