Midterm Break

With apologies to T.S. Eliot, I'm pretty sure that October, not April, is the cruelest month.

I don't know about your campuses (campii?), but we've got more than 125 events scheduled during October, including Homecoming activies, a Faculty Symposium and Philosophy Teach-In.

I get tired just thinking about it.

One of the things that always makes October bearable, though, is the start of the Regional Meetings. They're like our own private little "midterm breaks" that help us refresh and renew our collective professional spirits and help us push on to the end of the semester.

Here's the Regional Meeting lineup!

Region 11 is taking the early lead on October 4-6 at Harrisburg Area Community College (PA). Michael Baker is putting together a great programming lineup. Questions can be directed to him at mdbaker(at)hacc(dot)edu.

Region 2 is pulling double duty this year and is offering "two locations, one great day!" on October 8. They're run concurrent meetings at UC Davis and UCLA. Efficiency at its best. Contact Director-Elect Jason Walley at jwalley(at)ha(dot)ucla(dot)edu for more info.

The folks of Region 6 will be meeting up in BlueJay Country when they gather at Creighton University (NE) on October 15-16. Jana Ammon can provide more information for anyone who's interested. Contact her at janaammon(at)creighton(dot)edu.

A spin-off from the Annual Conference, Region 8 is adding an Act of Caring to their 2009 Regional Meeting, being held October 21-23. Their Act of Caring will benefit Kids Food Basket, a charity dedicated to attacking childhood hunger. Cindi Winowiecki will be hosting the meeting at Grand Valley State University (MI). Contact Cindi at winowiec(at)gvsu(dot)edu.

St. Mary's College of Maryland will play host to the Region 10 Meeting on October 22-23. Regional Leaders Rick Glass and Pamela Mathias are working hard to put together a great meeting for our mid-east members. Contact Rick at rglass(at)richmond(dot)edu for more information.

Marking the halfway point are those "Wild, Wild Westerners" of Region 4. They will be headed to UC Boulder for their October 23 Regional Meeting. From recent weather reports, they may have to make time for some skiing! Marci Healy or Marilyn Spittler have a great day lined up. Contact Marci at mhealy(at)guesthouse(dot)utah(dot)edu.

Moving around the far curve into November, Region 1 takes the lead at Seattle University (WA) on November 4-6. Kathleen Kelly and her crew would love to see the whole region for their meeting. She can be reached at kellyk(at)seattleu(dot)edu.

Running neck-in-neck with their neighbors from across the country , Region 12 will be gathering in the Green Mountain State. They will meet on November 5-6 at the University of Vermont. Regional Leaders Norma Charette and Shane Cutler are looking forward to a great meeting. Contact Shane at shane(dot)cutler(at)uvm(dot)edu.

Gathering on the campus of Duke University (NC) on November 8-10 is Region 9. In addition to enjoying the cameraderie and education sure to grow out of their meeting, maybe they'll be able to enjoy some of the great fall colors that the region has to offer! Questions can be directed to Jim Hodges at jim(dot)hodges(at)duke(dot)edu.

Region 5 brings us into the homestretch with their meeting in America's Dairyland at Ripon College (WI) on November 12-13. Kim Araya and her Region 5 leadership team are working hard to plan a great couple of days for this international region. Contact her at araya001(at)umn(dot)edu.

Crossing the finish line on November 19-20 is Region 7. Hosted by Trinity University (TX), this promises to be a big event...because everything's bigger in Texas! Contact Director-Elect Ofelia Dominguez at
odominguez(at)utep(dot)edu for details.

We hope that these fabulous fall Regional Meetings help train you for the "big race" in Louisville in March. The ACCED-I Staff along with Conference Chair Jack Raab and his team are working very hard putting together what promises to be a first-place program.

So riders, take your marks, because soon we'll be...

Party Hearty!

We've all heard it, right?

"What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a Collegiate Conference/Event Coordinator."

