I've never understood hotels. I flew into Indianapolis this morning and got to the Westin at 11:15 — and my room was ready. President- elect candidate Hagit Limor arrived almost three hours later, and her room wasn't.What I've learned in just a few hours...
• What I suggested yesterday was already done: There's an SPJ tweetup scheduled for Saturday night. And it's free. More than a dozen notable SPjers have signed up, including the nattily attired Scott Leadingham, Quill's ME. I'm hoping to go myself. Whoever did this, kudos. Details here.
• Leadingham makes for a good transition into a complicated topic: The LDF non-auction. Since the annual auction is being recast this year to honor Terry Harper (and to raise money to send SPJers to future conventions), the LDF is hosting a Jail & Bail instead. Leadingham is the sheriff, and he explained the rules to me thusly: You get arrested and jailed in a makeshift cell near the second-floor escalators. You're paroled after one hour or $100 in donations made in your name, whichever comes first. Leadingham then threatened to arrest me — which would really suck, because no SPJer is going to pay cash money to spring me. In fact, I know a few who would pay $100 to keep in there longer.
• Because of the last-minute decision to switch the auction, which led to the last-minute decision to host the Jail & Bail, SPJ had to hire an outside company to set up the cell. So that'll cut into the profits. But to me, it's not even about that. If the Jail & Bail just keeps the LDF front and center in SPJers' hearts and minds, then that'll count for something. While I haven't taken an official position on the auction switch itself, I do believe it's great PR for the LDF and motivates its volunteers to continue their hard work. So I hope the J&B goes well. I'm just a little skeptical, is all. I've done these things before, but that involved getting "arrested" at work — and any jail cell for an hour is a good change of pace from my cubicle. But convention-goers pay to come here. Scott may find it difficult to arrest willing convicts who are attending sessions, or eating and drinking, or doing 100 other things they want to. Cooling their heels in a plywood box may not be one of them.
• The closest place to eat that's not inside the Westin is Loughmiller's Pub right next door. I ate lunch with treasurer candidate Darcie Lunsford, and we were both surprised that you could smoke inside — can't do that in Florida, where we're from. Apparently, any Indianapolis establishment that serves only those over 21 can let you light up. Which is good for smoking SPJers, since the Westin is a tobacco-free hotel.
THURSDAY: Meetings and greetings.
