E-News July 16,2007

Hotel Rooms Added at the Crown Plaza;
Brokers’ Club Tables Still Available
Registration for the 2007 NAPSLO Annual Convention, scheduled for October 3-6 in New Orleans is well on its way to match recent years attendance levels. NAPSLO has received more than 2,000 registrations for the convention and staff are working to process all of the registrations.

In order to meet the large number of requests for hotel rooms, an additional block of rooms has been booked at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Astor-New Orleans.

The Crown Plaza is located one and half blocks north of the New Orleans Marriott and the JW is a half a block north. Rooms are $149 per night at the Crown Plaza and $189 at the JW Marriott.

A number of Brokers' Club Tables remain available in the Brokers' Lounge for purchase. Firms may purchase a table for $1,500 for exclusive use Wednesday through Friday during the convention. Approximately one quarter of the tables are being set aside as Brokers’ Club Tables.  Firms who purchase tables will be listed in the program booklet. In addition to the Brokers' Club Tables being available, a few Meeting Rooms remain available at the Sheraton.

NAPSLO will again be dividing the Brokers' Lounge into Zones this year, with Zones 1 & 2 in the Mardi Gras Ballroom and Zones 3, 4 & 5 in the Grand Ballroom.

Committee Volunteers Sought
Members interested in serving on a NAPSLO committee should notify the NAPSLO office by August 24 to volunteer. Members can e-mail the request to info@napslo.org, or write or fax NAPSLO.   In the correspondence provide background information and any areas of interest.  (If e-mailing information, please include firm name and address information.)

Volunteers should indicate availability to attend NAPSLO's 2007 Committee Day, scheduled for November 12-13 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

Committees are as follows: Budget, Finance, Audit & Investment; Communications & Technology; Convention; Education; International; Internship; Legislative; Membership & Ethics; Mid-Year Educational Workshop; and a new committee whose members will work on educating students from their local colleges and universities, or alma mater, about surplus lines insurance and the industry.

Officer & Director Nominations Being Accepted
A reminder that officer and director candidate nominations are now being accepted by the NAPSLO Nominating Committee to assist in developing the slate of officers and directors to be voted on at the Annual Business Meeting in New Orleans.

NAPSLO members must submit the names for consideration for director or officer nominees no later than August 21 but members are encouraged to submit names as soon as possible. Suggested candidate names may be submitted to the committee by e-mail at nominations@napslo.org; by postal mail to the NAPSLO office; or directly to members of the committee.

The Nominating Committee is chaired by Past President Mac Wesson and members of the committee are E.G. Lassiter, RSUI Group, Inc.; Maureen Caviston, Partners Specialty Group; Letha Heaton, Evanston Insurance Co.; and Matt Nichols, All Risks, Ltd.

Members will vote at the Annual Business Meeting on the slate of officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, & Treasurer) who serve one year terms, and the slate of five directors, who serve three year terms.

Candidates suggested for officer consideration must be currently serving on the NAPSLO Board. Directors currently serving on the Board are eligible to be renominated to new three year terms as directors.

 Upcoming NAPSLO Events
2007 Annual Convention - October 3-6 - New Orleans, LA
2007 Advanced School - October 27-30 - St. Louis, MO
2007 Committee Day - November 12-13 - Dallas, TX
2008 Mid-Year Workshop - February 20-23 - Scottsdale, AZ