originally posted on 4/16/2020
Owing to safety and travel concerns and restrictions, the Executive Committee met digitally on March 21 and 22, 2020, using Google Meets. Listed below are some of the meeting highlights:
- Association Manager Jeffrey Seifert stated that despite concerns around COVID-19 and the upcoming coaster season, members continue to renew their ACE memberships.
- After four years of relatively flat membership numbers, ACE has added approximately 1,000 members over the past two years. This represents a 20 percent increase in total memberships.
- Member pricing for Coaster Con 43 is tentatively set at $380 with additional discounts for season passholders. Registration will be delayed until early May when more information is available about COVID-19 and park openings.
- Communications Director Elizabeth Ringas reported that Crayola Experience is now a sponsor of World Roller Coaster Appreciation Month. It will be providing a roller coaster-themed crayon bucket, crayons and a PDF for coloring to each ACE region in the United States and any regions overseas that request to participate and set up an activity table at a park in their region.
- The communications team tentatively plans to reach out to other clubs and promote June 6 as “get out and ride day” to encourage people to return to the parks, assuming parks have reopened and concerns about COVID-19 have lessened.
- Give Kids The World has 17 Coasting for Kids events planned. These events include eight new parks. ACE Cares is working to support these events. So far almost $3,000 has been raised for the Busch Gardens Williamsburg event.
- Having heard feedback from ACE members, the website team is in the process of considering options for redesigning the events page.
- ACE members are encouraged to send updates about personal milestones (graduations, awards, new jobs, retirements, etc.) to lifeevents@aceonline.org to be featured in ACE News.
- The ACE events page is being updated regularly as parks are canceling or rescheduling events.
- Robert Ulrich has been chosen to serve as a board member of the National Roller Coaster Museum and Archives (NRCMA) effective September 2020, pending approval of the NRCMA board, replacing Jerry Willard who has served for almost 10 years as ACE’s representative.
This meeting recap is not meant to function as the official minutes of this meeting. Upon approval of the minutes by the Executive Committee, they can be found at aceonline.org.
— Lisa Zagarella Coutu
ACE Secretary
@#$%&!
#ACENews