CONFERENCE PLANNING GUIDELINES
General
The amount of planning, committee work, advance deadlines, etc., in part depends on the size conference you are planning. Regional conferences require lots of planning and hard work.
Organize
Establish regular planning/reporting meetings. Set up email lists. Always make it clear who is supposed to do what and when. Keep minutes/notes of your meetings and use them to follow up. The more you communicate with each other, the less likely you'll have slip ups.
Set a Date (12 Months)
The general time of the conference should be suggested. Then look at your campus schedule to determine what dates would be best. Consider the size and scope of your conference. Small groups can be hosted nearly any time. But larger groups will require housing, transportation, and food services that might conflict with other campus events. Summers and between semesters/quarters are often better than when school is in session. Avoid football and parent weekends if possible. Check for other major events that might conflict.
Considerations for selecting conference dates include: * Enough lead time to assure finding adequate meeting space. * Possible conflicts with other conferences or symposia that the members of this special interest group might attend. * Appropriate time of year for work loads of the proposed audience * Possible conflict with national and religious holidays.
Budget/Money
When the conference is over, you don't want to be left with a handful of bills for which you (or your department) are responsible. Careful planning (projecting costs) and money management can ensure that you'll be financially solvent.
Before sending out the conference brochure/announcement, you must determine a conference registration fee. On the one hand, you want to cover your costs. But on the other, you want to keep the costs low so that as