National Communication Association concerned about Dallas convention

The National Communication Association's annual meeting is scheduled to be held in Dallas in November 2017. This 2,000-person gathering brings together communications professionals and academics from around the country.In a June 23 open letter to members, NCA President Stephen J. Hartnett expressed growing concern about Texas' anti-LGBT stance, the recently enacted HB 3859, and the official travel prohibition announced by California's Attorney General in response to that law.Hartnett noted, "This announcement bars an important segment of our membership from using professional travel funds to attend the NCA Annual Convention, an act that we believe harms our California members, the convention in particular, and NCA in general."In light of this impact on NCA members, and consistent with the values and credos of NCA, the association is seriously and sincerely considering a number of possible options regarding the 103rd Annual Convention in Dallas this November. Please know that the NCA officers and staff in the National Office are working on this question and are considering all options; we are open to your suggestions as well, so please do not hesitate to share your ideas with the National Office at inbox@natcom.org."The loss of the NCA meeting would be another blow to the DFW economy. This spring, VisitDallas noted that a number of organizations have written to express, in writing, their intention to cancel their upcoming conventions, totaling $157.3 m in economic impact, if Texas passes a "bathroom bill." Those groups represent 82,000 visitors to the DFW area, and more than 95,000 hotel room nights.NCA will post ongoing updates on its website.