Chapter 7: Annual Convention & Division Meeting Services

• Allocation of Program Hours
  
• Appointing a Program Chair & Program Planning
  
• Pre-Convention Workshops
  
• External Funding of APA Convention Activities
  
• Invitations to Senior Public Officials
  
• Staff Availability
  
• Meeting Rooms and Hotel Reservations

Allocation of Program Hours

Program hours (i.e., program time for symposia, paper sessions, invited addresses and the like) are determined by a formula that takes into account the number of division members at the time of the most recent convention and the number of division members who attended the last three conventions. All divisions receive a minimum number of program hours. The formula determines the number of additional hours over the minimum allotted a division.

Appointing a Program Chair & Program Planning

In anticipation of programming changes for the 2002 Convention, the Board of Convention Affairs is requesting that each division appoint its 2002 Program Chair by March 1, 2001. Notification of the appointment should be sent to the chair of the APA Board of Convention Affairs at the APA address. The names of these chairs will appear in the list of division program chairs in the Call for Programs, which is published in the September issue of the APA Monitor.

The Board of Convention Affairs urges the divisions to consider the possibility of extending the program chair's term to 2-3 years and appointing a chair-elect during the second or third year to assume the duty of chair the following year. The divisions may wish to consider establishing a program committee with rotating membership and chair responsibility, which would provide expertise and continuity in division programming and facilitate interdivisional programming efforts.

Beginning in mid-September, the program chair receives information from the APA Board of Convention Affairs on program time allocation, instructions for submitting the division's program to APA and all relevant deadlines. In August at the annual convention the APA Board of Convention Affairs meets with the divisional program chairs for the upcoming year to discuss plans for the next convention. All sessions, including business meetings and social hours, must be submitted as a package to the APA Convention/Meetings Services Office for scheduling in the convention hotels by a date determined in early-February.

Pre-Convention Workshops

Divisions may sponsor and schedule continuing professional education workshops on days (Tuesday and Wednesday) preceding the APA annual convention. The division must assume all responsibility for content, registration procedures, publicity, fees, and financial arrangements. Although the division is free to make its own arrangements for meeting space at a local university or a hotel not being used by APA for the annual convention, the APA Convention Manager will assist in assigning meeting space for division pre-convention workshops in the APA convention hotels. There will be a rental charge of $100 per room per day for income producing workshops. Meeting space is limited and may not be available for late requests. The division should contact the APA Convention Services Office by December 15 with this request.

All income-producing workshops scheduled during the convention itself must be incorporated into and will be governed by the policies of the APA Continuing Professional Education Workshop/Seminar Program. Information on submission of proposals can be obtained from the APA Continuing Professional Education Office.

External Funding of APA Convention Activities

Divisions seeking funding on behalf of APA for a convention-related activity must comply with the following guidelines which were adopted by the Board of Convention Affairs in March 1989.

Invitations to Senior Public Officials

Careful coordination is needed in extending annual convention invitations to senior public officials, such as members of Congress, members of the U.S. Cabinet, presidential appointees, or high ranking policy officials. These invitations must be coordinated through APA BEFORE any inquiries or invitations are issued. The appearance of all such officials carries implications for the convention as a whole: assignment of meeting rooms, accommodations, related food functions and receptions, security, expenses, and transportation. Please discuss any plans to involve these individuals with the Convention Office before you proceed. Please note: In order to insure an appropriate forum, invitations to the President, First Lady, Vice President, Vice President’s Spouse, or Past Presidents can only be issued by APA.

To avoid later problems, divisions are advised to very clearly define expense responsibility shared with co-sponsoring groups well in advance of convention.

Staff Availability

The chief executive officer and numerous APA staff are available by invitation to visit division meetings at the annual convention and meetings held in Washington, D.C. to discuss matters of mutual interest. Schedules permitting, staff is available for consultation or informal presentations to your executive committees, business meetings, and the like. Arrangements can be made through the Division Services Office.

Meeting Rooms and Hotel Reservations

The Division Services Office can assist divisions in arranging for meeting rooms and hotel accommodations for groups that may hold their business meetings and the like in Washington, D.C. There are a few meeting rooms in the Central Office which, if available, can be used for divisional meetings during the year. Requests for a meeting room should include the name of the group, the dates and times of the meeting, and the number of persons who will be attending. Requests for meeting rooms in the Central Office should be made at least two months in advance.

Hotel reservations for persons attending these meetings can also be arranged at hotels at special APA rates. Requests for hotel reservations must include the name and mailing address of each individual, the arrival and departure dates, and whether the room should be single or double occupancy. Since there is a high occupancy rate for hotels in the area, requests should be submitted to the Division Services Office two months in advance of the meeting date.