The Next Biennial

[Palm Guy]

Hi all,

I believe I heard mention of Brazil being next up for the IPS biennial (2010). About what time of the year would this be taking place? Just wanna know cause I don't want to miss it!

Thanks,

Mike

[Jeff Searle]

I think Jill ( IPS Board Member and Host) was talking around April-May would be the best time of the year. But nothing has been set in stone I don't think yet.

Jeff

[bgl]

Current planning is for a Biennial in the Rio de Janeiro area in mid April 2010. John DeMott is working on this. I'll check with him what the status is.

[Palm Guy]

Thanks Jeff and Bo,

Looking forward to some info! I take it we can bring along non IPS members??? If so, are their any limits as to how many non members may attend?

Thanks,

[bgl]

Mike,

This is not an issue that's really been discussed in detail, so it's a bit of a grey area. The official rule is that Biennial participants need to be IPS members in order to register. But from a practical point of view, spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, whatever, can be registered under the IPS members' name & membership, assuming it's the same address. If a different address is used, then IPS membership is required. And in the big scheme of things (with cost of registration and airline ticket) the added cost of the IPS membership is really small potatoes!

Bo-Göran

[Palm Guy]

Thanks Bo,

I was hoping to bring about 3 or 4 palm grower friends of mine in hopes that they would eventually join the IPS. I would also like my girlfriend to attend!

This is getting off topic a bit, but these guys may also be interested in setting up a local palm chapter under the IPS: Bermuda Palm & Cycad Society (BPCS) which I hope to get started sometime in the next few years. Are there any requirements/important factors to consider before jumping into this?

Thanks again,

Mike

[bgl]

Mike,

Bringing your girlfriend is fine, as long as you don't attempt to register her under an address different from your own. But your palms grower friends need to be IPS members in order to register. Keep in mind there are always IPS gift memberships...

And check out the IPS By-laws, which I posted some time ago in this sub-forum. Article XI will give you the information you're looking for. And if you have additional questions, just post them here. Actually, starting a new thread would probably be more appropriate...

Bo-Göran

[Palm Guy]

Bo,

These guys are nuts about palms so I'm pretty sure getting them to join will not be hard! I'll take a look at the By-Laws and get back to you shortly - on another topic of course.

Thanks,

Mike

[PALM MOD]

Mike,

Assuming these guys may have computer access from time to time, get them to join PalmTalk. No membership fees here, and they will hopefully absorb some of the benefits of IPS membership.

[joe_OC]

I am very interested in going to biennials moving forward...Does the IPS provide a whole travel package? Or members are on their own to handle the logistics of getting there?

[Kim]

Each member arranges his/her own airfare. The week of IPS activities includes lodging, most meals, transportation, fees, activities, some tips. There are also pre-trip and post-trip options to add on at additional cost, if you choose.

[RainForestt Robert]

The last biennial was a total blast. It is like the Olympics. Every subsequent biennial should be an improvement on the last. In that case I can hardly wait!!

Robert

[Jeff Searle]

Joe

And if I may add, check out Ryan's thread on this past biennial in Costa Rica. It was a great time for all that attended.

Jeff

[Dave-Vero]

A recent news story in the Economist (sorry, I don't read Portuguese, so don't keep an eye on Brasil) says homicide rates in Brazil's cities are falling. This should be good news for visitors and for Rio's tourist industry. A long-ago fellow student is an expert on the Atlantic Forest. There isn't much left, but those remnants seem very worth visiting.

[palmmermaid]

Current planning is for a Biennial in the Rio de Janeiro area in mid April 2010. John DeMott is working on this. I'll check with him what the status is.

Bo,

Mid-April is right in the middle of tax season for all the members who work on taxes. Any way it could be moved to late April or early May? That's also in the middle of sale season here in south Florida.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Kitty,

Any calendar 2 week time slot is going to be inconvenient for somebody. John DeMott was very vociferous about this at the last Biennial. He was only able to attend the Directors meeting, not the entire Biennial, and had to fly home for business reasons after less than 48 hours in CR, and I suspect that is why he is the one scheduling it this time around. Your best bet to be heard is contacting John directly.

Geraldo

[bgl]

Kitty,

Like Jerry mentioned, there are always a number of considerations, and it's just plain impossible to satisfy everyone. We arrived at the mid April choice after carefully looking at other time slots, all of which - for various reasons - were less preferable. For the average person (who is not an accountant) I don't see any problem. Either you file before the Biennial, or you file an extention, which is automatic. Problem solved!

