VASFAA 2008 Conference Committee Minutes

April 3, 2008

Present:  Jeanne Holmes, Elizabeth Desi, Linda Woodley, Kathi Turner, Wanda Spradley, Tamy Garofano, Hope Jackson, Janee Knippenberg, Paula Rafferty,

Tom Morehouse, Pat Redwood, Pam Rambo

 

The 2008 VASFAA Conference Committee met at 3:00 pm on April 3, 2008 by teleconference to review conference progress.

 

Jeanne Holmes and Pam Rambo met with Marriott Hotel staff on April 2.  Jeanne  provided a detailed update on the agenda and other aspects of the conference arrangements. 

 

The conference agenda is as follows:

 

Sunday, May 18

            New Aid Officer Workshop, 9-4

            Conference Packet Preparation, 1 pm

            Exhibitor Set-Up, 1-7 pm

Monday, May 19

            Exhibitor Set-Up, 7am-2pm

            Conference Registration, 7:30 am – 4pm

            Coffee and Tea, 7:30 am – 9:00 am

            Business Meeting, 9:00 am-10:15 am

            Federal Update, 10:30-11:45 am

            Luncheon w Speaker, Noon-1:45 pm

            Exhibits, 2-5 pm

            Concurrent Sessions, 2 -3:15 pm

            Refreshment Break 3:15-3:30 pm

            Sector Meetings, 3:30 – 4:45 pm

            Networking Break, 4:45-5:30 pm

            President’s Reception, 5:30-7 pm

            Dinner on Your Own, 7-9pm

            Diversity Committee Movie, 9 -11pm

Tuesday, May 20

            Conference Registration, 7:30 am – 4 pm

            Coffee and Light Refreshments, 7:30-8:30 am

            General Session, 8:30 -9:30 am

            Exhibits, 9:30-12:30 pm

            Break, 11-11:15 am

            Concurrent Sessions, 9:45 -11 am

            Concurrent Sessions, 11:15-12:30 pm

            12:30-2 Lunch on Your Own

            Concurrent Sessions, 2-3:15 pm

            Exhibits, 2-4:45 pm

            Concurrent Sessions, 3:30-4:45 pm

            Exhibitor Breakdown, 4:45 pm

            Break, 4:45-5:15 pm

            Networking Break, 5-6pm

            Banquet, 6-8pm

            Sock Hop, 8-11 pm

Wednesday, May 21

            Breakfast, 8:30 am

            SCHEV Update, 9:15 am

            Adjourn, 11 am

 

Menus have been revised by the Food Subcommittee.  Subcommittee members developed an inventive and enjoyable menu.  After consultation with hotel catering, there were a few changes.  Coffee and tea were added to Monday morning.  Dessert on Monday at Lunch was defined rather than left to the chef.  Dessert will be cheesecake.   We also added a carving station with turkey for the dinner buffet on Tuesday. The break at 3:15 on Monday has been revised to the cookie and berry break due to short duration of the break.

 

Due to space and set-up issues, there is not room for both the Diversity Movie and Bingo.  Unless the program committee needs the Diversity movie to fill in two concurrent sessions, the Bingo event will be deleted.

 

Music will be provided by IPOD at the sock hop.  Jeanne Holmes shared hotel concerns about their speakers not being set up for music.  Tamy Garofano shared that Mike Abernathy may have the needed speakers.

 

Banquet table decorations will be empty wrapped boxes in birthday paper and bags with tissue paper and a topper and old records.  Paula Rafferty has borrowed a fountain courtesy of her husband and will donate balloons.  Jeanne Holmes will bring a helium tank.  Paula will also bring garden greenery.

 

The banner will have to be secured with tape as there are no ledges to secure it to in the ballroom. 

 

To make the conference more enjoyable, evaluation will be done electronically after the conference rather than after each session.  Evaluation forms will be sent to each attendee. 

 

We are within budget and registrations are at about 90 as of this week.  Our hotel block is within 31 rooms per night of being full.

 

Pam Rambo asked about registration and the exhibit hall.  Tom Morehouse clarified that the Membership Committee takes care of registration and that another committee will take care of the Exhibit area.

 

Pam Rambo asked committee members to consult their calendars and let her know what time they will arrive on Sunday.  Kathi Turner volunteered to assist with packet stuffing on Sunday at 1pm.  Other committee members will respond as they consult their calendars

 

As all conference committee meetings have taken place by phone, the conference committee has spent no funds on travel reimbursement or meals.  Jeanne Holmes suggested that the committee might have an inexpensive meal together at the conference to touch base and celebrate success.

 

Submitted by Pam Rambo, April 8, 2008