AFM Convention Postponed to 2023

March 1, 2022

Jay Blumenthal  -  AFM International Secretary-Treasurer

It was not an easy decision to postpone the AFM Convention to next year, but convening it this year presented too many obstacles­—not the least of which was the safety of delegates, staff, guests, and performers. From the onset of the pandemic, many thought (including myself) that it would be over in several months. We never expected the 2022 AFM Convention to be impacted. It’s now two years later and we still have little clarity as to when the pandemic will be over.

What we do know is that the current omicron variant is much more transmissible. Thankfully, we seem to have turned the corner and are seeing declining numbers in many places. Our Canadian delegates have the additional hurdle of a border crossing and having to adhere to the changing requirements of two different governments. If one were to test positive while outside their home country, immediate re-entry might not be possible and a long quarantine time could be required, necessitating an unexpected and costly hotel stay.

Due to this continuing pandemic uncertainty, it was determined at a January emergency meeting of the AFM International Executive Board that holding the 102nd Convention in June 2022 would pose an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of Convention delegates, Federation officers, staff, and guests.

Therefore, the Federation has rescheduled the 102nd AFM Convention to June 2023. Arrangements are being made for June 26­–29, 2023 at the Westgate Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. Further details will be shared with locals and delegates as information is finalized.

AFM Regional and Player Conferences

With the 102nd AFM Convention postponed until 2023, 2022 becomes a non-convention year, triggering the Locals Conference Council (LCC) and Players’ Conference Council (PCC) meeting. This year’s LCC-PCC meeting will be virtual, June 25-26.

In a normal AFM convention year, the AFM regional conferences often convene while at the convention hotel just prior to the convention. With the AFM Convention postponed, this year’s regional conferences will be held as they would in a non-convention year. Many conferences have made the decision to again meet virtually. Dates are being set by the respective conferences’ executive boards. The following is the information we have received so far:

• February 25-27: Western Conference (virtual)
• March 21: New Jersey Conference (virtual)
• June 17-19: Eastern Conference (virtual)
• July 26-29: ROPA, Orange County, CA (in person)
• August 8-12: OCSM, Regina, SK (in person)
• August 24-27: ICSOM, Grand Rapids, MI (in person)

As more conference dates and times are received by the AFM Secretary-Treasurer’s office, they will be posted on the AFM website in the Document Library>Conferences folder.

Labor-Management Reports

This is a reminder for local secretary-treasurers that Labor-Management Reports (LM-2, LM-3 or LM-4) must be filed within 90 days after the end of your local’s fiscal year. If your fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, your local’s Labor-Management report is due no later than March 31, 2022. There are no extensions allowed.

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