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The organization of a conference should begin, if possible,
several months in advance. During the first organizational meeting, students
will need to discuss some broad issues.
- What type of program should we have? (one day, two day,
half-day?)
- What will our general theme or topic be?
- What funds do we currently have and how can we raise
additional funding?
In choosing a date, the best choice for student attendance
is usually early in any given academic semester or quarter. Try to choose
a time that will not impinge on any scheduled exams and that will not
compete with other major happenings. The day of the week is variable.
Saturdays find parking spaces more abundant, lecture halls or auditoriums
available, and local speakers with fewer commitments. If the majority
of students must travel a distance to attend the conference, a weekday
may be a better choice.
When deciding on a place to hold a conference, keep in mind
that a well publicized conference may attract anywhere from 50 to 300
conferees from the student body, area professors and physicians, health
care personnel, and lay persons. A small room, filled with an enthusiastic
audience is much more rewarding for the speaker at the podium than the
same number of people spread across a large space. Medical school lecture
halls often provide seating space for 150- 200 people which would make
the lecture hall a good selection. They are often reserved months in advance,
so early action is recommended.
Cost research is an integral part of developing a budget.
Some costs that must be investigated are:
Travel expenses: Contact a travel agent for a general
estimate of travel costs for each out-of- town speaker.
Hotels and meals: Call area hotels for room rates
and estimate a per them for out of town speakers.
Honoraria: Nationally renown speakers may request
a set fee for their services. If not, $200-300 may be an appropriate offer.
Speakers are often surprised to learn of student groups interested in
geriatrics and may be willing to participate for a much lower honorarium.
Local speakers can be offered smaller honorariums.
Brochure costs: The cost of producing an attractive
program brochure varies. Often the medical school will have an in-house
printer who can coordinate the typesetting and printing. Obviously, a
multi-colored publication will be more expensive. Be sure to print lots
of extras (200-300) as they can be used to publicize the group and request
funding in the future.
Mailing costs: This will depend on the size of the
brochure and the number to be mailed. Large mailings may qualify for a
bulk rate.
Typing costs: Students can often do the typing themselves
or with assistance from the faculty's secretaries. If typing cannot be
obtained free of charge, it may be necessary to pay a typist.
Advertising costs: The group should certainly make
use of the free public service announcements provided by newspapers and
radio stations. Display ads can be expensive and depending on the region,
may not prove to be an effective form of advertising.
Refreshments: Even coffee is surprisingly expensive
when purchased for a large group. If the budget cannot absorb such a cost,
a receptacle for "coffee donations" can be placed near the dispenser.
Lunch is usually "on your own." A pleasant closing event for
the day is a wine and cheese reception, which should be included in the
budget.
Miscellaneous: Be sure to consider miscellaneous
expenses such as long-distance telephone calls to speakers, photocopy
costs for handouts distributed during the day, postage for confirmation
letters and thank you notes to speakers.
The search for speakers is the most challenging part of
planning a conference. Too often an expert in a particular field will
present a lecture in a dry, monotone fashion, testing the ability of the
most eager listener to stay awake. The search begins by asking for recommendations
from local persons who are aware of national experts in the field, and
referring to appendix, "AGS Speakers Bureau." Look for a speaker
who combines knowledge with a pleasant speaking style. A review of recent
publications will tell the students about the focus of the speaker's interest.
Initial phone contact with the speakers should be made by
the students in the group. If the speaker accepts, it is important to
spell out in some detail the type and length of the address requested
from the speaker. Specific issues to be included should be well identified
along with specific issues that are to be left for other speakers. In
addition to the major address, keynote speakers might well serve as panel
members or moderators for discussion periods and this should also be explained
to the speaker. If the speaker declines, ask if he or she could recommend
any other experts on the proposed topic.
When a speaker accepts, send a letter reiterating the key
points of your phone conversation including the topic to be covered, the
amount of honorarium, etc. This can help to eliminate mix-ups later on.
Students may also request a copy of the speaker's vitae to be used for
introductions during the program.
An educational program can also offer continuing medical
education credits (CME). Most medical schools have an office dedicated
to CME and may be able to assist the group in organizing a program. This
office should be contacted during the planning stages so that the group
can offer CME credits if desired. Usually, a draft of the program will
be required, to determine the number of credits for the course.
The brochure mailing can be the chief form of publicity.
Brochures can be mailed to area physicians interested in geriatrics (AGS
student chapters can contact the AGS for labels of members in the area),
students (use medical center mailboxes when possible to decrease the mailing
costs), nursing home personnel, selected lay persons (i.e., American Association
of Retired Persons), professors, and health care personnel in physical
therapy, nursing, dentistry, etc. In addition, information should be provided
to area radio stations and newspapers for public service announcements.
Brochures can be posted in area hospitals, outpatient clinics, and throughout
the medical school. There is a lot of footwork involved in publicizing
a conference, but a well attended program is worth the effort.
The brochure should be completed well in advance of the
conference so that it can be used for publicizing the program. In the
brochure be certain to include everything a person will need to know to
attend the program. Include times, dates, the location, parking instructions,
CME credits, and cost (be sure to mention if it's free). The group may
choose to include a pre- registration form to get an idea of how many
people will attend. This creates a lot of extra work but may be worthwhile,
particularly for the group's first program. Someone must agree to handle
the phone calls and the mail that pre-registration generates.
If the group is inviting a number of speakers, they may
want to have an informal opportunity to meet their guests. The time and
place of the social event will depend heavily on the format of the seminar
and the schedules of the speakers. It may be better to arrange the social
event for the evening prior to the seminar, as many speakers will need
to leave after the conference.
Organization on the day of the program is critical to the
program's success. Someone should arrive early to set up the conference
room and morning refreshments. If the group intends to have a registration
table, that should also be set up in advance. One or two students posted
at strategic points can help conferees to find the room. Group members
should also arrange to pick up the out-of-town speakers from their hotels.
Aside from moderating panels or making introductions, group members will
then be free to enjoy their program.
Seminar Planning Schedule
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