Conference Planning Committees
6th Annual – May 28-30, 2008
Last Updated 9/26/07
All committees are expected to meet regularly and every chair (or designee) is expected to report at each monthly Steering Committee meeting.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Chair: Walter Rogers (615-248-5878, wrogers@thearctn.org)
Other members: All committee chairs and conference sponsors, benefactors, associates and supporters who wish to participate.
- Serves as the decision-making team
- Identifies funding sources and submits requests
- Answers committee questions and approves any convention changes
- Meets with committee chairs and conference partners through the Steering Committee
- Has one member available throughout the conference to troubleshoot problems
- Determines budget and amounts each category contributes
- Determines registration charges for participants and advises Public Relations and Registration Committees
- Directs and coordinates the entire conference
- Determines sponsorship levels and benefits
- Meets regularly to plan conference and have progress reports
- All monthly Steering Committee meetings/conference calls will be held at The Arc of Tennessee Office at 1:00 pm. The dial in number is 1-888-272-7337, conference ID 7498873.
The dates are: | |
| 23-Aug | 24-Jan |
| 20-Sep | 28-Feb |
| 25-Oct | 27-Mar |
| 29-Nov | 24-Apr |
| NO meeting in December | 22-May |
ACCESSIBILITY COMMITTEE
Co-Chair: Wanda Willis/JoEllen Fowler (615-532-6615, wanda.willis@state.tn.us, joellen.fowler@state.tn.us)
Other members: Jason McAlexander, Lorri Mabry, Peggy Cooper, Trish Farmer, Donna DeStefano, Les Hutchinson
- Works with Registration and Public Relations Committees on design of Accessibility section of Registration form
- Works with Local Arrangements Committee on accessible set ups and special diets
- Works with Program Committee on alternative formats of speaker handouts, etc.
- Arranges for interpreters and alternative formats for conference
- Contacts some registrants who need special accommodations for details of their needs
- Arranges for technology worker for wheelchair repair, etc.
- Arranges for accessible public transportation
EVENT SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs: Kristin Byrd (615-248-5878 x 17, kbyrd@thearctn.org) Frank Meeuwis (615-248-5878 x 23, fmeeuwis@thearctn.org)
Other members:
- Determines sponsorship levels
- Solicits cash donations for coffee break and meal event sponsorship
- Solicits door prizes
- Maintains database of donors contact information and amounts given
- Gets logos from donors and designs signage for events
- Sends thank you cards to donors
- Supplies Steering, Program and Local Arrangement Committees with list of donors, their logos, and events each re sponsoring
EXHIBIT COMMITTEE
Chair: Lori Israel (615-248-5878, ext. 22)
Other members: Peggy Cooper, Scott Finney, Walter Rogers
- Determines fee levels and develops mailing lists
- Mails out invitations
- Collects fees and information regarding exhibitor’s needs (electricity, internet, accessibility)
- Makes exhibitor table signs and exhibitor nametags
- Designs list of exhibitors and map of exhibitors and presents to Steering Committee for inclusion in Program Booklet
- Advises Local Arrangements Committee of number of tables/booths needed and electrical and internet needs
- Advises Accessibility Committee of any exhibitor special needs
- Has one person available throughout conference to troubleshoot exhibitor problems
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE
Chair: Courtney Jenkins-Atnip (615-383-9442, courtney_j@tndisability.org)
Other members: Peggy Cooper, Nicole Davidson
- Prepares goodie bags for participants, gets “freebies” for bags and door prizes
- Secures band or deejay for Saturday night dance
- Keep contributor/donor list and presents to Program Committee for inclusion in Program Booklet
- Supplies hospitality suites with beverages, snacks and volunteers
- Decides how suites are designed and times open
- Makes signage for program booklet and hallways advertising hospitality suites
LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS COMMITTEE
Chair: Peggy Cooper (615-248-5878, pcooper@thearctn.org)
Other members: JoEllen Fowler, Darren Jernigan, Scott Finney, Walter Rogers
- Secures appropriate meeting space and negotiates costs
- Writes contract
- Works with hotel event manager on meals, special accommodations, set ups, etc.
