AAPT Meeting Check List

The following is an AAPT Meeting Check list which may be useful as you plan your meeting:

• Develop a check list
• Select and invite special speakers, e.g., plenary sessions and banquet
• Know who is to introduce special guests and speakers; confirm
• Make travel arrangements for speakers early to get best price - both distant and local travel
• Contact exhibitors
• Invite special guests
• Secure best hotel/motel rates and reserve blocks of rooms
• Reserve rooms for special speakers and guests
• Give food services time to work up catering, etc.
• Provide times and adequate rooms for chair's and Two-Year College breakfasts, business luncheon and banquet
• Plan menus
• Plan table arrangement and decorations
• Arrange a head table at banquet if necessary
• Arrange program. Participants close to microphone. Know who is next.
• Develop a scale floor plan if necessary
• Make arrangements for pre-banquet reception
• Notify food services for refreshments each morning - set up table
• Provide location and refreshments for SPS reception
• Sound system in main meeting rooms - arrange for operator
• Audio and video requirements for luncheons, banquets and plenary sessions (or any room with a large seating capacity)
• Electronic support systems as required by speakers/presenters
• Electricity and tables for exhibitors
• Locate exhibitors in a widely used and very accessible area
• Secure adequate rooms, both number and type for workshops - including special computer laboratories
• Secure and equip adequate rooms for plenary and paper sessions
• Secure a mailing list
• Include map of campus and town, pre-registration forms, hotel list, parking or other special items, paper submission form in first mailing
• Keep returned letters and change address or delete for second mailing. These changes should be turned in to the AAPT secretary for use in other mailings.
• Host needs to appoint session chairs or get help in appointing them from TSAAPT officers
• Provide TSAAPT Webmaster with all pertinent materials for posting on internet
• Arrange and print programs. Program chairman will usually arrange the sessions. The host institution needs to provide the rooms that will be adequate for the different sessions. The room number/locations will be indicated in the program.
• Prepare packets including maps, name tags, meal tickets, program and any other literature (information provided by the Chamber of Commerce), e.g., your school information for distribution at registration desk
• Contact media
• Notify campus security and see if we need special parking permits
• Notify maintenance if we need tables and chairs set up for exhibits
• Make sure all buildings are open and accessible, cooled or heated
• Determine what funding is needed and who will provide it (many hosts will be able to get some funds from the school). The meeting is usually funded from registration fees and the TSAAPT treasury.
• Prepare name tags and meal tickets for special speakers
• Prearrange for any honorariums to be paid at meeting
• Work up personnel assignments
• Ushers for dinner if needed
• Signs for directions - rest rooms, dining areas, receptions, buildings, exhibitors, refreshments, etc.
• Volunteers - inform where and when they should be. Thank them publicly if possible - usually at banquet (be brief)
• Registration workers
• Room equipment monitors
• Refreshment area monitor
• Cleanup helpers
• Provide meeting room for TSAAPT and TSAPS executive meeting Thursday evening before meeting
• Provide easels for poster presentation
• Adequate seating in all meeting areas, lobby areas, refreshment room, reception area
• Someone in charge of refreshments to see they are replenished
• Provide timers, pointers, chalk and/or white board markers, Vis-A-Vis markers in all presentation rooms - give to program chair person
• At the registration table have adequate change, registration forms, extra programs, pencils, name tag material, miscellaneous handouts, meal tickets, list for number of additional meals sold to give to the caterer, packets for new registrations
• Remember that stress of the host/contact person does not provide an excuse to be mannerless.
• Enjoy the meeting.