Registration for attending the symposium is open until April 1, that is only 8 weeks away! It is time to get your registration in, seats are filling up fast.. Please take a few minutes out of your day to go to our site <http://ferretcongress.org/> print your registration form, and get it sent in with your payment to be sure you have your place for the weekend. If you have not already reserved a room for this weekend we highly recommended you do so soon. The committee was only able to block off a certain number for attendees; for the symposium price; so if you do not want to pay the full hotel rate get your reservations in now! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - We are looking for volunteers to 'work' at the symposium. The jobs involve selling raffles, selling tee shirts and helping vendors if they need a quick break. The shifts last about 1/2 hour and you will be paired with a partner. You will not be overworked :-). For those of you planning on coming early (Thursday) we would be most appreciative if you could help us with stuffing goodie bags and setting up the raffle tables. Anyone wanting their flyers in the goodie bags should contact Francine Prager for a mailing address. Please contact Francine Prager at [log in to unmask] for more details. RAFFLES - There will be tons of raffles, so save your fingers and bring those address labels you get in the mail that are collecting dust; so you can use them on the back of all the tickets you are going to have the opportunity to buy. TABLE TOPICS - Do you have a topic that is near and dear to your heart that you'd like to share with others? Planning on attending the symposium? We are currently seeking host and hostesses for our Table Topics Luncheon. If you're planning on being is St Louis, and you'd like to share you knowledge with others - or just have a special topic you'd like to talk about, please contact Alicia Drakiotes at [log in to unmask] . There are limited number of tables available so please, contact Alicia right away if you're interested. SHELTER WORKSHOP - this workshop, for shelter Moms or Dads, is a limited attendance event - by invitation. It provides shelter workshop/pizza supper, while shelter folks gain support from one another. At this event, which is designed for attendees who run shelters, we will deal with many issues that stem from being away from those in your care. Topics will include- networking, separation anxiety, benefits of education and deterring shelter burnout among others. There will also be some general Q&A opportunities. If you are a shelter operator, and have registered for the symposium, someone will be contacting you soon. Hosted by Alicia Drakiotes CELEBRITY AUCTION - This auction will take place during the reception Saturday evening, it will be a silent auction featuring items donated by the speakers. All items donated by each of our speakers will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. ZOO TRIP - Tickets must be purchased in advance for this special trip and will be available on a first come first serve basis. The cost should be under $10.00. For those of you needing this information to make your travel plans, we will depart the hotel at 1 pm. The zoo closes at 5 pm so we should be back at the hotel by 6 pm - Complete details to be announced in the near future. There is a tentative schedule online, http://ferretcongress.org April 29 - May 1, 2005 St. Louis, Missouri Registration and payment in full due by April 1, 2005 Passes and Fees 1 day pass (Friday only) includes all Friday sessions, breakfast and lunch. Fee: $85 paid in full only International Ferret Congress 2005 Ferret Symposium Registration for vendors is closed. All vendor tables are spoken for. The International Ferret Congress Committee is looking forward to seeing you all in St. Louis! Permission granted to cross post as long as no changes are made. Brenda Johnson, Official Spokesperson and Vendor Coordinator International Ferret Congress <http://www.ferretcongress.org/> [Posted in FML issue 4781]