2008 Annual Conference

October 3-8, 2008
Nova Scotia
Saltscapes, Host

Subject to Change and Refinement

OPEN ONLY TO REGISTERED IRMA MEMBERS: You must be registered and a member of IRMA or receive a special invitation to attend the conference. Registration forms will be available in the Members-Only area of this Web site when they are ready. The conference is not open to the public.

All Day

6:00 p.m.

8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

All Day

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

8:30 to 10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Open 24 hours

8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

9:00 to 10:15 a.m.

10:15 to 10:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. to Noon

Noon to 1:30 p.m.

1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

3:00 to 3:15 p.m.

3:15 to 4:30 p.m.

6:00 to 6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Open 24 hours

8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

9:00 to 10:15 a.m.

10:15 to 10:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. to Noon

Noon to 1:30 p.m.

1:30 to 5:00 p.m.

6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Open 24 hours

8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

9:00 to 10:15 a.m.

10:15 to 10:30 a.m.

10:30 to Noon

Noon to 1:30 p.m.

1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

3:00 to 3:15 p.m.

3:15 to 4:30 p.m.

5:00 to 6:00 p.m.

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Open 24 hours

7:00 to 8:00 a.m.

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The Westin Nova Scotian Hotel is the most historic in Halifax, having been built in 1930 as the first classic hotel in Halifax. Originally called the Nova Scotian, the hotel has been host to many dignitaries over the years from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to the late Royal Highness Princess Diana to super star Cher. The hotel overlooks Halifax Harbour and is located in the residential South end of Halifax yet a quick ten minute walk to the heart of downtown Halifax. In 1994, the hotel closed its doors for almost two years and was almost demolished but was saved when New Castle Hotels and Resorts of Shelton, CT purchased the historic building and re-opened it as the Westin Nova Scotian in August 1996. May 2008 saw the completion of an $8 million renovation to all the guestrooms and corridors in the hotel. The hotel is renowned for its friendly accommodating staff and excellent service. Guestrooms in the hotel have either one king, one queen or two double beds and all have 32" flat screen TVs, refreshment centres, windows that open to fresh ocean breezes and all the amenities you expect of a Westin.

Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa is located high on the cliffs of MiddleHead Peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The resort originally was the summer home of the Corson family from the Southern U.S. Mr. Corson discovered MiddleHead Peninsula on a trip to Nova Scotia looking for a location to build a home for his wife who was ill with a respiratory disease. He built the home for her but unfortunately she passed away before she was able to experience the grandeur and glory of the location and the home. Mr. Corson sold the home and in the 1950s the province of Nova Scotia bought the property, then with just the main lodge building. Subsequently, the province built cottages staggered throughout the property and in the mid 70s built the Inn at Keltic and the Atlantic Restaurant. Both the Atlantic Restaurant , re-built in the mid 80s after a tragic fire destroyed the entire complex, and the Purple Thistle Dining Room have spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean no matter where your table is located. The Purple Thistle offers fine dining in a traditional atmosphere while the Atlantic Restaurant features a more casual atmosphere and fare. A 5,000 sq. ft. AVEDA spa also overlooking the ocean was built in 2006 and offers full spa services. The resort is considered to be an icon for the province of Nova Scotia and co-incidentally is managed by NewCastle Hotels and Resorts, as is the Westin in Halifax.

Keltic has three types of accommodation choices--rooms in the main lodge that are quaint but smaller as was traditional with room size of older hotels, rooms in the Inn at Keltic that are very large, and cottage rooms. The cottage rooms have a shared parlour with fireplaces and sitting area.

There are many rooms with views of the ocean. All rooms have windows that open to enjoy the fresh sea air and spectacular scenery.

Keltic is famous for its excellent cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Dale Nichols, its attentive, friendly staff and most of all the stunning views.

We have included a property map for you to review so you are able to get a feel for the layout of the resort prior to your arrival.

August 31, 2008 to receive early bird discount

September 19, 2008 final registration deadline

Board of Directors and Presidents Council should arrive in Halifax no later than 5:00 p.m. October 2, 2008.

