2023 Convention FAQ - African Violet Society of America

2023 AVSA 77th Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia

May 28 – June 4, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

I am not an AVSA member; can I attend or visit the Atlanta convention?

Yes! The public is very welcome to come be part of the fun.

A Show room pass of $5.00 gets you into the show and sale rooms. There will be 100s of plants and designs in the show room for your viewing pleasure and the sales room will be filled with plants and supplies.

If you join the African Violet Society of America for $35.00 during your visit, you can get into the show and sale rooms for free.

I am an AVSA member, can I attend for only a day?

One day passes are available to AVSA members for $45.00. The one day pass allows you to participate in the raffle, attend the presentations, visit the show room and shop in the sales room.

Can I contribute to the Atlanta Goodie Bags?

If a person or a group would like to consider donating an item for the “Atlanta Goodie Bag” please send them to arrive no later than May 24th to:

Johnnie Berry
287 Fennel Way SW
Atlanta, GA 30331

A minimum amount to send would be 200. The ideal amount is 250. Anything between 200 and 250 will be sincerely and gratefully accepted.

All donations are very much appreciated!

What is the AVSA Early Hotel Booking Discount?

AVSA offers a discount of $20 when the hotel is booked by April 20, 2023 through one of two methods:

Calling the toll-free number and referencing the group name of “African Violet Society of America”
Utilizing the online link provided on the AVSA convention website

Detail information for either can be found on the Hotel Information page here.

What is the Discounted Room Rate?

The Sheraton Atlanta hotel provides a discounted room price for groups. AVSA negotiated a price for Kings or Doubles for $121. This rate does not include 16.9% for state and local taxes and a $5.00 per day State of Georgia Hotel Fee required for all rooms.

The last day to receive Sheraton’s discounted room group rate is May 12, 2023 or until the group room block is full, whichever comes first.

At the banquets, do we need to sign up together in order to sit together?

Group registrations are no longer needed for seating arrangements. Banquets are now open seating.

I’ve never been to convention. Why go?

People come for many reasons. Some come early to enjoy the tours and the AVSA reduced rates of the hotel as a vacation/convention. Others come on Wednesday for the convention activities.

It’s not the type of convention where you go from one presentation or activity to the next. There is down time in between activities. Conversations pop up about care, culture, lighting, soil, etc. just to name a few. Everyone does something a little different and you go home with new ideas to try in your own environment.

There is a first-time convention go-er’s meeting on Wednesday afternoon where convention activities are explained in more detail. It gives everyone a chance to meet other first-timers and there is plenty of time for questions.

Plan to spend time in the show and sale rooms on Thursday (afternoon and evening) , Friday and Saturday. Hours can be spent just walking around looking at all the beautiful plants. Shop in the sales room. It opens on Thursday and a line always starts an hour or two before it opens. You’ll find yourself visiting the sales room multiple times as the crowds thin and you find another special plant or supply item that you don’t want to leave behind.

Be sure to attend all the presentations for great education on various topics. Don’t miss the Luncheon Auction where people donate plants and most anything violet related. There’s always a treasure to go home with and each purchase is a donation to AVSA.

AVSA is 99.9% a volunteer organization. Consider volunteering to meet new people and make your own personal contribution to the success of this year’s convention.

Whether you come for the week or only a few days, each person will get something different from the experience. Hope to see you there!

Does a non-member have to register, if they only want to signup for the tours and meals?

If a spouse/friend would like to accompany you, but not attend any of the presentations or see the showroom, they do not need to register for convention. You are able to purchase the meals or tours for them on your registration. There is a limit. Only two (2) tickets are allowed for each meal or tour selected.

Do I have to register to be able to purchase plants on Friday/Saturday?

You do not need to register for convention to enter the sales room on Friday or Saturday. There are admission fees if you are not registered, which are:

$3.00 – AVSA member not registered for convention (bring your AVSA membership number)
$5.00 – not a member of AVSA