USBG Weekly IGTV broadcast 2.22.23 has been condensed to emphasize highlights and relay information relevant to this blog.
Last month, the USBG 75th Anniversary Task Force members, @Robert Dagostino, @Kim Haasarud, and @Ingrid Rodriguez, share details about the upcoming USBG 75th Diamond Jubilee, August 13-16, at the @arizonabiltmore, Phoenix! Early Bird Registration is open → learn more at 75th.usbg.org/registration.
Aaron: Alright, so first things first, we know that people are going to want to attend [the 75th Diamond Jubilee] because it's going to be an awesome program that is a big celebration for the USBG, so let's get to the specifics of that. But first, cost. What is it going to cost to come here and I'm gonna go with Ingrid Rodriguez to talk about all things finance.
Ingrid: Y'all know how much I love money. Well, we have tried to make this as lucrative as possible for anybody who is in our bartending community that would like to attend. The Board of Directors has invested heavily to bring us to a price point that is reasonable and rational. As you know, I like to protect your dollars and your time. So the Early Bird registration is actually $350 for a double room per person, which means you'll be sharing with someone else, however, you know, bring a friend - $350 is amazing. For those of you that are in the Enthusiast or Associate category, your Early Bird registration rate is $625 a person for a shared room, but $850 for a single room. Probably what I'm gonna do, but again, we want to get as many people there to really experience what we're doing. So register early.
Aaron: Yes, that's a big one. So Early Bird registration is going through on May 17th. So, definitely make those plans early. And this is for three nights, right? This hotel is running currently, I think $377 per night plus resort fees. And we're including this for $350 per person for three whole days.
Ingrid: Yeah, it’s worth it. So, it's actually four days and three nights and it's all inclusive: food, room, and board included. So it's $350 to come and you will have everything taken care of at this beautiful luxury resort!
Aaron: Fantastic. Fun also included for that extra.
Ingrid: I’m gonna have fun, I can’t attest for anyone else!
Aaron: All right, so if people can't commit early, Early Bird is May 17th, and once it has passed and it is now May 18th and beyond, what's going on with pricing?
Ingrid: So but as normal pricing will go up that route, a single rate room for you as a bartender actually goes up to $725 a person and then the single room rate goes up to $950 that is valid through July 12. And I know sometimes you guys don't know ahead of time if you're going to have off. So we will also have a late registration for anyone after July 13 But that's going to be a steep, steep increase. You're looking at $875 for a shared room and $1,100 for the single room option. We are obviously trying to leave your hotel room for it. The sooner we can get this information the more we can do planning and we really want to encourage that Early Bird registration.
Aaron: Well, fantastic. I mean, it's a real bargain, the earlier you register, you just take more advantage of those savings and to join us at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix in August. So speaking of Phoenix, I think we need to talk a little bit with Kim Haasarud, who is our resident Phoenix expert and a bartender there. So Kim, this is gonna be a big year. We're joining forces instead of doing regional conferences and all in one conference. Yeah, what does this change to the conference schedule really mean to you and how do you think it's going to serve the organization?
Kim: Now I think this is a great time for members and leaders alike to get to know each other. You know, normally we come together in these leadership conferences, where leaders have a chapter or regional conferences, which are bartenders, and we're combining all of that in one conference. And I think you know, what's exciting for me too, is I think Arizona is great. It's a relatively new city relative to like New York City or Chicago, but it's actually the home of where the Tequila Sunrise was created and I can't emphasize enough for the Biltmore. It's got a lot of history. It's right by Camelback Mountain. It's gorgeous, and there's going to be a lot to do and a lot of content. So I think more than ever, you know, we're really looking at, you know, again, Jubilee, this is our 75th anniversary.
Aaron: Bobby, you know, coming from the Chapter of the Year: Cleveland, Ohio, tell us a little bit about you know, I know you'll show up to absolutely everything. We know if USBG sells dinner party, Bob Dagostino is gonna be there. What are you looking forward to on the 75th anniversary now?
Bobby: I'm able to combine both of your conferences together and really celebrate what this organization has become over the last 75 years, where we're heading. And I think, you know, as we're setting up the events for the week, I think that we’ll definitely have a great time.
Aaron: I know that as a task force, y'all do a lot of discussion, a lot of exploring, a lot of making decisions. You know, Arizona Biltmore has tons of history. It's a beautiful property, luxurious. It's going to be nice and air conditioned for anybody who is concerned about the Arizona temperatures in August. But Ingrid, tell us a little bit about what went into the selection of this venue.
Ingrid: So, when we were looking for a venue, we were trying to find a place that would be self-contained and still have a lot of opportunities for people to come someplace and do things that they normally wouldn't do. We wanted to create an experience that was really an immersive inclusion of everybody that's there. And the Biltmore provides that, even though it's a little bit off the beaten path, it's going to have absolutely gorgeous amenities for everybody to use. It gives us the ability to have pool parties. Bring a bathing suit. It’s Arizona and August. But also, we really kind of thought about the fact that a lot of us live in a lifestyle that we are all our own protagonist or our Instagram stories make us the hero and what we're doing and film was a real thing in our industry and we wanted to give everyone the ability to be like, be seen, be there, showcase the world and say look at the cool things that I get to do with the USBG.
Aaron: That's a good point. And so we're talking a little bit about the venue and the magic of the environment. And Kim, you've got a significant history in creating great content both through some of your other projects in your chapter leadership and your national leadership in the USBG. So tell us a little bit about what we can expect with the program of the conference.
Kim: You know, I think we're gonna find something for everyone in the program. In the past, I think we have been aligned with a lot of the craft cocktail world, but I think as we've grown and evolved, we really want to be an organization for everybody. You know, whether you are working at a chain restaurant or a dive bar or event bartender, you know, we want to appeal to everybody. So that would be content for everybody.
Aaron: That’s a really good point. I know that we've got several tracks, we're talking about leadership, we're talking about advanced bartending, we're talking about social responsibility, how we come together as a community and drive the industry forward. So it should be a really exciting time. We've got some great speakers submitting and getting vetted by our education committee…
So the conference overall - the educational aspect is really about being an educational tool for your hospitality professionals and making sure that we can combine forces and share resources with each other, all across this really geographically diverse country.
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