As MT compensation continuously drops like a rock (3-4 cents a line for "speech editing" comes to mind, the price currently paid by some of the larger MTSOs, some of whom are real busy right now touting in trade publications how important it is to compensate MTs with experience appropriately ... sure!) like many AHDI general members the annual meeting has priced itself out of my budget. This year I am a bit more worried about how I am gonna pay my property taxes than I am about getting on a plane to spend 3 days learning how vendors think they are going to put all MTs out of a job.

The last couple of years we heard that AHDI folks were supposed to be blogging at the meetings so that general members who could not attend would feel included ... that didn't exactly turn out the way intended and very, very few blogs actually made it past that first entry telling us he/she had arrived at the hotel.

This year Kathy has said she will be blogging throughout the meeting. Given that Kathy is one of the most prolific bloggers I have ever known (second only to Julie) I find myself actually looking forward to watching for her blogs. I know I can trust her to write about the good, the bad, and the ugly with equal candor.

You can read about Kathy's plan for the meeting and what sessions she hopes to attend ...

Countdown to ACE

If you have suggestions for things you would like to hear about from that meeting I bet she won't mind a bit if you leave her a note in the comment section of her blog. AHDI does have a schedule posted on their website of the sessions and speakers that might give you an idea what is scheduled.

AHDI interactive schedule

Of course general members can purchase records of some of the sessions (usually not available for several weeks after the meeting) but from first hand experience of doing that I can tell you it is often like buying a pig in a poke, some are worth the money and some were ... well, to put it kindly, nothing to write home to mama about. Maybe through Kathy's blog we will at least get a better feel for which ones we want to purchase to listen to for CECs.

Nae

Maybe we should write some resolutions here at MT Chat and take a vote on them. Heck, I think we have about as much influence as AHDI!

I'm curious whether the recorded sessions are still being done on cassettes or whether they are downloadable files. Anybody with recent experience? (As I type this, I'm looking at a shelf full of old cassettes from AAMT/CAMT meetings that I will probably be tossing out in the next week or so as I clean out my office.)

Margie, I'm not sure but I can look into that while there. The last time I did anything with purchasing those, they came to me on a CD.

Hi Margie! I just received the 2009 ACE sessions (all 29!) on a CD-ROM from Lawrence Media Services. For whatever reason, it took roughly 5 weeks for them to ship it to me even though I had paid for it in full the day I ordered it. Also, as I was concerned about how long it was taking, I contacted them several times via email and phone call but received not one return message. The CD-ROM just showed up in the mailbox as I was about to give up hope. The PowerPoint slides for any sessions that included them were also on the CD-ROM, which I would've wished to have known when ordering it. Hope that helps!
Amanda CMT

Well, that's good news. But instant downloads would be even better (for a price, of course). (Something to think about....) And probably cheaper than copying and mailing out all those CDs.

That would be very nice (as opposed to waiting 5 weeks!). Here's their link: http://shop.lawrencemg.com/-c-21_64_8921.html It's Lawrence Media Group....oops!