"Oh, that's cool! You get to plan parties all day!"

image courtesy of Photobucket

Uhm, right.

Does anyone really understand what you do? Your family? Your friends? Your university colleagues?

I'd venture to say no, not really. The only folks who really "get" our industry are other collegiate conference/event professionals. I'll never forget a first-time attendee sharing with me in Las Vegas about how she'd found ACCED-I online and immediately called her administrator and said "I have found my people!"

Networking is always one of the top reasons that folks give for attending the Annual Conference. Getting together with a few hundred of your closest friends, the only ones who really understand the nature of the beast that is our industry, and sharing successes, challenges, trials and tribulations is a highlight of the Conference.

While networking is certainly a significant part of the Conference, most of our administrators sort of frown on us jetting off somewhere to a professional conference to simply "network". They expect us to attend educational sessions and actually come back with some newfound knowledge that will somehow benefit our departments and institutions.

You've heard the phrase, "It takes a village to raise a child"? Well, it takes an Association to plan a party. In this case, it's OUR party. As you probably know, the Annual Conference sessions don't appear magically out of thin air. The staff and planning committee rely on YOU to serve a dual role at this party, both as guests and presenters! :)

Do you have in-depth knowledge on a particular topic, such as risk management? Are you an expert in contract development? Do your colleagues trust your impeccable taste when it comes to decor/menu planning advice? Have you developed a fabulous student staff training program? Do you have experience in dealing with the Secret Service on campus? Have you planned a few Commencement services in your time?

Your fellow party goers need you!

If you've not already, please consider submitting a presentation proposal for the Annual Conference in Louisville. If you have questions about presenting, feel free to contact the ACCED-I office. Our incredible staff there will be thrilled to address any concerns you may have!

Help us make this year's Conference the best PARTY yet! :)

Sliding Into Home!

While Louisville is certainly known for "the fastest three minutes in sports", we can't forget that it's also the home of the mother of all baseball bats, the Louisville Slugger.

If you're a baseball fan, you'll want to take some time during your stay (just not during the Conference Workshops, of course!) to check out the Louisville Slugger Museum. It's not far from our "home plate", The Galt House, and you can even take a tour of the factory. Personalized bats are available for purchase, but for those flying to Louisville, remember that you'll have to ship them home or put them in your checked luggage, as the TSA does consider a baseball bat a dangerous weapon (and not just in the hands of Jim Thome!).


As mentioned, our conference hotel is the Galt House. This lovely riverfront property boasts all newly-remodeled rooms and suites. As an ACCED-I conference attendee, you'll have a choice of booking either a suite or a regular room. This is a great option, as you can choose which best fits your budget. The suites, in addition to the regular 2 bed accommodations, have a sleeper sofa in the outer room, which could make sharing the cost much easier on the budget. The suite is also a great option if you'll be extending your stay as a family vacation.



Are you starting to see the "possibilities" for the 2010 Annual Conference? :)

Y'all come back!

Lemons Into Lemonade

Don't know about you, but most of the conference and events professionals I know are masters of positive spin. We can take any almost any situation and turn it around.

Take, for example, the weather. We have a client on campus this weekend who's having a picnic, and the forecast isn't, well, let's just say it could be a great day if you're a duck. Are we going to let that stop us from giving the client a superior experience? No way! If it rains, we'll just give them umbrellas and snorkels and let them go at it.

OK, not really.

But you get the idea!

Our host for the 30th Annual Conference, Louisville, has dubbed itself "Possibility City". While we're all hard at work providing umbrellas, sunscreen, or extra blankets for our summer clients, be sure to keep track of all of the ways you create possibilities for your clients, and always remember to "always look on the bright side"!



Y'all come back!

Off To the Races!

And we're off!

Join us over the next ten months for a leisurely tour of Possibility City as we prepare for the ACCED-I 30th Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Region 8 is proud to host the ACCED-I membership in the Bluegrass State and look forward to sharing information about the city and the conference.

Y'all come back!