Convention Business Meetings & Receptions

Meeting and Reception Planning Guidelines

2005 ISA Convention – Honolulu, Hawaii

March 2-5, 2005

This document provides information to assist Section Chairs, Region Presidents, Workshop Chairs, and Editorial Board Chairpersons in planning, funding, and hosting business meetings, workshops, and receptions during the International Studies Association Annual Convention. 

Convention events will be held in one hotel in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii.  The host hotel is the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach.

All requests for non-panel meeting or reception space are coordinated through the ISA Convention Manager, Jeanne White.   The Convention Manager’s job is to manage all non-panel meeting space, work with the hotels to negotiate menu options and prices, create the food and beverage orders for your events, ensure accurate and timely delivery of hotel services, arrange for event signage, and resolve problems during the Convention.  By having a single point of contact between the hotels and ISA, it is possible to obtain discounts on hotel services and maximize hotel staff efficiency.  The savings are passed on to you, in the form of reduced prices for a variety of hotel services.

MEETING AND RECEPTION ROOM ASSIGNMENTS AND SET-UP

All of the meeting rooms in the Hilton are reserved for the International Studies Association.  Panels occupy all meeting rooms from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and again from 1:45 to 5:30 p.m.  Consequently, no meetings or receptions may be scheduled at these properties during times when panels are in session.  (Please see table at the end of this section for availability). 

There are more than 80 non-panel events that take place during the Convention.  Because there is a limited amount of space available on any given day, assignments are made on a first-come, first-noticed basis.  Normally, ISA begins accepting requests for meeting space approximately 6 months prior to the Annual Meeting.  Section Chairs and Region Presidents are notified of the reservation period via email.  Reservations requests can be sent via email to the ISA Convention Manager, or you can call to discuss options (contact information is at the end of this document).  Requests should contain the following information:

            Event Type            (Meeting, Workshop, or Reception)

            Preferred Date and Time

            Estimated Attendance (REQUIRED in order to assign appropriately-sized room)

            Food and Beverage Service (Yes or No; the food order is not placed at this time)

Your request will be confirmed via email, usually within 2 business days.  The meeting room name will be given to you after the program is finalized, usually in early December.

All meeting rooms are set up for panels, i.e., a Head Table at the front of the room and theater-style seating in the rest of the room.  These meeting rooms are set up just before the Convention begins, and must not be changed.   All rooms have an overhead projector and screen; charges for additional audiovisual equipment are the responsibility of the requesting group.  For evening receptions we remove some or all of the chairs in most rooms and the Head Tables usually remain.  We set up reception tables and chairs, and add other “touches” to transform the room into a reception setting.  This process takes time; we work side-by-side with the hotel staff to make sure your event starts on time. For this reason, evening meetings and receptions cannot begin until at least 6:00 p.m.  Meetings that do not require food or beverage service can begin as early as 5:45 p.m.  However, we recommend a 6:00 p.m. start to allow time for panels to clear and for the hotel staff to clean and freshen the room.

Workshops are traditionally scheduled on the day preceding the first day of panels (Tuesday, March 1).  The reservation process is the same as described above, except that notification occurs when the workshop grants are announced.  Workshops can be scheduled to start and end at the Workshop Chair’s discretion.   Traditionally, most are scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.  Meeting rooms are usually set up classroom style, unless the Chair requests otherwise.  An overhead projector and screen is provided at no charge; fees for any other audiovisual equipment, (including television monitors and VCR’s), must be charged against the Workshop grant.  All workshops are charged a $100.00 meeting room rental fee that can be deducted from the Workshop grant.

The ISA General Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony, and the Presidential Address and Reception, are always scheduled for the 2^nd day of the Convention (Thursday, March 3).  The ISA General Business Meeting will be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.  The Presidential Address and Reception will be held from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  No meetings or receptions may be scheduled during these two events.  Many meetings and receptions are usually scheduled immediately following the Presidential Address and Reception, and these have proven to be well attended.  Wednesday evening is also a great night to host a meeting or reception; attendance is usually high because there are fewer total events scheduled at that time.

