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Website: http://nepa-info.org |
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Hosting the
Annual Meeting
Information collated by Paul
F. Cunningham,
President 2003-2004
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………. 3
Commonly
Asked Questions………………………….. 4
NECTOP/NEPA
Annual Meeting Planning Points……… 7
Meeting
Room Matrix for Typical Events at an Annual Meeting ………………………………………………….. 11
Timetable
of Event Planning…………………………….. 12
Introduction
This Meeting Planner Guidebook is designed to
contain useful information for local arrangement coordinators to help you
prepare for hosting the New England Psychological Association (NEPA) Annual
Meeting on your campus.
It answers Commonly Asked Questions about
timing of the NEPA Annual Meeting, issues of meeting room space, parking, and
audiovisual requirements of hosting a meeting, how many people you can expect
on your campus, how to inform NEPA about one's intention to sponsor an Annual
Meeting, how much it costs, how to become an Organizational Member, and other
questions an institution may have about hosting a NEPA Annual Meeting on their
campus.
The Guidebook also identifies Planning Points
to consider when assessing the requirements of hosting a NEPA Annual Meeting,
including issues related to registration areas, dining areas, meeting rooms,
audiovisual equipment, supplies and materials, costs, department support,
access, publicity, local events of interest, lodging, and restaurants. A Meeting Room Matrix identifies
typical events at an Annual Meeting of NEPA to aid in planning. NEPA now
includes the New England Conference on Teaching of Psychology (NECTOP) as a
part of its programming.
A Time Table of Events lists the sequence of
steps a local arrangement coordinator needs to follow in order to make hosting
a NEPA Annual Meeting a successful and memorable event for his or her
institution.
Small associations such as NEPA rely heavily on the
efforts of volunteers, as well as the support of local institutions, and your
contributions make the Annual Meeting possible. By hosting the NEPA Annual
Meeting on your campus you are participating in its
Commonly Asked Questions
- During
what month does the NEPA Annual Meeting usually occur?
Traditionally the NEPA Annual Meeting occurs during the month of October – usually from mid to late October. Other potentially conflicting events that are scheduled on your campus during the month of October – such as Homecoming, Open House, Parent’s Weekend – will need to be considered when making reservations for the NEPA event. Please consult with your campus Conference Services director when making plans scheduling the NEPA Annual Meeting on your campus. Some campuses find the first weekend in November available if October weekends are booked.
- How
many people usually attend a typical NEPA Annual Meeting?
NEPA Annual Meetings currently attract between 300-400 persons in total attendance. People come and go, of course, so it is unlikely that there would be more than 200-300 people (usually on Saturday) on your campus at any one time during the NEPA event. Friday AM-PM events attract 100-150 people. A general estimate of the number of people who will be attending an Annual Meeting can sometimes be provided the day after pre-registration is due (e.g., October 21). At that time, for instance, numbers will be more accurate about how many persons have ordered dinner for the Friday night banquet (which is ordered by pre-registration only). Many people register for the Annual Meeting the day of the event, however.
- How
much does it cost for a college or university to host the NEPA Annual
Meeting?
Costs will depend upon the policies in place at the host institutions and generosity of the dean or provost. Costs for a college to host NEPA may range from $1000 - $2000. See the section “Site Feature List” that identify the costs for food, guest speakers, and secondary fees in more specific details. NEPA covers most expenses included in the conference program. Host institution expenses are often limited to food-beverage items, such as food-beverage for Steering Committee meetings conducted at the host institution site (planning meeting in April-May, pre-conference meeting in October), breakfast food-beverage during Saturday morning registration, and beverage to attendees during the Annual Meeting. Some host institutions cover the travel cost of the Friday night speaker since this speaker is made available to all members of the community. This has been done using department funds, speaker series funds, or funds from the Dean or Provost offices. This cost has been anywhere from $300 to $1000, and NEPA will, in the absence of support, cover the cost. NEPA reimburses host institutions for the NECTOP meals and NEPA dinner and boxed lunches, since these are pre-paid by registrants when registering for the Annual Meeting.
- What
other requirements in addition to planning for the Annual Meeting in
October are expected of the host institution?
In addition to the two-day October
Annual Meeting, the Steering Committee conducts two meetings (in April/May and
October) that are conducted at the host site. There is a day-long Planning Meeting (approx. 8:30 AM – 3:00
PM) held on a Saturday in late April or early May that gives the Steering
Committee an opportunity to look at the rooms and get a general feeling for how
things are going to go. There is also an hour and one-half meeting (approx.
- What
do I need to do to formally inform NEPA of our intention to host an Annual
Meeting?
After consulting with your Department Chairperson(s), Conference Services Director, Dining Services, Security and Dean of the College, VPAA or Provost about the feasibility of hosting a NEPA Annual Meeting, request that the Dean or Provost write a letter in early November (usually two years in advance of the planned event) to the President of NEPA informing him or her of the institution’s willingness to host a NEPA Annual Meeting during a specified year. The letter confirms the availability of adequate facilities for the Friday-Saturday NECTOP/NEPA events, including: a registration area, dining area, large speaker room or auditorium, 4-5 meeting rooms for paper/symposia with seating for 50-100, site for posters and exhibits, audiovisual setups for all meeting rooms, and food and beverage service available. All rental charges for facilities, security, equipment, AV technicians, custodial fees, etc. are indicated, if applicable. Approval of the request is decided upon at the NEPA Winter Steering Committee meeting in December.
- Who is my NEPA contact when I begin to plan to host a NEPA Annual Meeting?
