I posted on the Official MLA’12 Blog about the MLA Welcome Reception and how we are turning it into Opening Day at the ballpark. It will be a fun environment with opportunities for people to mingle and enjoy the beginning of the conference.
Since it will be Opening Day, we are encouraging everyone to wear their favorite team jersey. It doesn’t have to be an MLB jersey either. It can be a Triple-A team, your kid’s team, any team. Heck, if you aren’t a baseball fan go ahead and where the jersey of another sport. There is nothing wrong with a little mixing and matching of the sports. After all, football commentator, John Madden, brings his own bunting to hang from his booth during football games because he likes the way it looks at baseball games.
If you aren’t into sports but you are into supporting MLA scholarships check out the MLA Scholarship Booth and buy the Official MLA ’12 t-shirt/jersey. (Seen on me below.)
The idea is to have a good time and the jerseys and the theme make for an easy ice breaker to help people meet others they may never have met before or see only in name on the listserv. One of the top reasons people give for attending MLA is to network and we at the NPC hope our theme and our Opening Day reception help foster that ability.
I mentioned on the Official MLA’12 Blog, I will be wearing my favorite baseball team (1982 St. Louis Cardinals) and player’s jersey (Ozzie Smith) during the Opening Day reception. I will also be wearing my MLA jersey around the meeting and I am toying with the idea of totally getting into the theme and wearing different jerseys from other favorite teams through out the meeting.
I have said it before, if you see me please come up and say hi. Not only do I like meeting people but as a MLA Board member I value the thoughts, feedback, opinions, etc. from and contrary to what I have told my children, I can’t read minds.
We have a great program and we hope to see you there!