More agenda items...

I suggest that we meet at Pat & Marios, 925 Dixon Road near the airport.

Jenny and I are pretty flexible for dates, but one of our girls has dance classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it would be preferred if we could do it on a Wednesday if that works for everyone else.

I'll suggest Wednesday March 9 at 7:00 pm.

As Jenny mentioned, we need to get a deposit to the LCC of $500 within a month. Also, they have an insurance requirement. We can either get insurance through the City of London ($108) or we can see if we can piggy-back on the Business School's main function. Jules, perhaps you could find out about this when you meet with the Alumni Coordinator.

I don't think the Alumni Coordinator will have any problem with us doing our own thing. Ultimately, what I think they'd like most of all is to get up-to-date contact information for everyone, so as long as we're willing to share that info, I'm sure they'll be happy to cooperate with us doing our own event.

As for agenda items:

a) We need to nail down the menu and associated costs.
b) We need details and a budget for the wine tasting
c) We need to decide on music, if possible. I have some more alternatives.
d) Once we have this information, we need to decide on a final ticket price.
e) We need to get all the info Sabina requires.
f) We need to decide on other 'entertainment' things (e.g. photographer)

Anything else?

- Bruce Lamb
Avalanche Networks Corporation (TSX.V:AVH)
Search Engine Marketing Specialists
www.AvalancheSearch.com
1-888-994-2223 x27

Agenda items for next meeting

I think you're right, Jules, that we should get together again sometime in March. Please see Sabina's comment under "Admin things" for a list of items to add to the agenda. She's outlined the details she needs before she can launch the registration page.

I saw a contract come through the fax machine from LCC yesterday. They'll want a deposit in about a month, so that creates another list of details we need to nail down sooner than later.

~j.

HBA85.com Website

Looks great, Jules! Very clean and elegant design. I like the idea of a blog for general chit-chat. Might get people more interested in coming out.

I'd love to have you post some photos, but I don't think I have much to contribute. I'll dig out my old photo albums and see if I can find anything suitable. Anyone else?

~j.

HBA Reunion - Background music

Hi, all:

I did some investigation into getting some background music. I was originally thinking a quartet or something through a Hamilton jazz band I was informed of. They get younger musicians involved, but the organizer said that they aren't ready by October 1 since the just start things rolling each fall, often with a new batch of members. He did offer a duo (sax and piano) which is good for cocktail parties, etc., which includes himself. I've asked for a demo CD or something we could download to listen to him, but in any event, I'm sure it would be appropriate. Here's a recent article on him and his Hamilton All Stars Jazz Band from the Hamilton Spectator:

http://hamiltonallstarjazz.org/spec_031904.php

His duo charges $300 (including travel to and from London), presumably plus GST.

This is just my first inquiry, so if anyone else has contact in the music biz that might be appropriate, that would be good.

Any thoughts??

- Bruce
(905) 317-5844

HBA85Team@AvalancheNetworks.com

Hi, all:

I've created a single email account -- hba85team@avalanchenetworks.com -- that forwards to all of us on the organizing committee. You can use this when sending an email to the group, and when someone posts to http://hba85.blogspot.com, it will automatically send an email to the group.

BTW, I made a post earlier today regarding the food options at the LCC that everyone should review. We need to determine if the food options and prices are reasonable so that we can firm up the venue.

- Bruce
(905) 317-5844
bruce.lamb@avalanchenetworks.com

Catering costs...

Hi, all:

The London Convention Centre got back to me and provided the following documents to allow us to determine costs. I haven't looked at them closely yet.

I don't think we need to make a firm decision yet on food, although we'll need to set a budget shortly in order to determine the cost of tickets for the event. Certainly the wine for the wine tasting will be the biggest cost.

Here are the documents from the LCC:

Food
Wine (for reference)
Sparkling Wine & Champagne(for reference)
Cash Bar
Host Bar

Please have a look and let me know if we have enough information to determine that these costs are going to be reasonable enough that we can firm up our reservation of the event.

BTW, my contact there said that for food, they usually assume 3 pieces per person for pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres. Obviously, if the hors d'oeuvres are dinner, we'll have to up that a bit.

Please post your comments.

Thanks!

- Bruce
(905) 317-5844

Admin things...

Jules, et al:

1) No probs from my end using Gifttool. But we can't do anything until we nail down costs and then prices.
2) Yes, I can register HBA85.com. I've confirmed that it is available. I think it would be a nice touch.
3) I've setup a blog at hba85.blogspot.com. Everyone should be receiving an invitation to the blog shortly. You'll be able to post blog entries once
you've signed on.
4) Jules, if you can host n/c then it will probably be easier for you to do so if you're also going to be creating the page. But if there are any issues, don't
hesitate to ask and we can move it over to our servers.

Cheers!

- Bruce

Sent request for quote on bar and food...

Hi, all:

The consensus appears to be that the LCC works. As such, I've left a message with my contact's manager them asking that they tentatively reserve it for us, pending getting costs for the food and bar service. I'm hoping to hear back on Monday or Tuesday, as my primary contact is away until then.

I'm fine with using Sabina's Gifttool service. Our company also can do secure transactions, but it would be a few hours work for me to setup everything and debug it. If Sabina can do it easily, that's fine. I know that the credit card companies really soak purely on-line business on the credit card rates, though, so that's why I brought up us doing it.

Anyhow, we won't be able to start selling tickets until we get a better handle on costs and prices.

BTW, we have just about enough people to field 2 full lines plus a goaltender for a hockey game. Whitey is going to contact the MBA 85's goaltender hho is a good friend, to see if he can get things rolling from his end.

Any thoughts on the wine tasting yet?

- Bruce
(905) 317-5844

BTW, just to get my $0.02 CDN in on the wine tasting, I LOVE the idea, but I'd really like to promote some Niagara wines as part of (not necessarily exclusively) the event. There are some absolutely fantastic wineries that you've never heard of - Angel's Gate, East Dell, Willow Estates plus all of those owned by Vincor.