What should we do?  When should we do it?  And is there something really important that we've forgotten about?

Discussion about the tasks involved in planning a conference and the timing of those tasks goes in this thread.  Please respond to this first post unless you're spscifically addressing a subtopic raised in a major post.

 

Comments

Fri, 02/03/2012 - 22:52

Elisa

Here's a rough timetable of major events based on my dim recollections from being MAFA's Recording Secretary around the time of the 2009 conference.  Please PM me with corrections and additions or reply to THIS post, not the top-level post in this topic.)

Year -2

August (just after end of conference): informally arrange with venue to host for next conference

Year -1

January: Post Call for Class Proposals.  Arrange for ads in Handwoven/other publications (?  I think there was a 6-month minimum lead time)

March: Sign contract with venue for Year 0 conference

September: First magazine ads begin appearing

December: Publish conference catalog

Year 0 (Conference Year)

 January: (1st week) Open registration to members. (3rd week) Open registration to general public.

February: begin posting notification of class closures on website.

March: (2nd week) Start promoting classes that are not at the break-even point (roughly 7 students).  (Trying not to alarm instructors too much.  Many affected classes WILL be able to run because they'll be balanced out by classes with enrollments in excess of the break-even point.)

May: (first week) Determine which classes must be canceled due to lack of enrollment.  (Part of MAFA's mission is to offer beginning spinning and weaving classes, even if there's only one student.  This means we almost always start off with two low-enrollment classes that have to be counterbalanced by classes with higher enrollment.  We've found that the overall break-even point usually allows us to run classes if at least 5 people have signed up.)  At Reps meeting, make sure there are enough volunteers for airport transportation of instructors; collect goodies; provide other conference-logistics info. (by 15th, per instructor contract) Notify instructor if class is being canceled.  Notify affected students and move them to other classes. Start imposing late-registration fee.

June: (1st week)  Mail conference packets.  (~15th) Close registration.

July: (time = minus 2 weeks; two weeks before a last weekend in July conference): Confirm airport-transportation volunteers.  Revisit venue and finalize classroom assignments. (day or two before, as venue allows:) Check/set up classrooms.  Put out signs/maps.  (morning of) Final assembly of goodie bags (goodies have already been sorted into equitable allotments by a volunteer guild and put in ziplocs.)