1999 Training Conference in Palm Springs |
As our members look forward to the annual convention to be held Oct. 5-7 at Palm Springs, Calif., we've put together our annual list of likely accommodations to help you out. There are some things to keep in mind with us being at the Mecca of the left coast. Room rates at the larger alternative lifestyle hotels are based on Palm Springs being one of the premier spa and resort playgrounds of the rich and famous from Los Angeles to Hollywood. It is not uncommon for hotels to offer rooms at $200-$300 a night with all the indulging amenities! If you can't get into one of the recommended hotels, plenty of accommodations are available around town in every price range.
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has three affiliated host hotels for thing year's annual conference. The first is the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel which is the host hotel for the convention. The room rates start at a reasonable (for Palm Springs) $89 a night. Their number is 1-800-996-3426. This hotel is actually attached to the convention center.
The Spa Hotel and Casino is the hotel choice of the NNALEA committee. Rooms are priced starting at $54 and the spa can be reached at 1-800-854-1279. This will be the site of the NNALEA meetings and our annual reception so if you can't get in here, stay close. We were very successful in keeping everyone at the same hotel in Myrtle Beach and we'd like to match that success again this year. Make those reservations early and tell them you're with us! Be sure to check it out at www.spa-hotel.com.
The third NCAI host hotel is The Hilton. Their rooms start at $99 a night and they can be reached at 1-800-522-6900. The Spa and Hilton are both within a block or two from the convention center.
The NNALEA also recommends the following hotels, in proximity order: One block from the convention center is the Courtyard Marriott @ $74-$94 at 1-800-321-2211. Four blocks from the convention are the Las Brisas Best Western @ $79-$99 a night at 1-800-346-5714; the Comfort Inn @ $49-$69 at 1-800-228-5150; and the Holiday Inn Palm Mountains Resort @ $69-$79 at 1-800-465-4329. Just six blocks from the convention center is the Motel 6 - Downtown @ $42-$44 at 1-800-466-8356.
Be sure to request the NCAI or NNALEA rate. As usual, shuttle service will be available from most of the above listed hotels to the convention center. Be sure to reserve your room and rental car early to avoid any delays upon your arrival.
Members are invited to preregister to attend the conference as early as possible. This allows us to estimate the number of attendees to serve you better. A table for the NNALEA conference will be set up outside the meeting room for those who need to register on site. Registration is $165 for early birds before Sept. 15. After Sept. 15, registration will be an additional $25 for a total of $190. Conference registration includes your annual membership, as well as a training manual, and refreshment breaks.
Training in various law enforcement areas will be conducted from 9 a.m. till about 5 p.m. with an hour for lunch each day. Following the lunch break on Thursday, the NNALEA will hold its annual meeting until about 4 p.m. All members are invited to attend the full program and annual meeting.
Training will be offered by various offices of the Department of Justice, the F.B.I., the D.E.A., B.A.T.F., and the B.I.A. Some of the topics covered will be Tribal justice initiatives, gang resistance, conflict resolution, community policing, criminal mapping, school violence, weapons distribution, and tracking and developing inter-agency cooperation.
The NCAI runs a full week of events and meetings starting on Sunday, Oct. 3 and finishing on Friday, Oct. 8. The meetings and assemblies held during the day are open only to registered attendees of the NCAI. The registration fees of the NCAI are normally around the $300 range for those of you interested in attending those meetings. If you'd like to learn more about the NCAI, membership in the NCAI is only $10.
Some of the celebrity events and special occasion dinners in the evening have their own costs but are open to anyone. Watch for various groups hosting their own receptions during the week.
Our members are reminded that the NNALEA reception will be hosted Thursday evening at the Spa Hotel. It is respectfully requested that if possible, our membership try to bring an item to donate for the law enforcement raffle held each year.
The annual pow wow is free and open to the public, as is the Exhibitor's Hall at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The hall will contain a variety of vendors, organizations and government agencies with interests in Indian country. Anybody interested in registering for the NCAI or in order to be a part of the Exhibitor's Hall is to contact the NCAI at (202) 466-7767 for a registration package.
Servicing Palm Springs is the Palm Springs International Airport just across town from the conference. Ontario International is 72 miles away and approximately one hours drive. John Wayne Airport in Orange County is 98 miles away and approximately 1.5 hours drive away. Los Angeles International (LAX) is 120 miles away and a 2-hour drive.
Palm Springs is known for two things, being a resort and pampering those in town to enjoy it. Most of the service industries in the area will indulge your fantasies one by one. You'll find that in addition to the posh spas in the area, every major hotel offers a variety of spa services, from massages to facials to all kinds of skin care and body treatments. There are five casinos in the area and if you have any bucks left, some of the finest and most elitist shopping in the world beckons.
Those of you bringing your spouse to the conference earn bonus points at home! And for those of you who are not, some of the most prestigious golf courses in the whole country are in this town. This is the home of both the Bob Hope and Dinah Shore Golf Classics. The Spa-Hotel is under contract with Canyon South Golf Course and has a golf package available for only $45, including a cart.
For more information on Palm Springs, check out the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce's website at www.pschamber.org.
See you on the trail.
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