According to materials online, the American Sociological Association is contracted to meet in Atlanta in 2010. We have several years warning. We can stop this. Nothing against Atlanta, it's just that ASA met there in 2003 and I don't see why it would be a place we would plan to visit more than once a decade given that we are a country of more than seven great cities. So, somebody start a petition. Somebody start planning a boycott and/or an alternative meeting. Somebody threaten to set the Animals and Society people loose at ASA headquarters.
Update: Even the economists are meeting in New Orleans in 2008.
Update 2: Read Kim's comment! Apparently we are sentenced to Atlanta again because we didn't like it enough in 2003 (to attend in greater numbers and to spend more while we were there). The economists would've known how to get out of this, I bet!
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20 comments:
Atlanta? Again? Egads...
As an alternative, I suggest Tijuana, Baja California. It's as valid a choice as Montréal. I'm serious. And if it won't work for 2010 since they've already committed to Atlanta, then how about 2012, which isn't booked yet? Tijuana in 2012.
I think it should just alternate between San Fran and NYC.
If they feel the need for a southern US city, I recommend San Antonio. Much better food than Atlanta, less humid and *many* larger professional associations hold their meetings there, so there is space.
What's wrong with Atlanta? I think Atlanta is a great city...
Birmingham 2012!!
Anon 9am: Read my freaking post. I don't have any problem with Atlanta, I just think maybe ASA doesn't have to be there every seven years given alternatives. What do you have against Memphis? What do you have against San Antonio? What do you have against Miami? What do you have against Charlotte? And, what do you have against New Orleans and the idea of a beignets party?
Anon 7:50am: If you really think ASA should have it in SF every other year, you should look at the experience of the anthropology meetings scheduled in SF for 2004 and, then, 2006. (They didn't actually end up having the meetings in SF either year, and it cost them a bunch of money.)
Oops, forgot: What do you have against Nashville?
okay. NOLA in 2010. i think that would be great.
san antonio is alright. i'd do ASA there before i'd go to houston. when has ASA ever been in TX? don't make me look it up.
too many beignet parties and your mom won't be calling you 'skinny butt.' just checked and the traditional beignet has 545 calories and 17.8 g of fat. Sort of like a sweet double wopper.
Boston?
2008, boston
Um, why do people keep bringing up Boston? I'm talking about 2010 and Atlanta. Economics, which is not sociology, is meeting in New Orleans, which is not Atlanta, in 2008, which is not 2010.
I'd vote for stopping an occssional "ASA New York," "ASA San Francisco" or "ASA Chicago" before "ASA Atlanta." At least Atlanta is relatively affordable (or can be). I am, however, all for any ASA New Orleans plans.
--andrea
ASA Memphis would be a blast. I would personally volunteer to lead any number of tours of the city.
Of course, most of the stops would be things like, "This is where this one time me and my band got into a bit of a brawl with this sorta famous alt-country guy, who was asking for it, but long story short, I'm not supposed to go in there anymore, but it's been a while, so maybe we can just sneak in for a drink or two."
I second the ASA Tijuana idea, or some other south of the border alternative - ASA Mexico City, ASA Monterrey, ASA Guadalajara, or even ASA Cancun (imagine how much fun that would be! - the REAL ASA Cancun DVD would be a bestseller!)
ASA at Sea! I want a cruise!
I gather the ASA didn't fill enough rooms and/or buy enough peanuts (at $19/lb)in Atlanta in 2003. The ASA meetings have to go back there, else the ASA will face a hefty fee from the hotels. I think our dues are high enough without tacking on a buyout of our Atlanta contractual obligations.
At least Atlanta has baseball.
If the ASA didn't negotiate such crappy contracts, especially the ones where the room rate is more expensive than the rate in the same hotel that is available over the internet, then we wouldn't be in this situation of always returning to the same cities.
I'm out of order. Variety's always been my preference, though I did enjoy Atlanta, the awesome CART and tapas down there, as well as the convenience of MARTA from the airport. Wonder what happened to the video from the guy in shiny red shirt, and that whole spine thing.
(But then I was an Expedia user, too, so stone me now--it's a rainy day.)
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