I’m truly not impressed with a decision that RWA has taken in regards to the up coming conference. When I registered for the event they asked me if I wanted a print handout or CD. I prefer the print so you can follow along with the workshop presenter. Well it seems the RWA board and/or staff has decided that cost is too high. When did they decide this? Months after opening registration. They sent out a quick survey about this issue in June. They have now comeback saying that the majority wants to go paperless so those who registered asking for it and are expecting it won’t get it. How much of a majority was this win? Well no one knows because they are refusing to share this information.

Ok so I have to print my own copies of 279 pages pack it and hope like hell it won’t increase my luggage weight over the minimum now enforced by air carriers. Have they refunded us the amount of this cost? No. Are they sending out a clear and precise note to everyone who registered that they are to print their own copies? Nope, the note they sent told us we could now download the handouts and hidden deep in the email was a tiny little note about not having handouts at the conference.

However what truly ticks me off is that the downloads aren’t protected. So anyone can go in and download these workshops. Here I have gone and spend several hundred of dollars on this conference and they are giving this away before the event even takes place. I’m sorry but come on. At least protect them with a password or something that is given only to conference attendees and then open it to everyone else long after the event.I hate to say this but the RWA board and staff truly messed this up and they are going to have to deal with angry conference attendees. The only problem is that they won’t hear most of the complaints it will be the poor volunteers manning the registration desk who are going to get an ear full.

What are my plans at this time? Well I’m looking into seeing if there is a location near our hotel that could make the copies at a good price. Do I plan to complain to the right people? You bet I do.