That was a spectacular conference. I really enjoyed it, and so did everyone I talked to. I leaned a lot, met a bunch of people, and shopped until I ran out of cash.
The venue was splendid, the hotel room was the biggest I have ever been in. The hotel and conference centre staff were tremendously helpful and diligent. Your team had organized everything to the nth degree, and that made everything flow well.
Well done, all.
Do you have to be a member of OHCG to take a workshop on cutters. Registration is until 8:30 but I don’t think I can make it by then. To take the workshop do I also register for the conference? Is the show an vendors only open to the public on Sunday? How would I get there from the greyhound bus station?
Yes – you do need to be an OHCG member to take any of the workshops. You could bring your membership application if you’re not currently a member and at the same time, sign up for the workshop. You also need to be registered for the conference. On this site, under event details, you’ll see the registration form we had posted. It’s required to be an OHCG member, and to register for the conference, to participate in any of the activities, including the workshops. If you’re still interested, please let us know – it will take a bit of time to process your registration and membership application, prior to the workshop.
The Sunday show and sale is open to the public from 10-3 pm. Conference participants have access to the exhibition hall (displays and vendors) from 9 am – 3 pm; an extra hour of less congested shopping and viewing!
The bus station is on Catherine St, which is near Highway 417. A taxi would likely take 10-15 mins max. There is also the option of OC Transpo. I’m not sure which buses to suggest but their site makes it easy to enter your starting point and your destination: http://www.octranspo.com/?from=splash. I’m not sure how to post a live link here, so you’ll need to copy and paste that url.
Please don’t hesitate to connect if you have any other questions. Hope to see you at the Annual!
Lesley
I am a new ORHG member and looking forward to the upcoming annual event. I am looking for info about the times of Saturday’s events can’t find the details anywhere. Specifically, I want to attend the AGM — what time does that start? And, would that conflict with the 10 am session on Cheticamp rugs?
(Suggestion: A complete / consolidated schedule of events would be helpful)
Many thanks!
Hi Melanie,
Great question – the program will be coming out in the next week or two. We’ll also be posting a map of the venue so you can see all the meeting rooms, exhibition hall, and banquet area. In fact, the complete program will be provided on the website in advance of the event, as we’re hoping people will download onto tablets, etc rather than requiring a printed version (saving a few trees is the intent!).
Meanwhile, the AGM is intended for all participants to attend, so the workshops and presentations will start after it wraps up. The AGM is scheduled from 8:30-9:30 am (breakfast (included as part of your registration) is beforehand from 7:30-8:15 am). We’ve allowed a bit of a cushion in case the meeting runs over a bit and to give people time to get to their sessions. You’ll have no conflict – instead you should have a bit of free time so you won’t need to rush.
I’ll make a note to let you know when the program is posted. And please don’t hesitate if you have other questions.
Looking forward to meeting you and I hope you enjoy the event!
Thanks very much for this speedy response. So, if I wish to attend the just the AGM, does that mean I have to register for the ‘Conference Only’ ($55) on the Participant Registration form? Also, is the ‘Gala’ shown in the registration e-table the same as the ‘Friday Evening Social’ mentioned in the description at the top of the page?
Hi Melanie, the AGM is free of charge to OHCG members. We’ll need to see your membership card for verification at the door. The breakfast is only for annual attendees, as are the presentations and workshops. I believe you mentioned you had a session at 10 am? If so that requires registration.
Registration includes the Friday night social, Sat morning breakfast, the AGM (as mentioned), access to workshops and the hooking room, as well as access to the exhibition of all the hooked pieces and to the vendors.
The gala is Saturday night and a separate fee. I believe this info appears at the top of the registration form. Friday night is more of a getting together with wine and cheese and a live auction, as well as the kick off to the silent auction, which wraps up Saturday late afternoon. The gala is a sit-down dinner followed by entertainment. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and don’t hesitate to email directly: belledansbois@gmail.com. :). Lesley
Please would you send a link to me (Jane Steele) to post onto my River House Rug Hooking page to advise everyone here on the south shore of Nova Scotia? Thanks!
