It’s exciting to choose destinations for ABA Institutes! It is also incredibly challenging! Aside from trying to rotate between geographic regions and overall cost, there are a staggering number of criteria we also consider when selecting destinations, including: accessibility of venues; diversity and support for marginalized members; distance from the airport and the number of direct flights into that airport; conference venue and hotel capacities; public transportation access; and, very important, cost of hotel rooms for attendees. In the past three years, the costs related to conferences (including food and beverage, hotel room costs, and venue fees) have increased significantly and many venues that can accommodate us in terms of capacity have become cost-prohibitive for our members and for ABA. ABA partners with a highly experienced and DEIA-focused outside consulting company to select conference sites often years before each Institute is to take place. A dedicated group of ABA team members conduct site visits as part of our search, with each team member viewing the venue with a specific lens to ensure that the selection meets as many criteria as possible. – ABA CEO Allison Hill |