The third day of the Convention, (traditionally on a Friday), is the most requested date for meetings and receptions.   Not all requests for Friday events can be honored.  Although Friday remains the most popular night for receptions, please note that with so many events going on simultaneously, it is normal for attendance to vary during the course of a Friday evening reception. People tend to “pop in” to multiple receptions – most of the food you order will be eaten within the first ½ hour of your event. 

The following table lists dates and times when you may schedule a meeting or reception during the Hawaii Convention.  Contact the ISA Convention Manager for current availability:

OBTAINING SPONSORSHIP AND PAYING FOR YOUR EVENT

Section Chairs, Region Presidents, (or their Treasurers), and Workshop Chairs are responsible for ensuring that sufficient funds are available to cover all costs associated with meetings or receptions.  ISA must pay the bills for all ISA-sponsored meetings and receptions 30 days after the Convention ends.  After verifying all charges, ISA deducts the charges for each event, including signage costs, from the appropriate Section, Region, or Workshop account. 

Multiple Sections often join together to co-host a reception, sharing expenses and thereby increasing their “buying power.”   Some obtain financial contributions from publishers or affiliations to help offset the costs of a reception.  Sponsors receive recognition in the Convention Program and on signage placed outside the event meeting room.  We also encourage publishers to set up small journal or book displays during a reception.  The Section Chair or Region President is responsible for identifying and contacting potential sponsors; ISA is responsible for invoicing the sponsors and ensuring that their contributions are received before the Convention begins. 

Sponsor contributions are deposited into the appropriate Region or Section account.  These funds are the first used to pay event charges; any remaining balance due is deducted from Region or Section funds.  ISA keeps a history of sponsor contributions, and can help you with contact information for publishers that exhibit with ISA.  Please be aware that some sponsors may ask for input into menu selections, but most only want to know what you have selected.

Remember to contact the ISA Convention Manager as soon as you obtain a sponsor!  Sponsors want recognition, and rightly so – we cannot list them on event signage if we do not know about them!  For events that have multiple co-sponsors, the sponsors are listed on signage and in the Convention program in order of financial contribution; i.e. the sponsor who donates the most money is listed first.  When co-sponsors contribute equal amounts, they are listed on signage alphabetically, by company name.

PLANNING YOUR MENU AND PLACING YOUR FOOD & BEVERAGE ORDER

Approximately five months before the Convention, menus will be sent to the Section Chairs, Region Presidents, and Workshop Chairs whose events will include food and beverage.  In most cases, all taxes and service charges have been computed for you; the prices shown on the menus are the actual, final cost to you. The process of putting together a meeting or reception menu can be a daunting task; ISA’s Convention Manager specializes in helping you get the most and the best for your money.  Call or email and we’ll be happy to help you.  Only the ISA Convention Manager may place food and beverage orders with the hotel!  Please do not contact the hotel directly – you will be referred back to ISA.  

After you and the ISA Convention Manager have created a menu, you will receive an email confirming the estimated costs for your event.  You will be asked to reply to this email, giving ISA approval to spend this money on your behalf.  This figure will be accurate to within a few dollars, so please feel free to use this data when talking with your sponsors.  It is very important to estimate your food orders accurately; you will pay for the portions ordered regardless of whether or not they are consumed.  All changes in quantities must be requested at least 10 days prior to the start of the Convention!

The ISA Convention Manager and the person hosting the meeting or reception are the only two people authorized to make additions to food and beverage orders during the event.  This is to protect you from unauthorized expenditures by your guests. 

AWARD PRESENTATIONS DURING A MEETING OR RECEPTION  

There are multiple awards announced or presented during the Annual Convention.  Several Regions and Sections present awards during their Business Meetings or Receptions; others are presented during the ISA General Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony.  (Please refer to the “Grants and Awards” section of the ISA website, or the “Awards” section of the Officer’s Handbook, for details on each award, and other information).

Award certificates, plaques, and monetary awards are coordinated through ISA Headquarters. The Awards Coordinator for 2004-2005 is Jennifer Vancura (telephone 520-626-0216 or email Jvancura@u.arizona.edu).

