ASM/HWS Meetings Timeline

Additional information is available on the relevant links and in the planning notes from the 2007 meetings (relevant to both conferences, but with a couple of extra pages specific to HWWS).
Some information below is common to both conferences, but advice specific to each conference is also provided.
Some procedures are flexible and may be varied at each hosting institution.
Some items are mandatory or governed by ASA Council policy and are indicated with *.

When	Item	Description / Links to Details	Requirements
June/July of year preceding event	Form committees; establish meeting pattern; meetings should be minuted	ASA Local Organising Committee (LOC) & Scientific Organising Committee (SOC); HWWS LOC & SOC; Refer ASA Instructions re Committees and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS	LOC committee members are principally from host institution*
	Establish dates	HWWS immediately precedes the ASA; dates should be continuous so participants of both can get funding for all time away	Dates set by ASA Council*
	HWWS only: Decide on theme for HWWS	The HWWS SOC makes this decision
July to December	Estimate attendance	Previous years' attendance figures; Refer ASA Figures and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS
	Investigate venues	Standard Venue Enquiry for HWWS; Refer Location and Venues ASA and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS; check for suitable projection and PA equipment (PA useful at HWWS trivia and ASA conference dinner); for HWWS check if there is a room fee on top of p/p catering fee; make sure all quotes include GST.	The ASA requires certain meeting facilities listed in the Instructions page*
	Research nearby accommodation	Use local knowledge or web (e.g. Wotif.com)	There must be sufficient nearby accommodation at reasonable cost for all attendees
	Obtain quotes (incl. GST) for catering and social events	Refer Venues ASA and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS
	Obtain quotes (incl. GST) for other expenses	Poster boards, conference bags, badges and stationery, bag fillers, bus if needed, printing of program booklets, estimate of eftpos fees; Refer Other Arrangements ASA and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS
	Consider sponsorship	Make personal enquiries with local suppliers
November	Preliminary planning report	2007 sample report	Submit to ASA Council November meeting*
November/December (or earlier)	Draft a budget	ASA Blank Budget Financial Arrangements and Budget ASA HWWS Blank Budget Instructions and Suggestions HWWS	Note that invited speakers at ASA don't pay registration fees. HWWS speakers normally pay half rates.
	Determine registration fees	In 2007 ASA fees were $300 full, $200 student (on-time); HWWS fees were $200 student (on-time), $100 speaker. Registration fees are not expected to vary dramatically from one year to the next. Refer Budget ASA; for HWWS, allow for 25% fewer participants than you really expect.	Both conferences are self-funded, i.e. all expenses should be covered by registration fees. Fees must be approved by ASA Council in February.
	Organise payment system and set earlybird deadline	Earlybird deadline is typically mid May and is better on a Tuesday or Wednesday; Refer Web Info and Automatic Invoicing ASA
End December / Early January	Make bookings and arrange payment of deposits by ASA treasurer	Book venues, caterers, poster boards if needed; Make block bookings for accommodation for ASA and remind HWWS venue students may stay elsewhere.
	HWWS only: Invite speakers for HWWS	Template invitation; provide a contact phone number to speakers for last-minute communication during the conference
By February of year of event	Have budget and arrangements approved by ASA Council*	2007 Sample February Report	Submit brief written report to first ASA Council meeting of the year*
	ASA only: Select invited speakers for the ASA	Don't forget to invite them with a formal letter!* Refer Programme Details ASA	In consultation with ASA Council
	Draft skeleton program with times, special events and talk blocks	Refer Sample Schedule ASA
	Sort out presentation modes so details can go on web page	ASA: House pc probably runs Windows, may also want Mac laptop to load talks onto; HWWS: Speakers usually plug in own laptop but handy if LOC has one in case speaker turns up with only memory stick.
	Set up draft web pages	Refer Web Info, Registration and Automatic Invoicing ASA; Instructions and Suggestions HWWS; HWWS financial assistance application; ASA policy on student travel assistance*; the 2007 auto registration and invoicing system generated these invoices: ASA Meeting tax invoice; HWWS tax invoice; note different bank account numbers apply for each conference; Description of the auto registration system used in 2007.
February	Proof and test web pages and any automated systems
By end of February	Web pages go live
