Hi All:
Today we announced that AQS will host its 25th anniversary in Paducah, Kentucky. Space Coast Hospitality Management Services, the new owners and management company of the Executive Inn, has contracted with A & K Construction, Inc., of Paducah, Kentucky, to renovate all of the hotel rooms and provide improved hotel services by April, 2009. In addition, the City of Paducah has committed to remodel the Julian M. Carroll Convention Center.
The remodeling will solve many of the problems that we had at the 2008 show - air conditioning problems in the convention center, and the run-down conditions at the hotel. It has taken the months since the show for the plans to develop far enough that AQS is comfortable that the renovations can be completed in time for next year's show. More renovations will continue after the 2009 show with the building of an entirely new entrance and other exterior modifications.
We will all look forward to a new look for this hotel that has hosted the AQS Quilt Show for the past 24 years. Watch the AQS Web site, www.AmericanQuilter.com for upcoming information on making reservations at the Executive Inn; the reservation system is one of the things that will change soon so they aren't ready right now to handle reservations for the show.
And even though many of you have complained about the high rates the hotels in Paducah charge, those rates are set by the hotels. In Paducah we do not contract with the hotels like we do in our other show sites. We certainly can't be involved in price setting of the rates the hotels charge. If you don't like the hotel rates here, I suggest that you look at attending one of our other shows where there are more hotel rooms and thus more competition between the hotels, so the rates are in line with what is charged at other national quilt shows.
For me, this announcement today means that we can move full steam ahead with the plans for our 25th anniversary quilt show.
Showing posts with label AQS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AQS. Show all posts
Friday, June 27, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Knoxville, TN is site chosen for 2009 AQS Quilt Expo
Here I am in Knoxville, Tennessee, signing the contract for AQS to hold its summer show in Knoxville, starting in July 2009. To spread out our shows, we needed to move the summer show that we've been holding in Nashville in August to a July date. Gaylord Opryland did not have July dates for us in either 2009 or 2010. We found a great facility in Knoxville. The convention center is really beautiful - it has excellent exhibit hall space, and wait until you see the classrooms! The lobby areas are full of artwork of all kinds - sculptures, mosaics that cover an entire wall, paintings and wallhangings of all kinds, including a few quilts. Artwork was included in their budget for building the convention center, and it certainly makes this facility unique and shows their appreciation for the arts. Now I know you are all excited and want more information, but we are really just in the planning stages for this show. The registration materials will be ready in January 2009. Hotels will not take reservations until July 2008. This is a great spot for you to plan a family holiday in July - the Smoky Mountains are very close - I'll have to figure out how many minutes away they are.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Kehen Temple - Preparing for Festival
Men were carrying firewood up the steps next to the banyan tree in preparation for a festival at the Temple.
Kehen Temple - Altars
Altars inside Kehen Temple.
Notice the tree-covered mountain behind the temple.
Terraced Fields
The tillable land in the mountains was terraced to make room for growing all kinds of crops - fruit, vegetables like corn and lettuce, and flowers of all kinds. We passed some men carrying huge baskets of cut hydrangeas - sorry I didn't get a photo of them but the flowers were really pretty purples and blue.It is hard to imagine cutting all of those terraces by hand. And the fields were immaculate - no weeds that we could see.
Lake Tamblingan
As we headed down the mountain, we stopped for a spectacular view of Lake Tamblingan. Water from this lake and a couple others in the mountains provide water for people from here to the city.
Clouds in the Mountains
As we left the coffee plantation, the clouds settled right down on the road. It looked like we were driving through heavy fog -- but we were in the clouds.
This is the view out the front window of our bus.
Grinding the Coffee
Grinding the coffee, using a mortar and pestle method. It was ground, sifted, and reground if necessary.
Roasting the Coffee
This young man would turn this canister for two hours to roast the coffee over the fire.
Coffee Plantation
Ngiring Ngewedang Restaurant/Coffee Plantation
We drove to the summit of the mountain, passing tropical rainforest, and Buyan and Tamblingam lakes to see the unique, traditional Bali Coffee processing at Ngiring Ngewedang Restaurant in the village of Munduk.
Even though it was not the season for picking the coffee beans, we saw the process -- all done by hand. We enjoyed lunch at the Restaurant - with the most spectacular view of the mountains on every side.
Quilters Mingle with the Children
Our group mingled with the children. It's hard to tell who was having more fun - the quilters or the children!
And then it was time to board the bus and continue on to the Coffee Plantation.
Children at the Elementary School
Boys will be boys everywhere. They just couldn't resist showing us the peace sign and sticking their hands into every photo. They were having fun so we just snapped away with our cameras.
Men wear two scarves folded together and tied in the front. The tails are supposed to point upward -- except the one little boy on the lower right and his tails look a little bedraggled. GRIN.
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