In retrospect: General Assembly 2005
Kansas City
The process of debriefing the recent 26th General Assembly and
Conventions has begun. Someone once said, "Every General Assembly is
mother to the next one." If this is true, every event must provide a
learning base from which to make even better decisions in the planning
for future events. The scrutiny has begun.
Some of the elements emerging from the limited debriefing that is already occurring include:
¿ Even greater emphasis will be given to increasing international
participation, both from the first moments of planning to the actual
expression of those plans.
¿ Indianapolis as a convention site will be given close scrutiny as the
general secretary learns more about their expansion plans. The
Indianapolis Convention Center will undergo a radical renovation. The
RCA Dome will be torn down to make way for additional convention space.
In its place, a new stadium with a retractable roof will be constructed
further south of the existing Dome location. This potentially could
increase walking distance from the hotel cluster.
¿ General Secretary Jack Stone indicated the importance of a favorable
review of Indianapolis' plans. The needs of the delegates, guests, and
visitors must be considered in any decision related to the site of the
General Assembly. In passing, Stone mentioned the cities of Orlando,
Detroit, Atlanta, and Toronto as potential sites for further investigation. No official list
of cities for consideration has been made at this time.
¿ Stone announced a final tabulation of attendance for the 2005 General Assembly of 30,000.
--NCN News