Bo-Göran

[Mark_NoVA]

One thing to be aware of and get prepared for is the difficulty in obtaining visas to visit Brazil. I made 3 trips to the Brazil embassy over a couple of years recently, and the big majority of applicants were being turned down. A delegation from the city of Annapolis couldn't get visas and had to cancel a trip. A lot of paperwork is required, including a lot from Brazil, and they are nitpicky about it. If I recall correctly, the paperwork includes invitations from the sponsoring organization in Brazil, paperwork from the travel agency in Brazil, contact names, numbers and addresses for both, along with signatures. Files (PDF, I think) that were sent to us with the signatures in them weren't acceptable as far as the signatures went.

So the IPS and Brazilian organizers will need to be thoroughly prepared with all documentation correct to the smallest details to give to applicants, and warn applicants to be equally careful. Apply early, in case of requests for extra paperwork.

[Redland]

Right now we are looking at the directors arriving the 9th of April, members arriving the 4/10 and everyone leaving 4/17. We are trying to schedule post and pre tours. These will be limited to 200 participants at the biannual. Pre and post tours will be much more limited to the amount of individuals depending.

We are very early in the development stages and open for suggestions.

I did spend 10 days in Rio April of this year and roamed the city on foot as well as taxies without feeling intimidated but I am from the Miami area so that might not count.

I had no problem with a visa but did apply 45 days before my scheduled departure.

Best,

John

[edbrown_III]

Visa wasnt a big deal I visited the office and got one in a few hours. You just need all the requirements phtos etc. Varig and other Brasillian airlines offer a a 3 stop triangular pass so you can go to 3 cities in a 21 day period for $500 . It permits you some lattitude to go see Pantanal, Bahia Manuas etc post biennial.

Best regard,

Ed

[realarch]

Thanks for the info, although a lot more will be forthcoming. I know I'll want to add either some pre or post side trips.

Tim

[bgl]

The following should be useful:

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to visit Brazil for tourism purposes, provided that the trip is strictly for tourism and the stay does not exceed 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, the Vatican and Venezuela; the last country, for a stay up to 60 days) .

The USA is not part of this list. Possibly because Brazil is not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver program.

[Redland]

Hello John, via PM

I understand you are currently planning the Brazil biennial for 2010. I wonder if you have a general idea of the logistics for 200 palm-crazy people this time around? As much as I enjoyed the Costa Rica trip (my first biennial), reflecting later, it seemed the daily four or more hours on the bus really might have been better spent in further exploration. This, of course, could only have been possible if we were staying outside San Jose. I just feel a twinge of regret when I read accounts by other visitors to Costa Rica of their early morning photo opportunities with monkeys or birds, or nighttime walks in the jungle viewing frogs with flashlights. Is there any chance of spending at least part of the trip outside the city? Perhaps four groups could rotate around a circuit of eco-lodges?

Our main objective is to fine a place where 200 can stay confortably. Unfortunitually this limites us. Might I suggest a post or pre tour.

jd

[Mark_NoVA]

That's right..do you remember this from 4 years ago?

...The dispute heightened Brazilian-American tensions that started Jan. 1 when Brazil demanded that arriving American citizens -- and American citizens alone -- be photographed and fingerprinted. The policy was in retaliation for increased security measures in the United States that require citizens of all but 27 countries, mostly European, to undergo nearly identical procedures.

from NY Times, full article at Brazil Jails American Airlines Pilot Over Fingerprinting Snub

The following should be useful:

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to visit Brazil for tourism purposes, provided that the trip is strictly for tourism and the stay does not exceed 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, the Vatican and Venezuela; the last country, for a stay up to 60 days) .

The USA is not part of this list. Possibly because Brazil is not part of the U.S. Visa Waiver program.

[edbrown_III]

Hello John, via PM

I understand you are currently planning the Brazil biennial for 2010. I wonder if you have a general idea of the logistics for 200 palm-crazy people this time around? As much as I enjoyed the Costa Rica trip (my first biennial), reflecting later, it seemed the daily four or more hours on the bus really might have been better spent in further exploration. This, of course, could only have been possible if we were staying outside San Jose. I just feel a twinge of regret when I read accounts by other visitors to Costa Rica of their early morning photo opportunities with monkeys or birds, or nighttime walks in the jungle viewing frogs with flashlights. Is there any chance of spending at least part of the trip outside the city? Perhaps four groups could rotate around a circuit of eco-lodges?

Our main objective is to fine a place where 200 can stay confortably. Unfortunitually this limites us. Might I suggest a post or pre tour.

jd

John,

There are alot of hotels in Rio it has at least 5 subburbs that comprise the city: Gloria Copacabana Ipanema, Butufogo and one other I cant think of .....

