By AIA Vermont President, Joel Page, AIA

AIA National held its 2019 National Conference June 6-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  As this year’s AIAVT President, I had the honor to represent Vermont and take part in the conference. I had never been to Las Vegas before and looked forward to the adventure.

The flight to Vegas from Burlington was routine – we left around six in the morning and were in Nevada before noon, allowing for an afternoon of meetings and getting oriented. For some reason I find flying east to west tends to have fewer surprises than flying west to east. Stepping out of the airport in Vegas, the air was 102 degrees--quite a difference from the 42 degrees when I left Vermont. I am a fan of public transit and try to use it whenever possible when visiting a large city. A representative at the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) guided me to my bus and a short time later I was dropped off at a stop near my hotel. The RTC also promotes biking downtown and provides information on bike routes throughout the city. It has a transit hub near the monorail which provides access to the Casinos and the central core of the city. I did have the good fortune of participating in a bike tour of the city one of the mornings of my visit and was able to see areas of the city that one would not typically be exposed to if they only went to the strip. I recommend checking out Fremont Street and the new City Hall if you get the chance. There is a lot of history and old casino vernacular architecture that is worth the trip to the edges.

 My Hotel was a convenient five-minute walk to the Las Vegas Convention Center where A19 took place. Given the heat and sun, a five-minute walk was about as along a walk one would choose to take during the day light hours, but at night the lights and cooler air allowed for a little more freedom to venture. It is safe to say that pedestrian pathways were not a priority when Vegas was designed and walking except in a few locations is not a lot of fun. In addition to the monorail, my friend Uber proved quite useful.

Did I make it to the strip – you bet. While gambling is not of high interest, I do love to watch people and absorb architecture. Once you enter a casino/hotel complex, your ability to orient yourself disappears and you are at the mercy of the complex – a scary and invigorating sensation. It is easy to see how people get addicted and never leave. I did have the pleasure of meeting some Vermonters at the closing reception -- Brian Mack and Jeff McBride. We enjoyed the heavy beat of Rev Run and DJ Ruckus live at the Brooklyn Bowl. Fun was had by all.

Attending this year’s conference allowed me to see some of the processes by which AIA National conducts its business and manages the hundreds of voting members. AIA National is a very large organization and has figured out how to engage and entertain.

As part of our voting responsibilities:

Three new leaders were elected including Peter J. Exley – 2020 first vice president/ 2021 president Elect, Evelyn Lee – 2020-2021 Treasurer, and Britt Lindberg 2020-2022 at large director.

www.aia.org/press-releases/6160504-three-new-leaders-elected-at-aia-co

Several important bylaws amendments and multiple new resolutions were discussed and voted on.

 https://www.aia.org/articles/6160007-aias-162nd-annual-meeting-illuminates-ambi

Significantly, a resolution for urgent and sustained climate action was passed. Being on the floor and listening to the discussion on this topic was very moving. I am proud that the resolution passed.

www.aia.org/articles/6199206-aia-announces-big-move-toward-environmenta

www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/aia-declares-climate-emergency-historic-resolution

My biggest trip takeaway:

Las Vegas is a city of contradictions and contrasts. I will visit again even though it does not represent anything I stand for.

AIA National is a big organization, and even still we in Vermont are an important part of the fabric. Our small state can be at the forefront of the fight to address climate change, social equity, and innovative thinking. We are nimble, creative, and have deep roots in our communities.

The 2020 National convention is in Los Angeles, California – Maybe I will see you there.