The President-Elect of NEPA is responsible for planning the program at the host institution. He or she is your liaison with NEPA who answers your questions as they may arise. The President-Elect is your NEPA contact who keeps the Steering Committee informed of the progress made during program planning.
- Is
the availability of parking space for NEPA events usually a problem for
host institutions?
The host institutions can expect about 150-200 cars and need to have a place for them that is convenient to the building(s) where the events are held. The NEPA Annual Meeting has traditionally been a Friday and Saturday event, with the largest attendance occurring on Saturday. Although some courses may occur on Friday on your campus, the availability of parking is usually not problematic on Saturday because there is little in the way of classroom courses usually going on when most of the NEPA events occur. Because classes may be in session on Friday, check with your Security Office to see if parking will be a problem on Friday.
- How
many buildings should I plan on using during the NEPA Annual Meeting?
The NEPA Annual Meeting is best organized when it can occur in one, two, or at the most three buildings that are close together and that are located in proximity to parking lots.
- What
audio-visual equipment is required to host a NEPA Annual Meeting?
Overhead transparency machines and screens in all rooms are required. One or two TV/VCR sets that can be moved from room to room as needed are useful. Two or three flip charts with markers that can also be moved from room to room as needed are good. Two or three large rooms with computer projection systems will also be needed. As Window-based Power Point presentations become increasingly popular ways of communicating information, the availability of rooms with computer projection systems with Internet access will likely become more important. It would be appreciated if an AV-equipment technique is available both Friday and Saturday to assure proper functioning of all AV equipment during the Annual Meeting.
- Does NEPA have signs to put around
campus for the Annual Meeting?
NEPA does not have any signs to put around your campus. Most host institutions have students make signs. At one college, for instance, a handful of volunteer psychology majors and students from the Psychology Club constructed cardboard signs covered with contact paper (in case of rain)and attached them to telephone poles and wooden sign boards directing people from the main street to parking and to the location of the registration table. Computer generated signs were posted to direct people to restrooms and to the various meeting rooms. Signs identifying the particular event taking place at the time were posted on the walls next to the room doors (these were changed periodically as the events changed). T-shirts were purchased by the Department in collaboration with the student Psychology Club from a local t-shirt manufacturer. Students could help with any or all of these things.
- How
do I go about becoming an organizational member affiliated with NEPA?
Organizational members are listed in the front of the Program Proceedings that are distributed to all NEPA members. The cost of organizational membership for institutions who wish university affiliation with NEPA is $30.00 and is payable at the time of registration for the Annual Meeting. Forms for organizational membership are contained in the back of the Program Proceedings booklet. See NEPA's web site: http://nepa-info.org for the NEPA Steering Committee member who is in charge of liaison activities and would be the appropriate person to contact for more information
NEPA/NECTOP Annual Meeting
Planning Points
What
are some important Planning Points to consider when assessing the
requirements of hosting a NEPA Annual Meeting related to registration areas,
dining areas, meeting rooms, audiovisual equipment, supplies and materials,
costs, department support, access, publicity, local events of interest,
lodging, and restaurants?
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Registration Area
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Dining Area
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Meeting Rooms (See accompanying Matrix) |
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Audiovisual (AV) Equipment
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Supplies and Material
These
tables are usually available on campuses, but in a pinch they are rented at
the lowest possible cost.
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Poster
sessions require approximately 25 project display boards (dimensions of 36”H
x 48”W that
may be folded into tripartes) and a means of displaying them (i.e., either
tables or easels to display 20-25 poster boards at a time). Sometimes the
host institution has built-in bulletin boards on the wall or free-standing
wall dividers that can be used to display posters. If the host institutions has a supply of
poster boards, that is great. NEPA does not possess poster boards, but will
purchase those it needs if the host institution has none available. |
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Costs Costs will depend upon the
policies in place at the host institutions and generosity of the dean or
provost. Some host institutions fine it easier to set up an account with
their conference service office /special projects office and just credit and
charged everything there. Typical costs
include the following: |
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Food
NEPA
reimburses host institution for this food from fees collected from registrants
who attend the NECTOP conference, the NEPA dinner, and order NEPA boxed
lunches.
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Invited Guest Speakers
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Secondary fees Generally
the host institution waives these secondary fees, depending upon the policies
in place at the host institution. o
Catering
service fees (waiter-staff). o
Custodial
maintenance/ cleaning fees NEPA
does not make a big mess and requires little room resetting. Since NEPA meets
on the weekend, it really depends upon when rooms are reset for Monday
morning. Host institution students may solicit students to help us clean up
after the meeting. o
Security
fees. These are usually waived by
the host institution. o
Audiovisual
(AV) equipment rental fees. Normal
charges for audiovisual equipment are ordinarily charged to the department,
if applicable. o
Room rentals. Meeting room charges are waives by the host
institution. This is really a cost only when the rooms can be rented to
someone other than NEPA. When an institution’s Psychology Department is
sponsoring the event, room fees are usually waived for classrooms or academic
buildings. o
AV
technician fee. The availability of
an AV specialist to support PowerPoint presentations presented during the
Friday night Distinguished Speaker and Saturday AM-PM Invited Speakers and
Symposium Series is always appreciated. o
Supplies. Water pitchers and drinking cups for speakers in
all meeting rooms. Some sites provide complementary water (in pitchers) with
disposable cups. o
Administrative
assistance. These are usually
waived by the host institution. o
Parking fees. These are usually waived by the host institution. |
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Department Support Small associations such as
NEPA rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers, as well as the support of
local institutions, and your contributions make the Annual Meeting possible.
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Access
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Publicity
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Local Events of Interest
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Lodging
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Restaurants
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