I stayed in Gloria --- there are a bunch of hotels there. You are walking distance from the Parque' Flameco' , a short bus rid from Jardem Botanico, a tad longer bus ride from Tijuca Forest , and alot of little parkes with palms in Gloria that I dont know the name of ..... It would be an ordeal to stay further out and commute in

I stayed mostly in GLoria as the price was right and you could cross the main drag to Flameco Parque and see lots of palms . I stayed at a variety of hotels from the Regina to the GLoria you could probably find accomodation for guests at these--- they are not resorts but nice hotels in close proximity to the beach, Flameco Park etc. You can walk along this beach and see Pan Aszucar( Sugar Loaf) and some of the most beautiful women (I have ever seen) on the beach. It is the presttiest city that I have been to with perhaps the exception of Capetown. -- The Gloria hotel might meet your needs

The resort hotels are in Copacab ana and Ipanema these are very expensive --- and may make the tour prohibitively expensive. I have visited RIo 3 x over the years and this one would be the 4th. I usually stay 3 or 4 days in RIo and then go . About 3 or 4 hours south is Parati sort of a Meditterean resort famous for Bridgit Bardott-- Burle Marx's estate is on the way. If I recall correctly I believe you can see tall Syagurus psuedococos there.

Anyway this is just my 2 cents worth for you consideration.

Best regards.

Ed

[bgl]

Ed,

Thanks a lot for the information. I'll alert John to your post. He may not necessarily check in here every day. There are a couple of things, that we've learned from mistakes during previous Biennials:

1 - All Biennial participants should ideally stay at the same hotel, so we can't use a smaller hotel. If we do use more than one hotel, they must be within walking distance of each other.

2 - If at all possible, stay at the same hotel the entire time. Check-out and check-in etc. eats up quite a bit of time when we switch from one hotel to another (which of course may be necessary at times).

3 - In order to satisfy as many participants as possible we need to find hotels that are of relatively high standard but still in a reasonable price category. That rules out the luxury hotels.

Again, thanks for the comments!

Bo-Göran

[edbrown_III]

http://www.hotel-rates.com/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/

fyi

Bo-Goran

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Bo, maybe it is just me, but I have been on 3 Biennials so far and a change in locations seemed to add to the adventure. We stayed in 3 different places in New Caledonia, and two different ones on the Post Trip in Australia. The Hawaiaan Biennial and Post trip blurred together for me, but we stayed at four different places there. I was not able to post trip the CR but I was just a tiny bit dissapointed we didn't stay at a second location.

In CR I heard a couple of people saying that they liked staying at only one place but I have to disagree. It was probably a logistic impossibility in CR because of the split schedules, but if we are able to stay together in our tours I don't think a second hotel would be a problem and in fact, a second hotel sometimes gives you a longer stay in a garden because there is no long return bus ride. Just my opinion.

Another question I have is why do we usually go in April/May? Perhaps it is too late in the game to change for Rio, but our fall is their spring so an October trip might work out (like Noveaux Caledone').

Jerry

[Gileno Machado]

Just adding my 2 cents of Real (Brazilian money):

I rarely visit Rio now but I used to fly to Rio on a weekly basis some 15 years ago when I was the director of a national association of engineering. I love the city...and haven't yet been to a more beautiful natural scenario for a metropolis (6 to 7 million, second biggest town in Brazil).

We have visited Rio 2 months ago and stayed in Ipanema in a big 4 star hotel around the corner from the sea, Hotel Everest, which had promotional rates at the time. I found it very safe to walk in that neighborhood, even late at night, coming back from the nice restaurants and shops available nearby. Most of the big hotels along the beaches (Copacabana, Ipanema, São Conrado, Barra da Tijuca) are at least 30 years old but they are well kept and have been refurbished from time to time. The very best luxury hotel in South America, for instance, The Copacabana Palace, is almost 100 years old and is in a perfect shape now, and has lots of stories of ghosts, from Holywood superstars, many foreign presidents and european crowned heads among their fancy decorated suites and rooms by the sea. Big Resorts in Rio are usually located at a good distance from the city and far away from the main palm related attractions (Jardim Botânico, Floresta da Tijuca, Parque do Flamengo, Quinta da Boa vista, Sítio Burle Marx, etc) and not close to the places that nobody will like to miss either (Corcovado and Christ, Sugar loaf aerial tram, the beaches, etc).

For such a large group, I'd probably try to check the big Hotels in Copacabana (Othon Palace, Iberostar(former Meridien), Sheraton, Intercontinental (São Conrado), Marina (Ipanema), etc. Rio is one of the most expensive towns in Brazil but I'm sure the prices may get reasonable if booked in advance for large groups (many rooms + convention facilities)

The Old Hotel Glória mentioned by Ed is probably a good choice too and it is located downtown in front of the Burle Marx's biggest and most famous landscaping work, the Parque do Flamengo with many tall palms, including several flowering Coryphas. I've stayed there a couple of times, 20+ years ago. It used to be a preferential choice for politicians and businessmen when Rio used to be Brazil's capital city, before Brasília was built in 1964. It was my grandpa's favorite place to stay. From its front door we see a magnificent view of the Sugar Loaf mountain but the neighborhood location (Botafogo and Flamengo beaches, facing the bay) is not as nice and famous as Copacabana and Ipanema today. I can't think of a big resort which could fit all 200 IPS members that would be close enough to the obvious attractions but I'll try to get some more information too. Maybe Don might have some good tips as well...