- Serves as Liaison with hotel throughout planning and actual conference
- Works with Program Committee to arrange pick up and delivery of speakers with hotel
- Works with Program Committee on room set ups and A/V needs and signage
- Works with Accessibility and Respite Committee on hotel needs
- Works with Exhibit Committee on hotel needs
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Chair: Steve Jacobs (615-248-5878, sjacobs@thearctn.org)
Other members:Robin Atwood, Elizabeth Bishop, Kristin Byrd, Suzanne Colsey, Trish Farmer, Kyle Hauth, Todd Hash, Les Hutchinson, Lori Israel (lisrael@thearctn.org), Laura Jernigan, Lorri Mabry, Sally Meyers, Michelle Morse, Karen Nelson, Luke Randall, Alena Sampson and Ned Solomon
- Determines theme of conference and tracks
- Sends out call for local speakers
- Plans topics, schedules times and number of breakout sessions/keynote sessions
- Completes activities for continued education credits (CEUs)
- Contacts and schedules presenters, sends out speaker confirmations
- Collects and maintains speaker information and A/V needs
- Advises Accessibility Committee of speakers with special needs
- Makes arrangements for presenters needs (travel, hotel, A/V) and communicates this to Local Arrangements Committee
- Designates rooms each session will be held and identifies equipment needs and communicates this to Local Arrangements Committee
- Makes name tags for speakers
- Designs and prints Conference Booklet
- Designs and prints session evaluation forms
- Sends thank you notes to presenters
- Has one person available throughout conference to troubleshoot presenter problems
- Makes arrangements and designs appropriate materials for continuing education credits and communicates this to Registration Committee for compilation of packets
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs: Katy Alexander (615-298-1080, katya@dlacinc.org), Peggy Cooper (615-248-878, pcooper@thearctn.org)
Other members:Trish Farmer, Courtney Evans Taylor, Holly Rossmaier, Sondra South, and Jean Smith
- Designs and distributes flyers, announcements and registration brochure
- Disseminates registration and accessibility forms to all participating agencies and large email groups
- Schedules media coverage before, during and after event and prepares media kits
- Prepares articles for conference as needed
- Designs and distributes electronic notices
- Maintains current information on MegaConference website
- Broadens and builds dissemination list to include other groups such as clinicians, special educators, other states, and other southeast region associations
- Sends special invitations to all Tennessee legislators and commissioners
REGISTRATION and STIPENDS COMMITTEE
Chair: Shirley Shea (615-298-1080, shirleys@dlacinc.org)
Other members: Katy Alexander, Leanne Boyce, Tonya Copeland, Nicole Davidson, Lori Israel, Lorri Mabry, Walter Rogers, and Wanda Willis
- Works with Public Relations Committee on design of registration/stipend form and disseminates to Steering and all other Committees for further distribution
- Receives registration forms for conference and keeps list of registrants and functions they have signed up and paid for
- Arranges for money to be deposited and spent, receipted, etc.
- Sends confirmation forms to registrants
- Makes nametags for attendees denoting functions attending
- Advises Accessibility Committee of attendees with special needs
- Contacts Local Arrangements Committee with head counts for all food events
- Schedules and “trains” workers for registration desk from list of volunteers received from Volunteer Committee
- Determines stipend limits
- Develops protocol for awarding stipends
- Contacts various agencies for outreach to targeted groups
VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE
Chair: Holly Rossmaier (615-248-5878 x 21, hrossmaier@thearctn.org)
Other members:
- Secures volunteers for registration desk, volunteer check-in desk, and furnishes list to Registration Committee
- Develops and posts volunteer schedule for the above areas that includes way for volunteers to sign in and out
- Presents volunteers with gift or thank you card
- Coordinates and works with Program Committee on needs
- Secures volunteers for room facilitators and furnishes list to Program Committee
- Trains room facilitators on what is expected of them: introducing speakers, session evaluations, CEU responsibilities, etc.
- Utilizes members of Program Committee to cover volunteer shortages so that every session has a room facilitator
RESPITE COMMITTEE
Co-Chairs: Mary Ann Schenk (423-267-0500, mschenk@thearctn.org) and Treva Maitland (731-559-4187, tmaitland@thearctn.org)
Other members:Jameka Evans, Lanitta Joseph, Progress Inc.
- Designs respite care registration form
- Collects respite forms and determines group division, if needed
- Plans activities
- Schedules workers for room(s)
- Secures toys, games, etc.
- Communicates with parents about food and special needs
- Contacts respite workers network for respite room workers

