2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION - LIVE

^{LIVE 2023 ANNUAL CONVENTION}

^{Join us in Ocala, Florida at the Hilton Ocala, 3600 SE 36th Avenue, for our 2023 Annual Convention & Trade Show. On September 28th, Thursday evening at 7pm, we kick off the Convention with a demonstration by Andy Evansen, our judge/juror for the 52nd Annual Exhibition. The Exhibition Reception at 7pm on September 29th, Friday evening at the Webber Gallery is free of charge.}

^{Order your Live Convention tickets and options on this registration page. At the end of your order, you will be asked whether you have any guests. Add each guest(s) and order options for them. You will pay once for your completed order. Please be aware that the hotel does not allow food purchased elsewhere to be brought into the Convention venue. Please review your order prior to paying to make sure you have all the options you need.}

^{Register no later than midnight September 9th.}

^{Optional Items}

^{(extra charges apply)}

^{Lunch Boxes are available for selection, purchase, and payment now. All Lunch Boxes must be ordered and paid for no later than midnight on September 9th. Pickup that day at venue. We are offering the Lunch Boxes to save you time and money compared to a sit-down restaurant where you would lose time away from your workshop or convention demonstrations. Five options are available - full lunch box menu below - drinks and sides included. Attendees may not bring their own lunch items into the Convention venue. ($25.25 each)}

Exhibition Review by Andy Evansen will be held on Saturday afternoon. Must have a ticket to enter. ($10 each)

Critiques by Andy Evansen are limited to 12 artists and are for members-only. You will provide 10 digital images of your paintings for private review. Expect an email from Kathy Durdin closer to the event for coordination and scheduling your time. Thirty-minute sessions are scheduled for each artist for a total $50 fee.

^{Gala Awards Dinner:  Tickets are available for the Gala Awards Dinner on September 30th. Dinner includes a choice of Chicken Marsala, Mahi Mahi, or Pasta Primavera Farfalle (VGF). No-host cocktails for purchase at 6:30pm; dining hall doors open at 7:00pm. ($65 each)} 

^{Only want to attend the Gala Awards Dinner?  You may alternatively purchase tickets ONLY for the Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday evening for yourself and/or your guest(s). Return to the Convention webpage and choose the "GALA ONLY" registration button for the Gala Awards Dinner tickets only. ($65 each)}

^{Not Attending Convention in Person? You may return to the Convention page and choose the Replays ONLY option to order Convention Replays only. All Convention attendees will also receive access to the Replays. (same price as Convention)}

^{Walk-ins: The registration desk opens Thursday evening at 4pm; however, if you wait to purchase your ticket at the Convention, you will pay an additional $10 more for each ticket.}

^{Hotel Information: You will need to make your own hotel reservations. Hilton Ocala is offering a discounted room rate of $189/night plus tax for all FWS Convention attendees with a two-night stay. Please aware these rooms are going fast. You may not be able to get this rate for all nights you request. Hilton Ocala has set up a booking link for our group. You may click the link below or contact the hotel directly at 352-854-1400.}

^{FWS has secured two secondary options for discounted room rates at the Best Western and at the Hampton Inn - both are less than a mile away on the west side of I-75. Rooms are available from Wednesday 9/27 through Saturday 9/29, checking out on Sunday 10/1. We suggest you may want to call the hotel directly to ensure you are getting the best rate available. Just mention that you are with Florida Watercolor Society and would like to get the discounted rate for our guests.}

^{Best Western:  352-237-4848}

^{Hampton Inn:  352-867-0300}