Greetings,                                                                   

“Spring is beautiful, and summer is perfect for vacations, but autumn brings a longing to get away from the unreal things of life, out into the forest at night with a campfire and the rustling leaves.” – Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

I sat by a campfire the other night, reflecting on the deep friendships I’ve found as a member of AIA. I’m nearing the end of my term as president and the amazing accomplishments of our members and committees over the past two years played like a video reel in my memory. I’m excited to share the most recent achievements and future fun events with you.

“Find an Aromatherapist” Opt - In

We updated the public-facing “Find an Aromatherapist” area on our website. We will make it public on September 30th! You have the ability to control what the public and other AIA members see, so check that your information is presented as you wish. Those details are located on the “Profile - “View Profile” - “Edit Profile” - “Privacy” webpage. It gives you options for “Anybody” or “Members” to view your details, or you can choose “No Access” for any or all of your information. Carol Scheidel created a video showing how to change your privacy settings whenever you wish. Click here to watch the video now or log into the AIA website and access the video on the Members Access page at the top of the page.

I also wanted to let you know that recently a fake business looked on all of the U.S. and Canadian professional aromatherapy organization websites for information that our members freely provide related to their business and schools and sent out emails offering member lists. We checked with our website server and an internet security firm and wanted to reassure you that our AIA website has not been hacked and our member information is secure.

2024 AIA Conference

Our amazing 2024 Conference Committee is making great strides toward setting up an event you will not want to miss: Aromatics in Action™ 2024; Embracing and Composing Sustainable Aromatics, September 26 - 28, 2024 in Nashville, TN. If you haven’t already, be sure to put this on your calendar. Sponsor & Exhibitor registration is now open. Meredith Cheshire created a beautiful, comprehensive prospectus to outline all of the opportunities. Watch for conference updates on our website, emails, and social media posts (facebook, linkedIn, instagram, and TikTok). Attendee registration opens in December.

AIA Small Distillers Grant

The AIA Small Artisan Distiller Grant program was created to support the work of small artisan distillers. The program offers a free exhibit booth at our conference and up to $500 for travel support. To be considered to receive a grant and booth, tell us your story! Click here to download the application.

As a reminder, if you would like to be privy to the 2023 Virtual Conference presentations, you can purchase the conference here. You will find the conference in our AIA Classroom.

Our previous monthly webinars hosted by the Education Committee and virtual meetings hosted by the Representatives are also in the AIA Classroom. The process to obtain CE Credits after any educational event hosted by AIA is to go to the classroom and take a three-question assessment. Even if you are logged into the website, you will log in again to the AIA Classroom. Your username and password are the same as your AIA credentials. Our Education Committee has the approval to create an advanced practitioner category for educators. Over the next few months, you will see more information on the Join Us page explaining that level of membership. We have so many opportunities and options for people to belong in the Alliance of International Aromatherapists. Our number of business members and recognized schools has grown. If you don’t yet belong to AIA and wonder if it’s right for you, watch these videos by our members.

The AIA Research Committee posted their Q2 article reviews in the Research Database. As you will see, the past article reviews remain there for you to examine. We also have seen a lot of interest in the AIA Research Grant, thanks to our social media posts. If you want to look at the Grant Guidelines, you will find them in AIA Research - Other Resources. Our Media Committee has been doing impressive work. Our reach and engagement are up significantly this year and we have new followers. Please continue following, sharing, commenting, and liking our posts on LinkedIn, FB, TikTok, and Instagram!

The Aromatics in Action™ September Journal is being sent out via email this week and the theme is Natural Perfumery. The articles are excellent, as usual. We are very excited that Aromatics in Action™ is now registered in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Our Clinical Committee is updating our Essential Oil Therapy booklet. This new version will be amazing! A member of our Clinical Committee, Deb Reis, received the 2023 “René-Maurice Gattefossé” Prize. Well done, Deb! The Gattefossé Foundation (GF) is an amazing philanthropic organization and AIA is fortunate to have a strong professional relationship with them. One sincere request I have is that everyone in AIA who is working with essential oils in a clinical setting consider presenting an e-poster this year for the Gattefossé Foundation's “Best Clinical Aromatherapy Service of the Year” Competition. The last date to submit your poster is 10/20/23. There are step-by-step instructions on how to create the poster. Check this link for details. The GF international jury will determine the four top posters and those will be presented on December 7th at a virtual showcase.

The AIA Representatives updated the Rep Guidelines and the term “State” Rep was changed to “Area” Rep. This better reflects our international representatives and allows our reps to serve more members.  The Representatives will continue to host wonderful meetings both online and in person.

The AIA Membership & Nominations Committee received and confirmed nominees for our 2024 Board of Directors. To meet our candidates for our 2024 Board of Directors and hear more details from the chairs, co-chairs, and reps about their year be sure to attend the Meet the Candidates / Annual Member’s Meeting on Tuesday, October 24th, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. MT. A meeting link will be emailed to all members. We look forward to seeing you all there!

With Love & Gratitude,

Denise