[bgl]

Gileno,

Thanks a lot for all the information. Not sure where John DeMott is with the hotel planning, but I'm sure he'll appreciate your input and he can easily contact you for more specifics. I've alerted him to this thread. (BTW - GREAT photos. Everybody should want to go on the Rio Biennial! )

Jerry,

since 1998, the Biennials have taken place during the following months:

1998 Sep (Thailand)

2000 Oct (New Caledonia)

2002 Sep (France)

2004 May (Hawaii)

2006 Oct (Dominican Rep.)

2008 May (Costa Rica)

So, only 2 out of the 6 in the first part of the year! My understanding is that April is a very good time in the Rio area, and that's the reason for that choice. In 2012 when we're heading back to Thailand I'm sure it'll be around September, again taking the weather into consideration.

As far as staying in one hotel, or more than one, that's really something that will vary from Biennial to Biennial, and generally speaking we're not going to have much of a choice. In New Caledonia it was a pretty unusual situation in that the main hotel in Noumea let us keep our rooms there for the two nights that we were away (on our Mt Panie trip). That will probably never happen again. In Hawaii there wasn't much of a choice on the Biennial itself: Pacific Beach Hotel while on Oahu and Hilo Hawaiian here in Hilo. The switch in the Dominican Republic wasn't too much of a hassle, and I liked the ambience of the other hotel (forgot the name of the city....). The nightmare scenario that will have to be avoided in the future was the French Riviera where some of the participants stayed at a hotel some 8 miles away from the main group. That was NOT a good solution. Those people were away from their rooms for up to 15 hours per day. I enjoyed Costa Rica where we were able to stay at the same hotel the entire time even though it involved some longer bus trips (but that was part of the fun as well! ). Even IF we had been able to find a large enough hotel outside the city, say near Arenal, for a night or two, I think that would have been a mistake. But...part of the fun is also the fact that each Biennial is going to be different from the previous ones!

Bo-Göran

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Bo,

Like I said, I think it is great that we have the Biennials in both the Spring and the Fall. Yeah, that's the ticket.

In Port Douglas, Australia, on the NC Post Trip, we were separated for one or two nights where most people went to the big hotel and a handful of us went to a small motel. This worked out great for us as we were all hanging around together anyway and got transfers to the big hotel for breakfast, plus we were directly on Four Mile Beach.

Jerry

[RainForestt Robert]

I think that it is fantastic that the biennials are generating so much buzz well in advance!

Robert

[Jeff Searle]

I think that it is fantastic that the biennials are generating so much buzz well in advance!

Robert

Well of course you would! You were such a big hit with the ladies on bus#4. I'm sure your planning your next"moves" for Rio........

Jeff

[amazondk]

I look forward to be present in Rio. I lived there for a few years quite a while ago. And, over the years have spent a lot of time on business and leisure there. April is a good month as it is not a busy month. It is spring in the northern hemisphere and past the summer season in Brazil. It has been a few years since I have been back, but I do accompany events there daily on the local news. There are a lot of problems, but it is a great city. Like all cities in Brazil traffic is a problem and this can hinder getting around.

Bo,

Please let me know what ever you or anyone may need for any planning of a side trip to my area.

dk

[waykoolplantz]

I just checked with the National Association of Broadcasters...our 2010 convention in tropical Las Vegas is April 12 to 15

Brasil sounds better to me

[bgl]

Until we finalize a hotel contract, the dates for the Brazil Biennial are not firm. And we may have to switch to 17-24 April 2010 for the Biennial. Hopefully we should know within the next month or so.

[Kim]

Any news?

I've been doing a little t-shirt research, if anyone in charge is interested...

[bgl]

Kim,

The next IPS Board meeting is in Belize on March 12th, and the Rio Biennial will be the number one topic to be discussed. John DeMott (V.P., IPS) is in charge of organizing the Biennial so he will give a report in Belize, and then there'll be a discussion about some of the specifics. We're looking for a few other Directors to work with John, and we expect to have a committee in place by the time we're done in Belize. If you have ideas for t-shirts, and maybe other items as well, you could certainly be on that committee. Send me an e-mail!

Bo-Göran

[Kim]

Impatiently awaiting news!

[bgl]

Need to catch my breath...! Just returned yesterday afternoon, and after some garden stuff this morning will post a little update later today. HOWEVER, we do not yet have any specifics (cost etc), so I don't want anyone to get their hopes up! At least not quite yet. What I will do this afternoon (in a new thread) is to outline what the schedule will be for the next several months. In other words, when we can expect to have more definite details, and what those details will involve.