As we start the New Year, our District Conference Committee, with the support of District Executives, has determined that due to the uncertainty of the safety of large group gatherings, the 2021 Rotary District Conference will be held virtually. We are hopeful that health officials will allow us to incorporate locally held in-person events in conjunction with the virtual district-wide meeting.
Though meeting in-person is so beneficial, going all virtual may actually work to our advantage for participation/attendance! At 170,000 square miles, our district is geographically one of the largest in North America. As such, it has been challenging in years past, especially for younger Rotarians with families, to break away for an extended conference in the spring; time, travel, hotel, etc.
Going virtual allows us to make our district conference accessible for ALL Rotarians in D5580. Our genuine hope is to have a very high percentage of our 2,550+ Rotarians joining in.
Going virtual also allows a change of format using an approach similar to the Virtual RI 2020 Convention. The plan is to expand the conference from three days to six days but limit the presentation and networking times to specific times each day, providing optimum opportunity for Rotarians to participate.
This is a new venture for all of us and knowing we have three different time zones to consider when planning an agenda, we’d love to hear some feedback from you on the best times of day that work for you. Please fill out the following short survey before January 18th. https://forms.gle/vJoFnvqFgWWBjygg9