| JUNE 1, 2026 -- The cost and offerings of State Session have been an ongoing topic of discussion with the Board of Directors and with many of you since last October. We have decided to make necessary changes without drastically impacting the experience for members.
We have received word from our Sales Manager that the Holiday Inn has been sold by IHG. We are told the hotel will remain a Holiday Inn and this change will have little effect on our convention. I am having difficulty working on contracts and arrangements during this time of transition, but that’s my job as your Secretary to work out these issues.
I have to talk a little about meals and their cost. There has been criticism that our meals at State Session are “too fancy”. In short, our meals are not “fancy.” A basic contintental breakfast with no more than toast, bagels, fruit and coffee starts at $14.00 per head. Basic lunch offerings start at $18.00 per head. These prices, from the Holiday Inn Norwich, are the most inexpensive offerings to be found ANYWHERE. Every hotel and convention center requires events to spend a minimum amount. The Holiday Inn also has a minimum which is lower than nearly any other (reputable) hotel in the region.
While those prices may seem expensive, keep in mind it also includes the cost of the meal, staff and gratuity. In case you haven’t been to a fast food restaurant recently, it’s difficult to find a meal for less than $15.00.
We have also talked about alternative meeting locations and the use of caterers. Catering is just as expensive as hotels (if not more). Meeting in a hall or independent meeting space also presents the challenge of arranging for or renting many of the things provided by the hotel as part of our contract. We are not ruling out these options for the
future but for now, we are staying the course at the Holiday Inn.
In the past, we have made breakfast reservations for each and every member registered to attend the convention. This will no longer be the case. When the registration forms come out in July, there will be a new section for each registrant to indicate if they will be having breakfast on Friday and/or Saturday morning. These breakfasts will remain free, but only members who reserve ahead of time on the form will be allowed to attend.
We hope to have a more accurate count of members actually having breakfast rather than reserving for 80 people and having only 50 or 60 attend. In this example, we pay for 80 even if only 10 people show up.
The Friday luncheon will continue to be the Classic Deli Lunch. Due to price increases, Saturday’s lunch will be a Bella Roma Lunch with Chicken Parmesan, Caesar Salad, Flank Steak and Penne with Marinara. Believe it or not, the barbecue luncheons we have had in the past are much more expensive than options chosen this year.
Banquet choices are slightly different this time around:
- Baked Stuffed Sole
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Chicken Piccata
- Prime Rib
All se rve d w i th se aso nal vegetables, herb roasted potatoes and chocolate cake.
As you all know, meat prices have gone up drastically. Rather than raise the price for all banquet meals, we have decided to raise the price on Prime Rib to $45.00. The other three options will be $35.00 per person. To be clear, these prices are what we pay the hotel. The State Grange does not make any money on these meals. All meals at State Session are sold at or below cost to members.
The registration fee has been set at $50 (a fee that barely meets the cost of the two luncheons).
The State Grange walks a delicate line making financially responsible decisions while being sensitive to the effects on members. We know members will be less likely to come if Granges are unable to pay the cost or if the burden shifts to delegates to pay their own way.
The cost of hotel rooms will remain unchanged this year. For Friday evening it will be $109 plus taxes and fees and for Saturday evening it will be $129.00 plus taxes and fees.
Again, these are incredibly reasonable prices. The standard rate for this hotel is well over $220 per night, plus fees and taxes.
I cannot stress enough how much time has been spent discussing, negotiating and planning for this year’s session. With the totality of challenges before us, I believe we have made the best possible decisions that will provide for another enjoyable State Session in Norwich.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. In the meantime, we are told reservations are open for members to begin reserving their rooms anytime.
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