Other members should arrive by 4:00 p.m. October 3.

Schedule your return flight from Robert L. Stanfield International Airport just outside Halifax (YHZ) on October 8 after 2:00 p.m. as international travelers must be at the airport two hours in advance of flight departure and customs clearance to the U.S. is a pre-clearance process prior to your flight.

Air carriers serving Halifax include Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, WestJet, Continental Express, Delta, United, Northwest, American Eagle, Air St. Pierre, Condor, Zoom, Go Travel Direct Vacations, Provincial, Sunwing and Skyservice.

Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International Airport puts a great deal of effort into customer service. The airport ranked first in overall passenger satisfaction for airports worldwide with under five million passengers for the second year in a row. In addition, Halifax was rated as best airport in the Americas of any size for overall satisfaction, and best domestic airport worldwide. The survey includes such world-renowned airports as London Heathrow, Sydney (Australia), Amsterdam Schiphol, Beijing, Denver, and Vancouver.

Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) is currently undergoing a multi-year Airport Improvement Program. Recent enhancements include the completion of U.S. Customs pre-clearance. This permits people travelling to U.S. destinations to arrive as domestic passengers.

Use this link to see an airline map from major U.S. cities: Air Access Map.

If you drive, we are working on a special conference rate on board a fast ferry between Maine and Nova Scotia saving hours of driving called the CAT (www.catferry.com). The drive from Yarmouth, NS, where the ferry to Halifax arrives is 2.5 hours.

Special Note to our American Friends
The nice Canadians will let you into our country with just a drivers licence for ID, but U.S. Homeland Security requires ALL AIR PASSENGERS, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, to produce a valid passport in order to leave or enter the country. No passport is required at this time for vehicular and marine travel.

All persons, U.S. Citizens or foreign nationals, must present a valid passport or alternate approved travel document to enter or depart from the United States by air.

It is strongly recommended that all citizens of both Canada and the United States carry passports when crossing the U.S./Canada border.

Passport Requirement by Land or Sea
Effective January 31, 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers will no longer accept oral declarations of U.S. or Canadian citizenship from those traveling by land or sea.

U.S. and Canadian travelers will be required to present:

• A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license and
• A birth certificate or other proof of citizenship;
• Or—for youth 18 and under—a birth certificate alone

OR one of the following:

• A valid Passport
• NEXUS Card
• SENTRI Card
• FAST Card
• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner's Card
• Military ID and Official Orders
• I-551 Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) for U.S. legal residents

For more detailed border crossing information visit www.amcits.com/passport_requirement.asp.

Because bus transportation will be provided to and from Keltic Lodge, this will be your only transportation cost unless you choose to rent a car.

Sweaters and windbreakers are recommended, especially if you plan to take advantage of the outdoor recreational opportunities available. The resort includes the #1 public golf course in Canada, Highlands Links, and ranked #57 in the world. Cameras and binoculars are pretty much mandatory as are comfortable walking/hiking footwear. Fall foliage should be in full bloom for fabulous photo opportunities.

Additional tourist/travel information will be provided to individual attendees automatically at your office address, particularly for the benefit of those who may wish to consider an extended stay in this spectacular autumn destination. (Anyone wishing to try their hand at fly fishing for Atlantic salmon in the world-famous Margaree River should contact Jim Gourlay (jgourlay@saltscapes.com) directly.)

The resort will not accept any materials prior to September 24, 2008. Keltic is an exclusive private area and couriers do NOT make daily trips. Please ensure you allow your shipments sufficient time to arrive at the resort.

Please mark your materials as for the IRMA conference on the outside of the box and ship materials to the attention of:

Catherine Paget
Conference Services/F & B Manager
Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa
Middle Head Peninsula
Ingonish Beach
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
B0C 1L0
CANADA
(902) 285-2880

• Active (magazine) and Silver Sponsors
• Gold Sponsors
• Honorary Members

Forms for others are available from us002848@earthlink.net.

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