Each Award Committee Chair is responsible for sending the following information to ISA Headquarters:

•   Name of Award:  (Alexander George Award, FTGS Student Paper Award, etc.)

•   Recipients full name, address, telephone number, and email address

•   Title of Paper or Book

•   For certificates, names of person(s) whose signatures will be on the certificate

•   Cash award amount (for awards with multiple prizes)

•   Delivery method (mailed to Award Chair, mailed to recipient, or pick-up at convention)

•   Will recipient attend the Convention?

If requested at least 6 weeks prior to the Convention, awards can be mailed to the Award Committee Chair or they can be picked up at the Convention Registration Desk on the first day of Registration.  Processing time is as follows (this does not include time for mailing):  

  There is no charge for a framed certificate.  The fee for engraved plaques varies, averaging between $55.00 - $80.00US, depending on the number of words.  Certificates and plaques are shipped via 2-day Federal Express; there is a charge for shipments outside the continental United States.  These charges are deducted from the appropriate Region or Section account, where applicable.

HOW WE LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOUR EVENT  

All ISA meetings, workshops, and receptions are announced in the Convention Program, on the ISA website, and on guest room television monitors at the hotels where events are taking place.  In addition, signs are posted on easels outside the meeting rooms for all evening receptions.  If you do not wish to have your meeting listed, please be sure to let the ISA Convention Manager know before the convention Program is finalized. 

Once you receive a meeting room assignment, you may contact your members and give them the details of your event.  ISA keeps the “Meetings and Receptions” page of the Convention website updated with additions, changes, and cancellations, so that members will have up-to-date information about all ISA events.  Changes made after the Convention Program has been printed are listed on an addendum sheet that is inserted into the Convention Program.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT ALL WILL GO AS PLANNED AND WHAT IF IT DOESN’T?

During the Convention, ISA works very closely with hotel staff to monitor all phases of event activity.  We use two-way radios to stay in constant communication.   The Convention Manager checks all meeting and reception rooms frequently and can respond to problems quickly.  The Hotel assigns a Banquet Captain for each event that includes food and beverages, and he/she is responsible for ensuring that everything meets your expectations.  Should a problem arises that cannot be solved by the Hotel Staff, the ISA Convention Manager will be contacted via radio, and a solution will be found.

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

There are a few important dates to remember.  If you miss the deadline for requesting meeting or reception space, your event will not be listed in the Convention Program.  If you miss the deadline for submitting your food and beverage order, the food choices you want may not be available.  If you do not notify the ISA Convention Manager when you obtain sponsorship, your sponsor will not be billed for the contribution, you will be responsible for all your event charges, and the sponsor will not be listed in the Program or on signage.

The meetings and reception deadlines for the Hawaii Convention are as follows:

Menus sent to event hosts via email:                            FIRST WEEK IN OCTOBER

Event hosts solicit sponsorships:                                         THE SOONER THE BETTER

Request a meeting or reception room:                         BY NOVEMBER 15

Submit menu requests to ISA Convention Manager:            BEGIN OCT 6 THRU FEB 1

Provide Sponsorship Info to ISA:                               ONGOING –NO LATER THAN DEC 3

Deadline for event listing in Convention Program:            DECEMBER 3

Sponsor contributions due to ISA:                               BY JAN 28, 2005

Event charges transferred from Section/Region/

Workshop accounts:                                                          BY APRIL 29, 2005

SUMMARY

The ISA Staff is committed to making your meeting, workshop, or reception a trouble-free, enjoyable experience for you and your attendees.  We are here to help you, and to ensure your success as an event host.  Please let us know if you have suggestions or comments.  Our contact information is as follows:

Jeanne White

ISA Convention Manager

324 Social Sciences

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ  85721

PH:  (520) 621-2327

FAX:  (520) 621-5780

EMAIL: Jeanne@u.arizona.edu

Jennifer Vancura

Convention Associate

PH: (520) 626-0216

EMAIL: Jvancura@u.arizona.edu