Annual Convention Sydney Cancelled, Moved to California

Dear fellow Toastmasters,

We received news from Toastmasters International Executive Director Dan Rex on the venue change this morning. Sydney 2010 is now cancelled and will be moved to Palm Desert, California.

Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley, approximately 11 miles (18 km) east of Palm Springs. The population was 41,155 at the 2000 census.Other cites in the Coachella Valley are Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage.

Please be informed! Ritchie D51 LGET
Ritchierc@yahoo.com
___________________________________________________________________

Dear District Governors and Lt. Governors,

I write to you today to announce a change in location for the 2010 International Convention. World Headquarters recently conducted an extensive Convention analysis, taking into account the global financial crisis and economic downturn, as well as the overall increased costs associated with holding the Convention in Sydney.

This led to a realization and decision that it would not be fiscally responsible to hold the 2010 Convention in Sydney, Australia. The new site for the 2010 Convention is Palm Desert, California. We hope you will join us and many of your fellow Toastmasters there!

We realize this will be a disappointment to many of our members, especially those in Host District 70, led by Elizabeth Wilson, whom we thank for the planning and work they have already done.Many Toastmasters saw the 2010 Convention in Sydney as a landmark in our history, a demonstration of the truly global nature of our organization.

As we continue to stretch into more than 92 countries around the world, I can assure you that our global roots are deep.We will continue to evaluate sites worldwide as potential locations for a future International Convention and look forward to holding an “international” Convention as soon as the time is right.

This was not an easy decision to make, but it is one that will ultimately benefit the interests of all members. Our primary responsibility at this time is to be prudent guardians of the organization’s funds.

We appreciate your understanding and support.

Best regards,Dan

Daniel Rex
Executive Director
Toastmasters International
drex@toastmasters.org
www.toastmasters.org