As soon as web pages are live	Send 1st announcement to John O'Byrne	Also plan any advertising for ASA; Refer Media/Advertising ASA; Publicity Notes ASA and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS
As registrations come in	Track registrations and payments	Also establish email mailing lists of registrants for relevant announcements
April	Send 2nd announcement to John O'Byrne
Mid April	HWWS only: Review applications for student travel assistance to attend HWWS	Refer ASA policy on student travel assistance*	Students need to know outcome before earlybird deadline*
One week before earlybird deadline	Send final reminder of upcoming deadline to John O'Byrne
Before end of May	Draft schedule of talks (SOC)	Talk times may vary, but best not to set them until you have some idea of how many are to be scheduled. All talks were 15 minutes (12+3) in 2007. Refer Programme ASA and Instructions and Suggestions HWWS	Also line up session chairs in time to be shown in program booklet
	Book bus if needed	Based on numbers registered and requiring transport
Periodically at treasurer's discretion	Sent outstanding payment reminders	Only to people who haven't paid - use bcc (blind carbon copy) for confidentiality; Draft payment request
End May/early June	Order conference bags and bag fillers	Allow extra: about 15 to 20 for ASA; 2 or 3 for HWWS in case of late registrations	Request delivery about 10 days before start of conference to allow time for packing
As needed	Organise payments	Conference treasurer must liase with ASA treasurer to plan payment of invoices as needed
About a month before	ASA only: Advertise Harley Wood Lecture	Also prepare flier as hand-out on the night
	ASA only: Organise internet access for ASA participants	Check with your university's technical services department, refer Programme ASA;
	HWWS only: Check if internet available	There is no expectation to have formal internet access at HWWS, but someone on committee may facilitate availability for delegates with legitimate need.
By mid June	Collate conference program booklets (LOC)	ASA: Proof and have printed; includes relevant local information, schedule, participants list, talk abstracts (in same order as schedule) and poster abstracts (numbered, in alphabetical order). HWWS: Proof and photocopy (can usually be done with department copier).	ASA: Note printery deadline to get delivery in time to pack conference bags
Two weeks before	Discuss special dietary requirements with venues/caterers
Deadlines as provided by caterers/venues	Provide final catering numbers
During week before HWWS	Various tasks	Pack conference bags; print sign-in list
During week before ASA	Various tasks	Pack conference bags; print sign-in list; make signs; print sticky labels for poster boards and indicate student posters with a special sticker (dot or star); print lists of numbers and posters to go on poster boards; email reminder of date of opening reception; order extra rubbish bins if needed
	Handy equipment	You may need a laser pointer and/or stick, a bell, velcro dots and/or pins, sticky tape, blu-tac, gaff tape, a trolley and a small basic toolkit (screwdriver, pliers, mallet).
Two days before	Make up name badges/lanyard ID tags
Day before	Finalise addenda; put up signs	Run off copies of addenda to be handed out with bags at registration
During HWWS	Various tasks	Set up registration desk at reception (with conference bags and badges); run trivia night or other social activity; manage projection equipment; make announcements; chair introduces speakers and presents gift (usually wine) immediately after each talk.
Immediately prior to ASA Meeting	Report to ASA Council	Both HWWS and ASA conference committee representatives - report may be verbal or written; the 1st July HWWS reports (Word and Excel) may be viewed here.
During ASA Meeting	Various tasks	Set up registration desk at reception (with conference bags, addenda, badges, ASA membership application forms for non-members) and also registration desk for conference; collect late payments; do photocopying (officials may need copies of reports for ASA AGM); manage lectern; make announcements.
Between last student talk and the dinner	Make up student prize certificates; Write up prize cheques	Template certificate; This template can be modified for: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Highly Commended; poster or audio-visual presentation; and borders may be recoloured if desired. Other designs may be used.	To be presented at conference dinner*
As soon as possible afterwards	Finalise finances (obtain and pay any outstanding invoices) and write report	Reports from previous meetings are here.	Report to ASA Council meeting, usually in November*

Table prepared by Lesa Moore, secretary/treasurer of the LOCs for the 2007 HWWS and ASA Meeting.

Timeline for Organising the ASA Annual Scientific Meeting and Harley Wood School

Any amendments or additions are welcome.


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