Register by 31 March and save on cost of attending the Lisbon convention
Rotary News – 18 March 2013
Save US$50 off the full registration price for the 2013 RI Convention in Lisbon, Portugal, 23-26 June, by registering by 31 March.
Also, by registering now, and encouraging fellow club members to register, you could help your district earn US$5,000 in District Designated Fund (DDF) allocations to be used for district or global grants.
That’s because, owing to an anonymous donor, RI President Sakuji Tanaka has issued a special registration challenge to district governors and governors-elect: If final paid registration for the convention (now on track to reach about 20,000 attendees) hits at least 23,000, the 10 Rotary districts with the highest per capita registration — based on 2013 membership data — will be credited with a $10,000 Annual Fund-SHARE contribution for 2012-13. The contribution will count toward the district’s per capita achievement and result in $5,000 in DDF allocations available for grants in 2015-16. See more details of the 23,000 Attendee Challenge.
A night of fado
Convention attendees will have a chance to hear the stirring, soulful sounds of fado, Portugal’s unique contribution to music, during a ticketed host event on 24 June. A historic bullfighting arena in the heart of Lisbon will be transformed into a concert hall for an evening featuring one of the best contemporary fado singers. Fado is also performed nightly at bars and taverns in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto and Alfama neighborhoods.
Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, an expert on Alzheimer’s disease, will speak about the latest treatment developments during a breakout session on 24 June. Participants will learn how clubs in districts 7930 and 7950 are working with the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund research organization to educate local communities about the disease.
Also on 24 June, two executives from Coca-Cola Pakistan will participate in the breakout session PolioPlus – Help Rotary Make History. Fahad Qadir is public affairs and communications director for Coca-Cola’s Pakistan and Afghanistan region, and Rizwah Ullah Khan is the region’s general export manager.
Coca-Cola Pakistan has teamed with RI’s Pakistan PolioPlus Committee to build awareness of Rotary’s polio eradication campaign and to emphasize the importance of polio immunization nationwide. Among other efforts, Rotarians, Rotary partners, and Coca-Cola employees joined forces on World Health Day last April for a cleanup campaign in part of Gadap Town, in Karachi.
For those looking for an alternative to panel presentations and discussion groups, the convention also will feature interactive sessions including a Rotaract Project Poster session; a session using the World Café model for encouraging group dialogue, on attracting younger members; and a table-topic area where attendees can join a roundtable discussion of their choice.
The host committee has partnered with a local company from AXA Insurance to offer a 24-hour phone support service providing basic tourist and medical help for convention attendees. The €35 registration fee will give attendees access to assistance if their documents or credit cards are lost or stolen, if they need to find a doctor or pharmacy, and if they would like help with basic tourist needs like booking show tickets, finding a restaurant, or buying transportation tickets.