Our department, Office of Communications and Marketing for the University of Miami, is submitting an entry to the Exposed 2008. However, we will not be able to send the required check for the entry fee until April 11th due to check requisition procedures. Therefore, is it okay to still submit the entry and mail you the check on 4/11?

So, when is the AIGA planning on notifying the people with entries whether or not their works were accepted?

Leave it Miami AIGA to take your money and never notify you that your piece wasn't accepted. I'm still waiting on that email. How typical. Just like the time they took our money and then decided to cancel student tours the day before they were scheduled to be held. Or the time when they couldn't be bothered to help us form a student group. Miami AIGA is a poorly run sham. I should have known better than to send them anything. Never again will I participate in anything Miami AIGA. I'll be sure to warn every designer I work with and come into contact with.

All the winners have been notified and the show is being prepared. If you did not get a winning notice your piece did not make the judges cut.

Marsha, i'm sorry you feel the way you do. As you may or may not know, the "AIGA Miami" board is run by dedicated volunteer's that do this on their free time. We do not get any benefits from this other than the gratitude of our members and from the design community.

If you wish to be more involved with how the AIGA Miami operates i welcome you to any of our board member meetings, events, or just a one to one talk at your discretion.

Marsha Freedman, or anyone else that has more comments, please feel free to contact me and i'll be happy to help out.

Just let me point out once again, AIGA Miami is a non-profit organization. Operated by volunteers like me or you. Any negative issues you may have can easily be solved by you being more involved. We appreciate the help and look forward to speaking more about this.

Best Regards, Robert Meireles AIGA Miami

Marsha, let me know if you would like to become a member of AIGA Miami to make it better.

Matthew. Thanks for your comments as well. I will certainly be at the event and look forward to meeting you. I understand your concerns. We all try our best. and at times even that much more. It's a shame about what is happening at your school. It's difficult for one local chapter to have a constant communication with all schools in the area. The best solution i can recommend is to nominate yourself, or people you think can make a difference on to the board. We are looking for a hands on education board member to take on the very task you are pointing out. I welcome anyone to do the same. Once our season comes to an end, we will be sending out a call for nomination to join our Board. I look forward to seeing you there as well. Regards. and to all a good night.

- on another note. i'm quite excited there is an actual dialog on our website! .. we're also looking for some digital board members. as you can see we do need go 2.0!!!

Is the event free? Do you have to RSVP?

The event is free for AIGA Members. We are asking a minimum of $5 donation from any non-member guests.

We will have drinks and dinner appetizers at the event as well.

We just finished stuffing, labeling, sealing, and stamping over 1000 invitations by hand. Expect those in the mail on Monday.

Please spread the word. It's going to be a great event.

As a past-president, I want to speak up on behalf of the current AIGA Miami board. Most members do not understand the structure of AIGA. The membership dues go to the national office to support their efforts. A very small perecentage comes back to the local chapter. That money essentially covers the mailing address and not much else.

Every year the board starts anew with fresh and eager faces.By the second or third event, half the board is gone. By April the board is a bare bones affair. Most quit coming when they begin to understand how much work is involved. Some are asked to leave when it becomes clear that they are using AIGA to pad their resumes without actually contributing to the board's efforts. Its sad but it happens.

Whats left is a local chapter board made up of dedicated volunteers who--in addition to their demanding day jobs--raise funds, beg donations, rally support, stamp envelopes, haul cases of soda and wine around, make endless trip to storage, blow up ballons, mount logos, run av equipment, clean floors, fill their cars with trash after events, balance the books, file taxes, keep up paperwork and reports with national, hold monthly board meetings, arrange travel and hotel for speakers, negotiate with venues, answer endless emails, try to promote AIGA membership in an incredibly apathetic design community, and on and on and on. It takes a lot of passion to work that hard for no pay, no glory, no fame. You have to really care.

So take charge! Especially students, quit waiting for someone to lead you. Take the initiative--its is what *you* make it. Care. Have passion. This is your profession.

Hi Robert. I was notified about the awards to my personal e-mail since I am an AIGA member. I am currently a designer at Original Impressions and I am receiving a silver award for the ecopartner logo I designed hereﾗThanksﾗ But the contact person here at OI ﾗLisa Cuervo, Art Directorﾗ has not been notified. We are also receiving a Gold Award for a brochure. Do you think can you send her an e-mail. Is in the registration forms we filled out. thanks again.

Hello, just wanted to know if Xposed 2008 is free of entry?

Robert, although I don't want to enter into a complete rant against the Miami AIGA as Ms. Freedmen did, I do have to agree with her on a certain issue. I believe I speak for the design community at Barry University when I say our AIGA experience has been far less than positive. For years we attempted to organize an AIGA student group at Barry only to be met with ignorance and a sense that such small design program is not worthy of AIGA participation. We had the interest, the numbers, and the enthusiasm. We never garnered interest on the AIGA side and were left on our own. The class leading the cause has since graduated and the drive for the group has dwindled to nothing, primarily due to lingering skepticism toward the AIGA from alumni and professors alike. Though there isn't much I can do anymore since I no longer am a current student, I hope that in the future yourself and the AIGA will reach out with more broad conviction and appreciation for the smaller schools and their talented students. More specifically, in time perhaps the Miami AIGA will reach out to Barry University as well. Thank you. Myself and other Barry alumni look forward to possibly meeting you at this design exhibition. Looks like it will be fantastic.