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We are up to 263 people attending the conference. We are capping the attendance off at 350, since that is the max the amphitheater will hold. If you plan on booking a room at the hotel at the conference rate, there are 39 over night rooms left.  Eighteen of them for Friday night and 21 for Saturday night, so please don’t delay making those reservations.  Book now.  If you call the hotel and can not get a conference rate room, let me know.  I can probably get the hotel to add some additional rooms, if you can let me know before May 5th.

We only have two and a half months to get everything done.  So we are working hard to make things happen.  One of those things is raising money for our Scholarship Fund.  Many of you have been helped by this program, which makes it an important program to continue.  The money is given out during the year to help SCBWI members with financial problems attend New Jersey SCBWI events.  It is not based on writing or illustrating skills, but preference is given to act members who are serious about their writing/illustrating and would not be able to attend otherwise.

This year we will not be having our normal raffle, since SCBWI Headquarters has told us, we are not allowed to run a raffle.  So this year we will have the items, but it will be done with a silent auction. The flaw with doing it this way, is that people who can not afford to bid as high as someone else, will be left out.  So we plan on asking attendees to donate to the Scholarship Fund, even if it is only $5, $10, or $15.  Anyone who donates money for the fund will be able to choose a “Thank you gift” from the display table with donated items.

Types of things that have been donated in the past:  Movie, Theatre, Baseball Tickets; Printers, Theme Baskets, Gift Certificates, Artwork, Signed books, Critiques, Weekend get-a-ways, Professional Photo shoot, Sound Stage Studio time, etc.  Please e-mail Betsy Devany [email protected] if you have an items you can donate.  She will work with you on how to send.

Illustrators:  Do you have a piece of art you can donate, this would be a wonderful way to get noticed.  You piece will be on display the whole weekend in the Silent Auction.  Even if you aren’t attending the conference, you could have your art on display for 32 editors/agent/art directors to see.  If you are attending and plan to display a piece in the Art Exhibit, you could get another piece of y our work seen by all the faculty by donating another piece.  Some illustrators have offered original paintings (illustrators would maintain full rights to the artwork).  Even if you don’t have an original piece of your work to donate, a signed print would be awesome.

Authors:  We would love a signed book or books.  Last year, we had authors offer critiques.  Some added lunch or a phone conversation with the winner to discuss the manuscript.  You can be creative.  Again, you do not have to be attending the conference to donate something that could show yourself off to the expected 350 people attending.  Just e-mail Betsy or email me if you just have an idea you want to run by me.

Help:  Besides needing donations, we are looking for a few people who feel they would be good seeking out and gathering donations.  Please e-mail Betsy ([email protected])   I will post what will be in the silent auction in May.

REMEMBER: To meet all the deadlines coming up that I listed last week. 

ILLUSTRATORS: Remember that the deadline for the logo contest is April 15th.  I hope someone is working