September 2023 President’s message
by Linda Bergemann
September has arrived and AstroAssembly will occur at the end of the month on Saturday, September 30th. This day-long event of speakers and networking will be preceded by an informal Astro Eve on Friday evening, September 29th.
Planning for AstroAssembly began this year in January. A small team met to review last year’s event and to make plans for this year. Based on comments received from last year’s attendees, we felt the need to address two things: dinner and the astrophotography contest.
While many would like to see us return to an off-site banquet and evening program, our experience indicates that this is not feasible; both from the standpoint of logistics and cost. So, instead, this year we will try a new approach. We will take a break from the program in the late afternoon for a bite to eat and time to socialize. Lite food (pizza and snacks) is included with registration. This will be followed by our raffle and astrophotography awards. The day will conclude after one final speaker.
It was clear to us that the digital astrophotography contest introduced during COVID should be abandoned and that a return to print photography was appropriate. We also agreed that more emphasis needed to be put on the contest and showcasing the entries. This year, will will have a display tent dedicated to the Astrophotography Contest. The tent will house a newly purchased frame to display all of the entries, so attendees can view and vote at their leisure. Submissions must be presented at the astrophotography tent between 9 AM and noon on Saturday. Voting by attendees will take place in the afternoon. Following AstroAssembly, our plan is to hang some or all of the photos on a new gallery wall in the meeting hall. Guidelines for entry can be found on our website.
We hope that our changes help to improve the overall experience. Please plan to attend (register at: http://www.theskyscrapers.org/astroassembly2023) and let me know your thoughts, negative or positive.
Lastly, please consider joining next year’s AstroAssembly team. We are always seeking new ideas and more hands.
See you there!
