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1.
What
is a convention package? And why do we need them now The Convention package is a discounted
cost of what you would typically pay to participate in BCA-USA convention
events added to your annual membership dues. After the 2.
Why are the packages for this year slightly more expensive than those of last year and will this be the case every year? Blame it on COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments). California is a very expensive state to live in. Things just cost a little bit more there. Unfortunately as we go from state to state to host our conventions, we're going to find that the cost of living in some states are higher (much higher in the case of California) than in other states. The cost of food (lunch and Dinner ) being charged by the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco, is 30% higher than what the hotel in Balitomore charged us last year. 3.
I
have already paid my annual membership dues, how do I get a package? If you've paid your membership dues already through your NdahKum, simply contact the Tahkum/president of your Ndahkum or Chapter,
and pay up the BALANCE. He/She will know how to contact the BCA Treasurer to reconcile your account. For those who pay their dues directly to the treasurer, please follow the instructions in Question 21 below to pay the difference between your PAID membership dues and the package that you want. 4.
Can I
skip the membership dues and just buy a package, say $200 for the Gold or $150
for the Silver? No, you have to be a member to qualify
for the discounted prices. The discounted price is only one of many BCA-USA
membership benefits. On the other hand, buying any of the packages
automatically makes you a member. 5.
I
have one or more kids ages 12 and below. How much will it cost me to get them a
package? Absolutely nothing! They have free entry
to the convention events except the Friday night and the Saturday nights Adult
Gala as long as their parent(s) (a) are BCA-USA members in good standing (another
members’ benefit) 6.
What
is the cost of a package (Bronze) for kids 13- 16 yrs? What does this package
covers? It is only $75, and it covers the
Saturday General assembly (lunch and dinner), Saturday night Kids Gala, Sunday
Cultural Night (dinner), and Monday BBQ. Note that if they choose to attend the
Friday Night and Saturday Night Adult Galas, they will be charged the regular
rate for those event(s). 7.
If I
chose not to buy the Bronze package for my son/daughter, then how much will it
cost them to attend the events? It will be $55 for
Saturday general assembly, $10 for Kids Saturday night gala, and $50 for Sunday
Cultural night, and $20 for the Monday BBQ. Also be aware that the hotel knows
no difference with these age group and adults, when charging BCA for a meal
plate! 8.
Is
there any payment plan? Or can I pay in installment? If you are buying a package online, all
payments will have to be made in full at the time of purchase. Any
Installment payments will have to be arranged with the heads of your various Ndahkums. 9.
Do
the convention packages come with food? And if so when? Yes, Diner on Friday night, Lunch and diner for the Saturday
General assembly, diner during Sunday's Cultural night and Monday’s BBQ picnic. 10.
Is
there a cut off date to buy these packages? Yes, (for those paying
through the website.) May 27th 2011 11.
Can I
pay for the packages at the door/gate? We strongly encouraged every one to pay
by the cut off date for the reasons offered in # 1. But however, in the event
some one present at the gate with payment, we will accept the payment but we
can not guarantee sitting and food for the same reasons offered. 12.
Can I
book my hotel directly from this website? Yes, Click HERE to book your hotel room OnLine. 13.
Is
there a cut off date for the hotel reservations? Yes, the cut off date for the three hotels is April 14th 2011. 14.
Do
the hotels provide free breakfast? Yes, the hotel do provide
breakfast. However the rates for rooms with breakfast are slightly higher than the standard $94.00 as listed below. 15.
How
will you know who has paid during the convention? The Membership, Fund Raising, Cultural
and the Convention Planning committees will put together a process for
validation, and will communicate this to all shortly before the convention. 16.
Who
is eventbrite and how am I sure that the money is
going to BCA? Eventbrite
is the leading provider of online event management and ticketing services. Eventbrite makes it easy for anyone to hold a successful
event of any type and size. Eventbrite is free if
your event is free. If you sell tickets to your event, Eventbrite
collects a small fee per ticket. Read
more at http://www.eventbrite.com/.
All payments for ticket sales is processed by PAYPAL and the funds go directly
into the BCA-USA bank account. 17.
How
do I know that my personal information are secured and will not be misuse? All credit card and other
payment information is handled by PayPal which is the
global leader in online payment solutions. PayPal
protects your financial information with industry-leading security and fraud
prevention systems. If you’ve ever made an online purchase, there’s a very good
chance your payment was processed by paypal. 18.
I am not sure I will attend the convention. Can I
still pay just my membership dues using Paypal as
before? Oh Yes!!! Let's do that right now. Please click this Button and proceed
Thank you in advance for paying your membership dues.
19.
If I don’t have a paypal
account, can I still purchase a ticket online? Yes. However, you’ll still be
taken to the paypal page where you can simply enter
your payment information(credit card..etc)
without having to log in or create a paypal
account 20.
When I try to order a package, I get
directed to a “Registration and Validation” page where I have to provide a lot
of information. What is the information used for? This is the same information
that the membership committee usually collects at the entrance to the general
assembly as part of the validation process. This information provides BCA-USA
with some basic information about its members and also enables the association
to keep in touch. Collecting this information now, means you won’t have to
stand and wait in line to go through the “Registration and Validation” process
at the entrance of the general assembly.
21.
If paying by Check, how do I purchase a
package Your
checks or money orders can be:- 1. Handed to your local group presidents for
onward transmission to the national treasury 2. Mailed to the National Treasurer at: BCA-USA Attn: Banyuga Pefok 3. Deposited directly into our bank account (be
sure to inform the treasurer after your deposit) Account
Name: BCA-USA Address: Account
#: **********6264 Routing
#: 113000023 22.
Why do some packages have fees? Every package purchased online is charged a convenient fee for payment processing(thats how PayPal stays in business). This is true for everything you purchase online in general. It is up to the merchant to decide whether to pass the fees onto the customer or absorb it. For our higher priced packages (Gold, Delux and Diamond ), the Convention Committee is absorbing those fees (i.e paying the fees for you). If you make your purchase by check or money order (see 21 above), you don't have to pay any fees for any of the packages.
23.
What
if I purchase a package and do not make it to the convention, do I get a
refund? Unfortunately no, as the hotel prepares
sitting / foods based on the number of people who have paid and will not refund
back any amount to BCA-USA whether the food is consumed or not .But the
membership portion of your payment will still go to BCA as
you do not necessarily have to be at the
convention in order to pay your dues. We are required to pay our dues annual to
help foster BCA-USA activities. |