Conferences

CONFERENCE HOSTING

Interested in Hosting a Conference?

The Association is always in need of future conference hosts. Hosting a conference is a great way to gain exposure for yourself, your department or program, your students, and your college or university. What better way to gain a reputation than to have 120-200 faculty members and graduate students visit your school?

The responsibilities of hosts are limited to financial and organizational matters. The Association, through its Program and Chairs and Discussants committees puts together the program, though a host is welcome to participate. Often we plan an opening plenary session on Thursday night during which host institutions can showcase their colleagues or students. But there is no requirement that hosts take part in the program itself. Registration fees are collected by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Typically host institutions and the Association share the expenses of a conference. Actual amounts required vary, depending on the size, character, and location of the conference. The local coordinator's main work, aside from securing financing, is arranging for rooms for meetings, plenary sessions, coffee breaks, and meals, as well as for hotel accommodations, shuttles (if needed), and catering. Most of the work can be done well ahead of time.

If you are thinking about being a conference host, consider speaking to some of the previous hosts: Simona Goi of Calvin College, Timothy Fuller of The Colorado College, Andrew Rehfeld of Washington University in St. Louis, Jeffrey Isaac of Indiana University, Harvey Brown of The University of Western Ontario, or J. Donald Moon of Wesleyan University.

How to Host

If you would like to explore the possibility of hosting a conference, please contact the Executive Co-Directors. The Association has a preference for rotating meetings around North America, so it is helpful to begin discussions well in advance in order to allow for a schedule that is mutually beneficial to all. Meetings are generally scheduled sometime between early October and mid-November. We ask that hosts attempt to avoid conflicts with religious holidays and with Halloween, if possible.