Banquet, Ball, Shopping, More!

Dear JASNA AGM Registrants,

Today all registrants should have received an email from the AGM Registrar with the following announcements. (If you are registered for the AGM and didn’t receive the email, please check your spam, junk, or promotions email folders.) Keep an eye out for the next update as well, which will cover travel requirements from the Canadian government and other information you'll need to prepare for your travel to Victoria.

• AGM Banquet Seating: You may choose your banquet table when you arrive, but we offer a pre-reservation option for half and whole table groups. If you have a list of 5 people or 10 people (no other increments, please) who are attending the AGM and want to sit together, please send that list to Merle Brown at janeite@telus.net. If you have a different-sized group or are looking to meet new JASNA friends, there will be plenty of seating to choose from on-site.  
• Alternative Banquet Seating: A limited number of seats are available in the Pavilion directly adjacent to the VCC, which will have direct outdoor ventilation. If you would like more information about this option, please email janeite@telus.net for details.
• Hotels: JASNA rates are not guaranteed beyond September 8, so if you need to fine-tune your reservation, please do it today. If you're wavering between hotels, you can help JASNA by choosing the Doubletree, as we have not yet met our guaranteed number there.  
• Shopping and Swapping: It is a truth universally acknowledged that suitcases often go home from the AGM a little heavier than when they arrived! Shopping opportunities will be a bit different this year, offering more options outside the conference facility as well as established Emporium favorites:

• You can help us stock our pop-up boutique, the Soho Bazaar, and find a treasure there too. Like its historical counterpart, our Soho Bazaar specializes in fancy goods, such as jewelry, gloves, millinery, shawls, and the like, as well as high-quality Austen-themed commemoratives. If you've been a JASNA member for a while, you probably have a stockpile of such items, and now's your chance to thin out your collection and delight someone else. Just bring an eligible item or two along in your luggage and drop it off on Thursday or Friday; we'll sort them and open the Soho Bazaar on Saturday afternoon. Those who donate will receive a "swap" ticket to pick out an item for free; others may buy items at a very low price (cash only!). Please check the donation guidelines. Proceeds go to help cover AGM costs.
• The AGM Emporium in the Conference Centre will feature an exciting array of books from Jane Austen Books, Chawton House Library, and Juvenilia Press. Gala Fabrics, a family run business in Victoria, will offer beautiful sewing fabrics and notions appropriate for Regency outfits and other projects. In addition to these exhibitors, five JASNA Regions will be setting up shop with a wide selection of Jane Austen themed merchandise. Please note that the Regions cannot accept credit cards—please bring cash or visit the ATM on-site.
• In Victoria, you're a VIP! We have partnered with many local shops and restaurants to offer discounts to AGM attendees. Collect your VIP identifier at AGM registration and look in your program for participating merchants.
• Munro's Books will welcome AGM early-birds until 7:30 pm on Wednesday. A special 15% discount on books will be available until Oct. 3.
• Check out AGM Coordinator Alison Brown's shopping recommendations in downtown Victoria here. 

• AGM Book-Signing: We are expecting 20 of our speaker-authors to sign their books during Sunday morning's signing session. Many of their works will be available for sale on-site by Jane Austen Books.
• A Most Excellent Ball: To whet your appetite, notes on the dances for the ball are available here. There's no need to study the steps, as the dance caller will lead you through them, but the names and origins of the dances make fascinating reading.
• Your Packing List: Please make sure to bring your proof of vaccination, either the paper certificate or as a complete image on your phone. Weather is changeable in Victoria at this time of year, so please plan for both sun and rain. Meeting spaces will have high ventilation, so an extra layer for indoors is a good idea, too. And if you want to donate a Soho Bazaar item, don't forget to pack it!

Please keep an eye out for our final update email before the AGM. If you have questions, please consult the team members below. See you soon in the City of Gardens!

For banquet seating requests (5 or 10 people or Pavilion seating): Merle Brown at janeite@telus.net

For registration questions or changes, or to cancel your registration: Debbie Duncan, Registrar, at jasnaagm@gmail.com

For AGM program questions and local information: Alison Dacia Brown, AGM Coordinator, at jasnavictoria2022agm@gmail.com

For JASNA policy questions and hotel issues: Linda Slothouber, at lindasnewmail@gmail.com