Editor’s note: This article is also available in Swedish.
It is with great pleasure that I get to announce that AVFM has secured a venue for the International Conference on Men’s Issues 2015, set for October 29, 30 and 31 in my hometown of Houston, Texas.
Houston, for those of you who don’t know, is the fourth largest city in the United States. Once known as “Boomtown” during the explosive growth of the oil and gas industry in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Houston is a sprawling expanse of metropolitan real estate with a multicultural, blue collar ethos. It is the “working man’s” capital of Texas, and I would dare say most of the country.
Visitors will love the town because it is modern and spacious, with robust nightlife and a spectacular, unsung culinary experience.
It will make a fantastic setting for a men’s conference that promises to run a bit smoother than last year’s.
And speaking of last year, we have taken our lessons to heart. First, those who attended our groundbreaking event in St. Clair Shores, MI will find that the new venue is several steps up in comfort and aesthetic appeal.
In approaching the venue, we laid our cards entirely on the table with management. We told them about the venue change last year, why it happened, and told them to expect that book burners would undoubtedly be in contact with them prior to the event trying to intimidate them into pulling the plug.
We pulled no punches in this face-to-face meeting. Their response? All I can say is that Houston and Detroit are two very different cities. They have pledged to see this through with us because they support good business and free speech.
We offered, and they accepted an agreement that we would not advertise the exact venue till the last week before the conference. I think it was a fair offer because while ideological thugs don’t care in the least who they bully as long as they can shut down the free expression of ideas, we have no intention of putting venue management in their line of fire for months before the event.
In short, they have pledged to stand behind us. We are pledging to stand behind them.
What I can tell you without revealing too much is that the venue is in most ways perfect for what we need, and will make your entire conference experience a huge step up from last year.
I can also say that ticket purchases, registration, meal and transportation options and every other part of your conference experience will be much smoother and more sophisticated than last year. David King has been working hard to make sure that happens by applying his technical wizardry to enhance your comfort.
Tickets will go on sale here on April 2, 2015, with pricing yet to be determined.
Prior to that, a more formal announcement will be posted listing speakers and topics for the event. In it you will see some familiar names from the last event, and many more new speakers that will address a variety of issues that put the red in the red pill. A website for ICMI is also being built where you will be able to purchase tickets, sign on to a mailing list and get the latest updates on conference news.
So, if you need to make arrangements for time off and travel, now is the time to start. Feel free to post questions in the comments, and we will answer any that don’t compromise our security measures and our agreement with the venue.
And be prepared to show up! 2014, with all its ups and downs, was a pivotal year for the MHRM. The social justice warriors know it, too. That is why they have come out scared and swinging wildly in 2015.
We are happy as pigs in mud at the prospect of watching them wear themselves out swinging at thin air this year. Detroit taught us valuable lessons. One look at Mother Jones and we see that they have still learned nothing.
So that is it, folks, ICMI 15 is on the way, in the land of Tex-Mex, barbeque and moon landings. This year, we will take the jubilation of last year’s conference and amplify it ten fold.
