By Emily Anderson Carbone
Here at AAKP, we’re gearing up for our 34th Annual Convention. This year’s Convention will be held in the bustling metropolis of St. Louis, MO, from Aug. 30 – Sept. 2. The Convention, entitled “Imagine - Believe - Achieve: The Gateway to Success,” will take place Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, at the beautiful Adam’s Mark® St. Louis hotel. The AAKP Convention is the largest gathering that caters to fellow kidney patients and their families.
Last year’s Convention in Orlando, FL, had more than 400 attendees and featured a wonderful exhibit hall, educational sessions, social events and more. This year, we want to make the 2007 Annual Convention better than ever!
Patient Education
AAKP created its Annual Convention to provide kidney patients, as well as their friends and family members with the opportunity to learn about important issues affecting their healthcare. Attendees learn about the most current information regarding kidney disease, treatment options and tips to living with kidney disease. The Convention offers educational sessions for kidney patients of all stages, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), dialysis and transplant patients, as well as their family members and caregivers. In addition to the educational sessions, attendees can meet and interact with other kidney patients and caregivers who are going through similar experiences.
This year, the Annual Convention features educational sessions hosted by carefully selected, highly respected healthcare professionals.
Some of the topics include:
• I’m in It for Life – Managing and Minimizing
Long-Term Effects of Kidney Disease
• Kidney Friendly Nutrition: Eating Well
• Exploring My Options: Choosing or ChangingTherapies
• The Great Debate: Solicitation of Organs
• Home Dialysis: A Personal Prospective
• Diabetes and Kidney Disease: A Balancing Act
• Caring for the Caregiver
Social Events
AAKP’s Annual Convention not only provides attendees with up to the minute education, it also offers numerous social events for patients, their families and professionals. These events allow patients and family members to interact on a person-to-person basis with others dealing with similar circumstances. Attendees gain insight and build friendships from the experiences they share with fellow patients, caregivers and professionals.
Back by popular demand is the First Time Attendee Luncheon. The luncheon is a welcoming event on Thursday, Aug. 30 for attendees who purchased a full Convention package. The lunch gives first-time Convention attendees useful tips and suggestions on how to make the most of their Convention experience.
The Welcoming Ceremonies and CKD Awards Presentation is also a popular event at the Annual Convention. This event takes place on Friday, Aug. 31, and is the official welcoming party of the AAKP Convention. This year’s theme is “sports fanatic” so attendees are encouraged to dress up in their best sports attire. Don’t be afraid to get creative – there’s a costume contest with prizes! During this event, AAKP presents the AAKP Spirit of Service Award and AAKP Visionary Award to a patient and physician for their efforts on behalf of individuals with CKD.
The last night of the Annual Convention, AAKP honors the service and dedication of its volunteers at the Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony. Taking place on Saturday, Sept. 1, this elegant event is the highlight of the Convention. Awards including the Samuel J. Orenstien Award , the Peter Lundin, MD Award , the President’s Award and the NOVA Award are all bestowed on worthy recipients.
The President’s Breakfast takes place on Sunday, Sept. 2, and marks the end of the AAKP Annual Convention. Attendees enjoy breakfast and words of inspiration from the AAKP President, Bobbi Wager, RN, MSN, and patients from around the country. The President closes the breakfast with the announcement of the upcoming year’s Convention theme and location.
Lunch with the Experts
AAKP’s Lunch with the Experts is always one of the most popular aspects of the Annual Convention. It allows attendees to engage in informal discussions on a much smaller scale with healthcare professionals. Lunch tables focus on a specific topic and are made up of nine attendees and an “Expert.” There are 25 tables each on Friday and Saturday, with a total of 450 available seats.
Lunch tables sell out quickly and placement is on a first-come, first-served basis, so attendees who are interested are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Lunch with the Experts is an additional $9 per person, per day for Convention attendees.
Exhibit Hall
The Exhibit Hall is open throughout the Annual Convention so attendees can visit the many renal-related companies and organizations at their leisure during the continental breakfasts, scheduled breaks and in between educational sessions. The Exhibit Hall is open on Thursday evening as well as Friday and Saturday.
Convention Registration
Patient and family member Convention packages are offered for $95 per person and Convention packages for healthcare professionals are available for $199 per person. The Convention package includes two days of educational sessions, two continental breakfasts, a Convention t-shirt and binder, as well as tickets to the First Time Attendee Luncheon, Welcoming Ceremonies, Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony, and President’s Breakfast. Lunch with the Experts tickets must be purchased separately.
Individuals interested in attending the Annual Convention and purchasing tickets can visit AAKP’s Web site atwww.aakp.org or contact AAKP by phone or mail. The deadline for pre-registration is Aug. 18. Registrations received after the deadline are subject to a $25 late fee.
Hotel Accommodations
The official AAKP Convention hotel, the Adam’s Mark® St. Louis, offers luxury, service and relaxation to attendees. From the moment you enter the lobby of the Adam’s Mark® St. Louis, you are swept away by the vitality and grandeur of the hotel. A three-story atrium with light flooding through arched windows, the lobby’s centerpiece is a pair of nine-feet tall bronze horses, created in Italy by the noted Venetian artist Ludovico De Luigi.
The Adam’s Mark® St. Louis is right across the street from the famous Gateway Arch and within walking distance to several St. Louis attractions such as, America’s Center, Laclede’s Landing, Riverboat Gambling and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Adam’s Mark® St. Louis toll free at (800) 444-2326. To receive the preferred rate of only $105 per night, identify yourself as an AAKP Convention attendee. Please make your reservations as early as possible as the Convention hotel has sold out in past years.
Continuing Education Credits for Nurses and
Social Workers
Continuing education credits are available for nurses and social workers. For more information on these credits please contact Diana Clynes, Program Manager, at dclynes@aakp.org or visit the AAKP Web site, www.aakp.org , for details.
More Information
The 2007 Annual Convention brochure contains a registration form, complete Convention agenda and information about the hotel, travel, transportation and dialysis arrangements. Current members of AAKP will receive the Convention brochure in late spring.
AAKP’s Web site also features up to date Convention information. Individuals can download the registration form online. Registration forms can be mailed or faxed to AAKP.
For more information about the 34th Annual Convention, please contact AAKP at (800) 749-AAKP or info@aakp.org.
Emily Anderson Carbone is the Communications Coordinator for AAKP.
This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of aakpRENALIFE.
Back
|
