Hello all! It's taken me a while to figure out why I wasn't able to post to this list (I wondered where you'd all gone...), but now that I have I'm just in time to send you all the invite to the 2006 ISBBC, which we will be hosting here in Ontario, Canada in September, 2006. I have attended the past three ISBBC events, in Denmark, Australia and Nebraska, and I am very excited about being part of the organization of this conference, on behalf of the Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition. I have always found these gatherings to be informative, interesting and very, very inspiring, and would like to promise you the same invigorating experience here in Canada in 2006. This will be the first ISBBC that is specifically aimed at professional bale builders and designers. We are putting together a very comprehensive program intended to help those in the profession become better at what they do, from hands on instruction in specialty areas to design issues to business development. Attached you will find a preliminary schedule of sessions, which I hope you find exciting and intriguing. If you have suggestions for additional sessions you’d like to see included, please let me know. If you see a session in the list below in which you feel you’d make an ideal panel or forum participant, please let me know. We will be offering reduced rates to people formally participating in sessions. We have been offered an exceptionally affordable conference rate at Camp Kawartha (www.campkawartha.ca), largely due to our help in building them a straw bale dining hall and greenhouse. This means that attending the 2006 ISBBC doesn’t have to break the bank. Early bird registration rates (before March 1, 2006) are only $550 for shared cabin accommodation and $450 for camping. This includes three meals a day, all your conference fees and use of the camp facilities! What’s better, these prices are in Canadian dollars! Our space at the camp is limited to 250 attendees, and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. I know it's a long way to come from Europe, but I think you will find that it is worth the effort. I cleared out my bank account to go to Australia a few years ago, and it left me broke but happy! There was no question after that about spending the money to get to Denmark. These events have never failed to re-energize me and increase my network of friends and associates world-wide. I hope that you will like what you see in the proposed program below, and rush to register for the conference at www.strawbalebuilding.ca as soon as you’ve finished reading this! Yours sincerely, Chris Magwood 613-473-1718 Tentative Schedule for the 2006 ISBBC *Note: A hands-on component will be focused on the construction of a new office building for our camp hosts. Topics and schedules for hands-on sessions will be announced after the plans for the building have been approved. * One session room per day will be made available for ad hoc and impromptu sessions. Sunday PM Welcome and Keynote Address Monday AM
Monday PM
Monday Evening Keynote Address: David Eisenberg Tuesday AM
Tuesday PM
Tuesday Evening World Tour of SB: Builders, designers and owners show off slides of their work Wednesday AM
Wednesday PM
Wednesday Evening Straw Bale Olympics: National and regional teams compete in bale-centered events! Thurdsay AM
Thursday PM
Thursday Evening Keynote presentation: A world of natural building slide show Dance w/live band Friday AM
Friday PM
Friday Evening Keynote presentation Saturday AM
Saturday PM
Saturday Evening Closing Keynote Sunday AM Goodbyes and tour departures |