Save the Applause to the End

Attendees at the Annual Conference are often lured into catching an early flight home – you might want to reconsider! Would you skip the last act of a play?

Did you know that because of commission/interest group meetings, exhibit presentations, etc. that are scheduled on the first two days, the last day of the conference has roughly a third of the 300+ conference concurrent sessions?

Final Day Highlights:

• Nearly 1/3 of the total concurrent sessions
• “Hot Topics” sessions are hosted by commission/interest group chairs
• Some of the finest sessions, such as Past-President Jennifer Bloom’s session, “Making the Case for Creating Advising Summer Internships” (C303). Co-presenters include Ben Forche, Janet Schulenberg, and David Stout.
• Past President’s Panel Discussion with moderator Casey Self (C281).

Don't forget to check out the Interactive Schedule Planner before you finalize that airline reservation, make sure you don't miss any of these great opportunities! Plan to stick around until 11:30 am on Wednesday, October 6th. You won’t be disappointed!

How to use Twitter for the Annual Conference

You can follow NACADA on Twitter by going to twitter.com/nacada

Before and during the Annual Conference, there are ways to interact via Twitter. Whether you have NEVER used Twitter or tweet on a frequent basis, this a great opportunity to connect with other members of NACADA and stay updated on the event.

Basic Steps:

STEP 1: Sign up (or login) for a Twitter account.

STEP 2: Post updates about the conference before, during, or after the conference: sessions, take-aways, Orlando activities, etc.

STEP 3: In every 140 character post, include "#nacada10" hashtag (without quotes and with a space before/after the tag).

STEP 4: Follow the conference action via a Twitter search for #nacada10.

Get started right now! You can use social media by sharing this blog post, see the icons below.

Perfectly Lovely Outside, Who-Knows-What Inside

If veteran conference attendees could share any advice with new or novice conference-goers, they would likely all agree on one thing: bring a sweater.

Each year, NACADA posts a survey online for attendees to comment on their experience at the Annual Conference, and every year the issue of hot/cold rooms is a popular topic. “The room was WAY TOO COLD,” “it was excessively warm in one of my sessions,” “is the thermostat broken at the convention center?” are all common remarks made about every conference facility. Unfortunately, central heating and air-conditioning cannot accommodate every personal preference, a problem that becomes compounded when hundreds or even thousands of bodies fill a room to capacity, and the system has to (over) compensate.

Fortunately for everyone in attendance (myself included), there is a simple solution: bring a sweater.

I know it is hard to pack a sweater or jacket when you are looking forward to great Florida weather, but trust me, if you leave it behind, 34 percent of you will wish you had not. Maybe you could even bring an extra and barter with a chilly peer for something great, like one of the Disney resorts’ free-to-Refill-able Drink Mugs (more on that later).

What's the NACADA 2010 Blog?

This blog will have the latest updates leading up to the conference in October - so be sure to frequently visit.

Once the conference begins, live posts from Orlando will include:

• Quick recap of major events
• Important changes to schedule
• Pictures
• Videos
• Links for additional information
• NACADA members can interact in real time - share thoughts and ideas in comments section!

Whether you can attend the conference or are following from your institution - check out the blog for the latest information.

During the conference I'll be posting from the prospective of an attendee with frequent updates and summaries. Let the countdown to Orlando begin - only 82 days left!

Welcome

Welcome to the 2010 Annual Conference blog. Over the next few weeks, Brad and I will be sharing our inside tips for attending the conference. As the meeting planner, my posts will give you the facts ranging from the Disney Magical Express Shuttle, to pre-conferences and sessions, and to attractions you will not want to miss. I hope these will help you enjoy the conference and avoid unnecessary frustrations.

Please feel free to share your own ideas along the way. Next posting, let’s look at why you really should bring a sweater to warm and sunny Florida! Talk to you in a week.