IKAA: Las Vegas 2008
January 13 - January 16, 2008!
WANT TO GET AWAY?� NEED A MID-WINTER BREAK IN THE SUN?
Come to Las Vegas January 13 - 16, 2008 for some great fun, sun and entertainment…you might even learn a thing or two!� For a small registration fee of only $60, you will get some great workshops, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners, and be able to see some old friends, and make some new ones, too!� This is primarily for adoptees, but friends and family are invited, too!
Airfares are extremely cheap right now, but seats are going fast (Alaska & Southwest from the West Coast, Southwest, United, Northwest, Delta & others from the rest of the country).� And we’ve obtained a group rate on a block of hotel rooms at the Flamingo Hotel, right in the center of the world famous Las Vegas Strip!�
Rooms are only $130/room/night - call the hotel directly at 1-800-835-5686 and give them code # SFKAA8, or mention International Korean Adoptee Associations (if you book through a third party source like Expedia or Travelocity, we don’t get “credit” for your reservation, so call directly!). The special nightly rate will be available from January 12 - January 17, 2008.
You can register for the Mini-Gathering AND reserve your room at the Flamingo at the IKAA website: http://www.ikaa.org.
Also, please keep checking the website as we update the itinerary for the weekend.
DON’T BE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD, REGISTER TODAY!� www.ikaa.org
Who can register?
Korean adoptees 18 years and older.
Their spouses/partners and their children.
***Please note that the minimum age requirement for gaming and clubbing is 21-years-old.
Conference fee
The registration fee covers conference material, welcome reception Sunday, lunch and breakfast on Monday and Tuesday, Tuesday night banquet, Wednesday brunch (does not include accommodation, airfare, transfers to and from the airport).
Registration before December 31, 2007: $60 USD per person
Registration from January 1 to 10, 2008: $75 USD per person
No fee for children under 6 years.Optional Dinner Buffet at Battista’s: $26 per person (incl. wine & sodas) & gratuity
Optional Poker Tournament at Bally’s: $65 per person
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How to register?
- Go to the “Online registration” page on and follow the instructions
- Go to the “Finalize registration” page and confirm your order.You will also receive an official confirmation email from the Registration Committee within 2 business days. If you do not receive an email from the Registration Committee after 2 business days, please contact: registration@ikaa.org.Please note: Registration is not complete until payment has been received.
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Deadline: January 8, 2008
All registrations are subject to availability and will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
IKAA POKER TOURNAMENT at BALLY’S:
Participants must be older than 21! Great cash prizes!Bally’s, another big casino across the street from the Flamingo, will host a poker tournament for IKAA. The tournament will be open to adoptees and spouses/partners.Sign up fee: $65
The fee can be paid with the registration to the general conference.
Sign up to the Poker Tournament (75 persons on a first-come, first-served basis): poker2008@ikaa.org
Please write your name, country and payment mode.
GOLFING
�For those who are interested in golfing during their visit to Las Vegas in January, a group of local adoptees will try to set up tee times for people on Tuesday, January 15th, in the morning, including golf and transportation to and from the course. Cost would be around $125 per person. Please contact golfing@ikaa.org as soon as possible, if you are interested.
AMY ANDERSON SHOW
Fresh off of two sold-out theater shows in Minneapolis, Amy has established herself as one of the hottest up-and-coming comedians in the country. Amy also created and hosted the first and longest running Asian American stand up showcase, Chop-SHTICK, at the legendary Friars of Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Improv.
Read more about Amy Anderson: www.amyanderson.net
WORKSHOPS & SESSIONS
Leadership Workshop
Facilitators: Charlotte Gullach, Liselotte Hae-Jin Birkmose & Tim Holm
The focus of this workshop is to give board/committee members, or others actively involved in an adoptee association or group, tools to develop themselves and their association. The workshop will be a mix between presentations and interaction from the participants and work will evolve from the participants own case material.
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KAD Reflections On Korean Birthmothers Written Experiences
Facilitator: Mary Lee Vance, Ph.D. - Director, Center for Academic and Career Advising and Disability Support Services, University of Wisconsin - Superior
In this unique session, adoptee participants will be provided a rough draft of a book written by Korean birth mothers that is due to be published in 2008 by Yeong & Yeong (publisher of I Wish for You a Beautiful Life).�
This rough draft must be read in advance of the conference session. Discussion content from this focus group will be shared with the book’s publisher in order to incorporate some of the more productive suggestions into the book before it is published.**ADOPTEES ONLY.� Limited to 12 people. Interested participants must contact the facilitator of the session at mvance@uwsuper.edu before January 5, 2008, by identifying their age and submitting a brief paragraph describing why they want to participate in this focus group.� (Because the publisher would like a cross-section of adoptees from different ages and experiences, not all respondents may be selected, and selection will be at the discretion of the facilitator).
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You�ve Got to Know When to Hold �em
Learn insider tips on how to play Texas hold ‘em, black jack, dice, roulette, and baccarat . . . from a Las Vegas dealer!
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The Color of Desire: Race, Gender, and Sexuality for Asian Adoptees
Facilitator: Kathleen Ja Sook Bergquist, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
This session will bring adult Korean adoptees together for a focus group to capture their experiences in intimate relationships as international transracial adoptees.� This unique opportunity will lay bare for examination socially constructed notions of race, sexuality, and gender.**ADOPTEES ONLY.� Information from this session will be used for the facilitator’s research.� Participants will be asked to sign an authorized consent form agreeing to participate.
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Ethnic Identity Development of Korean, International, Transracial Adoptees
Facilitator: Paul Wesolowski Kim, M.A. - Predoctoral Intern, Counseling & Psychological Services, University of California - Santa Cruz
This session focuses on a study that examines Korean, international, transracial, adoptees� (KITRAs) ethnic identity development process and factors that are related to this process.� Once participants decide to participate in the study, they will be given information about the study, informed consent, and two surveys.� The completion of the two surveys will take about fifteen minutes.� Participants will be able to share their experiences and thoughts about their ethnic identity development and contribute to the body of knowledge about Korean adoptees.��**ADOPTEES ONLY.� Information from this session will be used for the facilitator’s research.� Participants will be given information about informed consent and be asked to acknowledge receipt of the informed consent.� All information collected will be anonymous.
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Homeland Journeys to Korea: Information About Organized Tours for Adoptees
Presenters/Facilitators: Kimberly J. Langrehr - Board Member, Paper Lantern Chicago; Nathan B. Kupel, President, Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. (BKA)
This session is intended to provide information regarding organized tours to Korea tailored specifically for Korean adoptees. The presenters will discuss their experiences and knowledge with different homeland tours, providing attendees with a list of existing homeland tours. Part of the session will be dedicated to an open discussion of topics to consider when researching homeland tours. Adoptees that have previously traveled to Korea through organized tours are strongly encouraged to attend in order to share their experiences and provide suggestions. The presenters are not affiliated with any agency-specific tour and hope adoptees may benefit from their experiences when considering tours in order to have the best experience possible.
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Breakout Sessions for Adoptees
These small-group discussions will be divided according to age group, and there will be one discussion group with a focus on discussing parenting (adoptees who are parents of any age are welcome).� Structured discussion topics will be determined closer to the date of the Mini-Gathering, but depending on the group, the discussion in these sessions can often be free-flowing and cover a variety of topics.