WASFAA Committee Report
Committee: Conference Committee
Meeting Date: November 20-21 Meeting Location: San Francisco, CA
Report Type:
Quarterly
Annual
Submitted by: Colleen MacDonald & Ted Malone
Committee Members (Name/Place of Employment/Address/Phone/Email):
Colleen MacDonald - EdFund (CA)
Ted Malone- University of Alaska - Anchorage (AK)
Jacqueline L Alleyne-McCants - University of Alaska - Fairbanks (AK)
Barbara L Burnett - University of Alaska - Southeast (AK)
Pamela H Doerner - University of Alaska - Anchorage (AK)
Patrick S Downey - Educational Credit Management Corporation (OR)
Jack Edwards - Stanford University - Graduate School of Business (CA)
Jodie M Kuba - University of Hawaii - West Oahu (HI)
Faye Mabagos-Asence - NELA-Northwest Education Loan Association (WA)
Peter T Miller - Truckee Meadows Community College (NV)
Wendy Z Olson - Whitworth University (WA)
Jon E Potter - Nelnet (CA)
See WASFAA membership directory for full address and contact information
Committee Goals:
General Goals for the 2009 WASFAA Conference is to have it be:
o
Create Professional, Collaborative, Diversity, Educational, Relevant,
Fiscally Responsible and Fun.
Specific Goals
o
Communications Strategy
Provide relevant communications to encourage to encourage member
to attend via email at least monthly.
Send targeted communications to registrants at least bi-weekly
leading up to the conference (ie., grad/prof registrants with Grad/prof
sessions, early career professionals with basic training, seasoned
professionals with higher level sessions)
Send information about WASFAA Conference at State conferences
Send quarterly update about WASFAA Conference to each state
organization.
o
Budget Strategy
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Create a revenue neutral conference
Be fiscally conscientious as possible with decisions
Set conference registration at a rate that is affordable for members
while cost neutral for the association.
o
Keynote Speaker Strategy
Hire affordable local speakers that represent the diversity of the
Alaskan region
Request that NASFAA President attend and speak
Request that send Jeff Baker from Department of Education to do
Federal Update
o
Conference Sessions Strategy
Provide more session options by starting earlier on Sunday in order to
allow for 2 sets of concurrent sessions and one set on Tuesday
Request 3-5 of the best sessions from each state association and
attempt to integrate as many as possible into the conference.
Contact California Lenders for Education (CLFE) to suggest session at
WASFAA as they have done at CASFAA and NASFAA
Request for session ideas from relevant WASFAA chairs (i.e., federal
issues, graduate/professional, EDAC, etc).
o
Social Strategy
Infuse the diversity of Alaska through local dance troupe or music
entertainment during Opening session
Exposing participants to diversity of Alaskan citizenry
Provide cost effective entertainment options for each night (e.g.,
obstacle course state game competition, talent show, musical ensemble)
Organize a WASFAA member tour option at member’s own cost for
Saturday to promote travel to Alaska.
Have pictures streaming on large screen PowerPoint’s
•
Include pictures from annual WASFAA events (i.e., MLI,
Summer Institute, fall trainings, ECs)
•
Include pictures of conference as events occur.
•
Have volunteer recognition page in PPT with committee name,
volunteer members names, state, and school.
o
Exhibitor/Vender Strategy
Encourage members to spend time by offering refreshments in
exhibitor area and more operational hours.
Provide more information about open hours, set-up, and take-down.
Summary of Activities:
Website (http://www.wasfaa.org/docs/toc_conferences.html):
•
CONFERENCE REGUSTRATION (available by Monday, November
17th)
•
CONFERENCE AGENDA – tentative timeline, session titles, and
general sessions’ information including major speakers
•
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS - includes profiles and photos of
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o
Mr. Whitekeys, humorist, author, and entertainer
o
Father Michael Oleska, storyteller on race and culture
o
David Gruen, NASFAA Chair
o
Philip Day, NASFAA President
•
TRAINING – brief description
•
LOCATION- description of Anchorage and hotel reservation
information
TRAVEL – airfare and local transportation options
WEATHER – example weather for the time of year
•
ALASKAN NATIVE GAMES – includes photos, brief description, links
to websites, and WASFAA Conference demonstration and modified
competition
Program
•
Tentative Agenda set with 5 sessions during the Early Bird Session
timeslot and the post Tuesday morning Federal update. Ten sessions
offered in every other time slot.
•
Confirmed major speaker, all but Jeff Baker have confirmed
•
Solicited best sessions from WASFAA state presidents
•
Solicited memberships for sessions.
•
Contacted the USED about presenting.
•
Correspondence sent to all speakers to confirm session title,
description, and av needs
•
Attempted to vary topics, speakers who were geographically diverse,
and create a series of interactive “Birds of Feather” sessions.
In-person meeting with some members of the committee
•
Tour Hilton and Egan Convention Center
•
Meet with event staff at Hilton and Egan Convention Center to
o
Review Tentative Agenda and room counts
o
Discussed food options for breaks and meals
o
Confirm key contacts at hotel and convention center
o
Discuss AV options and pricing
•
Meet with printer
o
Discuss pricing and layout of conference program
o
Discuss signage needs
o
Discuss other printing items as applicable
•
Discuss local arrangements
o
Transportation to & from airport, to & from hotel & convention center
o
Way to identify conference committee members
•
Review options for Alaska Games and space needs
•
Review registration timeline, location, and supplies
•
Update on Vendor/Partner info (Colleen spoke to Scott Nielsen,
WASFAA Fund Dev't)
•
Status of Speakers
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•
Review Contracts and reimbursement policies
Logo
•
Contracted designer for conference logo
•
Added to website
•
Distributed to committee
Charity
•
Identified the Arc of Anchorage, a private, not-for-profit organization
dedicated to promoting community integration and quality of life for children
and adults who experience developmental disabilities, behavioral health
issues, or deafness.
•
Requested they staff a table and determined av needs
Progress Toward Strategic Plan Goals/Activities:
We are making slow but steady progress. See summary of activities for
details
Approved Budget Breakdown and Actual Expenditures to Date:
$5,000 approved budget
APPROXIMATE EXPENSES:
•
$200 invoice for Conference Logo
•
$2,500 in travel expenses for committee meeting in Anchorage
Suggestions for Committee Chair/Co-Chair or Officer Successor:
* Add fund Development Chair to Committee
* Create contingency plans for in-person meeting if weather conditions may
be probelmatic.
* Have "alternate" Committee members in case one or more members lose
their jobs or move to a different field.
* Try to have more than one person present each session and not have any
one person do more than 2 sessions in case presenter can not attend due to
business or personal reasosn.
* Meet with facilities in-person and create communication expectations with
hotel and/or convention center staff.
* Look for hidden costs e.g., 23% gratituity for AV and/or food service,
personal equipment use fees, food minimums.
* Schedule regular meeting with conference chair(s) and program chair
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