I put this in your thread on Facebook yesterday but, it's entirely possible some of the UK folk may frequent here but not Facebook so, to be fair to all, I'm re-posting here:

Ok so, I've waited until today while you're all at the meet to offer the additional temptation to come to SELEM next year so it can be a topic of conversation. This could be of benefit to up to 3-4 people potentially.
I fully appreciate what an effort and expense it is to come across the pond. I did it. (And look forward to April 2020 and coming your way again.) So, as a way to encourage some of you to consider coming to SELEM. I am going to offset some lucky person/peoples expense.


A vast majority of the SELEM attendees stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Conover, NC which is a few miles from the venue. I have accumulated a large number of IHG points which equates to several free nights. I spoke with Adam Burns about it and he agreed to help if there ends up being any difference but, I will offer 5 free nights of hotel to the first person who produces me a picture of their purchased airline ticket, on the day Adam Burns posts on Photonlexicon that SELEM registration is open, which is usually sometime in April.


The dates for SELEM are already set... August 6-11, 2019 so you can plan flights accordingly. It officially begins with load in on Tuesday the 6th in the morning and clean up and load out is Sunday the 11th. Now... a group of us will actually come into town on Monday the 5th in the afternoon for some early load in and dinner. There is also a good chance that we will perform a public show for the town again accompanying the Western Piedmont Symphony on Sunday evening the 11th. So there are things that bookend SELEM that are not "officially" part of it but, may be of interest.


Now, how could it benefit 3-4 people? Room sharing. It's not uncommon for people to share rooms and, the hotel actually has roll away beds available too. Breakfast comes with your stay and, most all meals at SELEM are provided as well. We do go out to dinner once and, even that bill was picked up by a VERY generous member/attendee this year. So.... grand scheme of things is... for not much more than the cost of your flight, you've got nearly a week at the most amazing (and perhaps largest) gathering of laserists on the planet with a TON of things to see and do.


I would love for all of you to come someday but I realize that's not always practical with families, work schedules and such. I know Dimitri is planning on it. I'm also not trying to single people out but, I personally would be honored and thrilled if Rob Stanley and Jeremy Turner in particular would give this serious consideration. Rob naturally is a rock star and Jem's love of abstracts and the artful side of things will be so blown away he'll never be the same. Adam I know has been bugging Briggs for years. Hopefully this will be the nudge to help some get off the fence, throw caution to the wind and buy a plane ticket.


So it's simple. On the day Adam makes his annual official SELEM registration post on PL, the first person to email me, text me, posts in the thread or, otherwise gets me a picture of your booked plane ticket.... gets their lodging free. Game on!!! 😊

(Naturally there have been comments and reactions on the FB page. And somebody slap Con this weekend and tell him to consider it. There.... I've mentioned you.
)