Next spring 2018 I am so very excited to join about 300 or more OHCG members in Ottawa for the annual conference.
I have been attending the annual conferences for a few years now. They have been hosted by Stratford, London, North Bay, Deerhurst, Kingston, Cobourg to name a few. Each annual is always exciting particularly my first one whereby I felt like a kid in a candy shop. The vendors, workshops, displays and gala have always been exceptional. Inspiration abounds as well as making connections with new and renewed friendships.
My experience co-chairing northern Ontario’s first annual in North Bay proved to be very successful and very well attended. I learned from that experience that the road does go both ways here in the north and to never doubt the attendance of rug hookers from across the province. For those of us in the north we are always wanting to stay connected as well as our need for supplies and educational experiences. The annuals are the place to go.
In 2016 I had the good fortune of co-chairing the 50th Anniversary of OHCG in Deerhurst in Huntsville with Diane Algera along with an exceptional team of OHCG Executive members.
Should anyone reading this wish to participate in the planning of an annual or attend, jump at the chance. You will have made friends and connections you never thought possible.
Thanks so much for the suggestion. We’ll definitely keep it in mind as we develop the take down plan. Please encourage others to let us know what they’d like to see at the 2018 Annual; what could make it a better experience – and see you next May!
— Hope you have a better take down plan than was implemented in Cobourg! It was too chaotic and in the end security was not checked at the doors at all. Certainly are better ways to do it to have good security but make it smooth and efficient. Lots of discussion post Cobourg about that unfortunate aspect of last weekend.
OHCG 2018 Annual 
That was a spectacular conference. I really enjoyed it, and so did everyone I talked to. I leaned a lot, met a bunch of people, and shopped until I ran out of cash.
The venue was splendid, the hotel room was the biggest I have ever been in. The hotel and conference centre staff were tremendously helpful and diligent. Your team had organized everything to the nth degree, and that made everything flow well.
Well done, all.
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Do you have to be a member of OHCG to take a workshop on cutters. Registration is until 8:30 but I don’t think I can make it by then. To take the workshop do I also register for the conference? Is the show an vendors only open to the public on Sunday? How would I get there from the greyhound bus station?
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Hi Vickie, thanks for your questions.
Yes – you do need to be an OHCG member to take any of the workshops. You could bring your membership application if you’re not currently a member and at the same time, sign up for the workshop. You also need to be registered for the conference. On this site, under event details, you’ll see the registration form we had posted. It’s required to be an OHCG member, and to register for the conference, to participate in any of the activities, including the workshops. If you’re still interested, please let us know – it will take a bit of time to process your registration and membership application, prior to the workshop.
The Sunday show and sale is open to the public from 10-3 pm. Conference participants have access to the exhibition hall (displays and vendors) from 9 am – 3 pm; an extra hour of less congested shopping and viewing!
The bus station is on Catherine St, which is near Highway 417. A taxi would likely take 10-15 mins max. There is also the option of OC Transpo. I’m not sure which buses to suggest but their site makes it easy to enter your starting point and your destination: http://www.octranspo.com/?from=splash. I’m not sure how to post a live link here, so you’ll need to copy and paste that url.
Please don’t hesitate to connect if you have any other questions. Hope to see you at the Annual!
Lesley
LikeLike
I am a new ORHG member and looking forward to the upcoming annual event. I am looking for info about the times of Saturday’s events can’t find the details anywhere. Specifically, I want to attend the AGM — what time does that start? And, would that conflict with the 10 am session on Cheticamp rugs?
(Suggestion: A complete / consolidated schedule of events would be helpful)
Many thanks!
