AATSEEL '97: A sellout!

[Jerry Ervin]

Uvazhaemye SEELANGtsy:

There is good news and bad news, and it's the same news:

Yesterday (2 December) I was informed that on our peak night--Sunday, 28
December--the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre is sold out.  This means that
all 325 sleeping rooms blocked for AATSEEL that night, as well as all the
remaining rooms in the hotel, are booked.  To my knowledge AATSEEL has
never before had a 100% sellout of its room block.

While we are delighted at what this means for AATSEEL '97 attendance, it
may work a hardship on people who've not yet made reservations.  To that
end and with the help of the Marriott, we offer the following suggestions:


        1)  Call the centralized Marriott Reservations number
(1-800-228-9290) to see if there have been any cancellations.  If not, ask
to be put on a waiting list.

        2)  Call the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre directly
(1-416-597-9200) and ask if *they* have received any cancellations that
might not have made it into Marriott's centralized system.  If not, ask to
be put on the hotel's waiting list.

        3)  Call Tourism Toronto (1-800-363-1990) during the hours M-F
8:30-5:30, Sa 9-5, Su 9:30-5.  This computerized, centralized reservations
office can find and reserve rooms in any of the downtown hotels.  I talked
to Tourism Toronto yesterday and was assured that there are still nice
rooms in the downtown area at very reasonable rates.  (When making a
reservation, be sure to ask about room price and proximity to the Marriott,
assuming those things are important to you.)  Some of the hotels are
connected to the Marriott via Toronto's extensive underground pedestrian
mall, meaning you won't have to go out in the weather to come to sessions.

Again, while we are delighted at the popularity of AATSEEL '97, we express
our regrets in advance to those who may not be able to find accommodations
in the Marriott itself.  Forecasting conference attendance and room needs
is a fickle, inexact business--especially in view of the fact that room
block commitments must be made 10-15 months ahead of time.  Nothing in
AATSEEL's history suggested we'd encounter this situation.  A mixed
blessing, indeed.

(As always, please share this information with colleagues who may not be
SEELANGS regulars.  Thanks.)

Sincerely yours,

Jerry Ervin

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Gerard L. (Jerry) Ervin
Executive Director, AATSEEL
1933 N. Fountain Park Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85715 USA
Phone/fax:  520/885-2663
Email:  76703.2063 at compuserve.com
AATSEEL Home Page:
<http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~aatseel/>
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