LikeLike
Hi Melanie,
Great question – the program will be coming out in the next week or two. We’ll also be posting a map of the venue so you can see all the meeting rooms, exhibition hall, and banquet area. In fact, the complete program will be provided on the website in advance of the event, as we’re hoping people will download onto tablets, etc rather than requiring a printed version (saving a few trees is the intent!).
Meanwhile, the AGM is intended for all participants to attend, so the workshops and presentations will start after it wraps up. The AGM is scheduled from 8:30-9:30 am (breakfast (included as part of your registration) is beforehand from 7:30-8:15 am). We’ve allowed a bit of a cushion in case the meeting runs over a bit and to give people time to get to their sessions. You’ll have no conflict – instead you should have a bit of free time so you won’t need to rush.
I’ll make a note to let you know when the program is posted. And please don’t hesitate if you have other questions.
Looking forward to meeting you and I hope you enjoy the event!
LikeLike
Thanks very much for this speedy response. So, if I wish to attend the just the AGM, does that mean I have to register for the ‘Conference Only’ ($55) on the Participant Registration form? Also, is the ‘Gala’ shown in the registration e-table the same as the ‘Friday Evening Social’ mentioned in the description at the top of the page?
LikeLike
Hi Melanie, the AGM is free of charge to OHCG members. We’ll need to see your membership card for verification at the door. The breakfast is only for annual attendees, as are the presentations and workshops. I believe you mentioned you had a session at 10 am? If so that requires registration.
Registration includes the Friday night social, Sat morning breakfast, the AGM (as mentioned), access to workshops and the hooking room, as well as access to the exhibition of all the hooked pieces and to the vendors.
The gala is Saturday night and a separate fee. I believe this info appears at the top of the registration form. Friday night is more of a getting together with wine and cheese and a live auction, as well as the kick off to the silent auction, which wraps up Saturday late afternoon. The gala is a sit-down dinner followed by entertainment. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and don’t hesitate to email directly: belledansbois@gmail.com. :). Lesley
LikeLike
Please would you send a link to me (Jane Steele) to post onto my River House Rug Hooking page to advise everyone here on the south shore of Nova Scotia? Thanks!
LikeLike
I didn’t notice at first, but the photo on your site for the vendor blog happens to be me and Judy Baker!!! Ha ha – we certainly did enjoy shopping!
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What’s so good about an Annual
Next spring 2018 I am so very excited to join about 300 or more OHCG members in Ottawa for the annual conference.
I have been attending the annual conferences for a few years now. They have been hosted by Stratford, London, North Bay, Deerhurst, Kingston, Cobourg to name a few. Each annual is always exciting particularly my first one whereby I felt like a kid in a candy shop. The vendors, workshops, displays and gala have always been exceptional. Inspiration abounds as well as making connections with new and renewed friendships.
My experience co-chairing northern Ontario’s first annual in North Bay proved to be very successful and very well attended. I learned from that experience that the road does go both ways here in the north and to never doubt the attendance of rug hookers from across the province. For those of us in the north we are always wanting to stay connected as well as our need for supplies and educational experiences. The annuals are the place to go.
In 2016 I had the good fortune of co-chairing the 50th Anniversary of OHCG in Deerhurst in Huntsville with Diane Algera along with an exceptional team of OHCG Executive members.
Should anyone reading this wish to participate in the planning of an annual or attend, jump at the chance. You will have made friends and connections you never thought possible.
In the meantime see you in Ottawa 2018.
Wanda Wallace,
North Bay, OM
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Thanks so much for the suggestion. We’ll definitely keep it in mind as we develop the take down plan. Please encourage others to let us know what they’d like to see at the 2018 Annual; what could make it a better experience – and see you next May!
LikeLike
— Hope you have a better take down plan than was implemented in Cobourg! It was too chaotic and in the end security was not checked at the doors at all. Certainly are better ways to do it to have good security but make it smooth and efficient. Lots of discussion post Cobourg about that unfortunate aspect of last weekend.
LikeLike