Forms needed for meeting planning: Documentation for CE.doc Attendance Roster MDCB (all).doc attendancerosterforasrt.doc
Vendor Letter.doc Evaluation Sheet.doc
General guidelines for planning a meeting 6 to 12 months before meeting - Select date and reserve meeting rooms for Friday and
Saturday night. For spring meetings, avoid spring break for UW-L
students, CART weekend and Easter weekend. For fall meetings, avoid
ASTRO week, as well as those before and after that week.
- Remember that people will be attending from all over
the state. Find 1 or more hotels that are close to the meeting site. A
hotel conference room is ideal but can be costly. Use your hospital if possible or maybe a community center.
Use your own judgment here. By contacting hotels early, many will give
discounts to non-profit organizations.
- For a fall meeting, plan on approximately 40 students
to attend and 40 – 50 therapists. Spring meetings typically have
40 students and 50 – 60 therapists attend.
- Begin selection of topics and speakers. Provide at
least 5-6 hours of continuing education. Consider having one of
the lectures done by a panel – 1 hour and 40 minutes is enough for 2
credits. Our honorariums are outlined in the bylaws. KNOW WHAT YOUR SPEAKER EXPECTS! Please ask them
what they need to cover their expenses. When getting a list of speakers, it is always
good to get a couple extra in case some cancel when the dates get
closer.
- Announce the meeting date at the RTOW meeting
preceding yours. The sooner members know, they can make plans to be
there. Also, email the webmasters with the dates so they can
update the website.
4- 6 months prior to meeting - Send letters to vendors. See if they would like to
sponsor breakfast, breaks or lunch, or if they would be interested in
having a vendor table. Typically breakfast costs between $600 and
$1000 (depending on site and attendance), break $400 to $900, and lunch
$1500 to $2000. See sample vendor letter for an example.
Make personal calls or email if possible. Calling salespersons for
companies your hospital contracts with often is a great place to
start. This tends to receive better contribution results. In
addition, review the sponsor list from the prior meetings to get ideas
of whom to contact. The planning team from the meeting prior
should be able to give you contact information. Some speakers
require you to supply/provide a list of speakers/topics to the vendors.
Charge what you need to in order to cover your expenses. $300 for
a vendor table is reasonable. Vendors should make donations
payable to RTOW or complete payment electronically through the
website/PayPal. Contact the secretary to create online invoices
for the vendors. Some may need tax id or other information.
Contact the treasurer for this information.
- Confirm speakers. Ask if they have a preference
for the time of day they present. Gather lecture abstract or
objectives, lecture outline, and speaker CV's - these are needed to
apply for continuing education approval. Contact Sarah Seefeld at sseefeld1@wi.rr.com and Danielle Schoner at d_schoner@hotmail.com to apply for ASRT and MDCB approval.
- Create brochure (meeting agenda) and registration
form. Include lecture titles, speakers, fees, agendas, maps, hotel
information, and the contact person's name and phone number. In
calculating fees, remember that member fees are a minimum of $30.00.
Non-member fees are a minimum $60.00. This is the price of our current
RTOW membership plus $30.00 for non-members and will increase
proportionally when membership fees increase. This will encourage
more individuals to become RTOW members. Remember, charge more if you
need to in order to break even. Student members should pay between $15 and $25.
Add at least $10 for late on or on-site registration. Registration
should be due 2 weeks - 1 month prior to the meeting. Request
checks are made out to RTOW. Forward the information to the
webmaster at least 1 week before you would like the info online.
The webmaster will make an online registration form.
- In addition to current members, obtain addresses for
each radiation therapy department in Wisconsin and those that are nearby in neighboring states. (IL,
IA , MN) These are listed on the RTOW website. In the past, we
have had quite a few attendees from these states. Mail a program to each
of the departments, or call and direct them to our website.
- Choose someone to manage the meeting funds. This
person should be receiving any invoices/receipts that may be created. This person should also stay in
contact with secretary or treasurer for current registration numbers.
- Obtain menu options. Choose continental breakfast
items, morning break items and the luncheon meal. While doing this, remember that meetings should pay for
themselves. In addition, don't forget about our members with special
food restrictions. Sometimes you can get a package deal for the
food, which saves a lot of money.
2 - 3 months prior to meeting - If you have not done so, send registration
information, agenda, etc. to the webmasters. Work with the
webmaster to publish this information on the website. Allow at
least one week. Have the webmasters and secretary email members
and the non-member contact list to let members know the registration
information is available.
- Have programs printed. Ask your employer if they can
supply paper to do the programs, you may be able to use your print
shop. Expect to pay six cents per page to copy at a Kinkos or
similar store.
- Make evaluation and certificate forms using templates.
- Get folders and pens for conference packets – most
hospitals will donate these.
1 month prior to meeting - Contact speakers and obtain their speaker
introduction. Invite them to stay for luncheon and remember to include
them in the head count if they are interested. If a speaker is also
obtaining CEU's from the meeting, they must register as an attendee.
RTOW will pay luncheon fee for all other speakers.
- Contact vendors with specific information regarding
the meeting (directions, vendor table size, schedule). Ask if they
would like to attend lunch. Include them in the head count.
See vendor letter template.
- Find out what type of audio-visual needs each speaker
has. Typical A/V needs are a laptop, computer projector, wireless
microphone, and podium with microphone.
- Get Door Prizes: Door prizes are nice, but not
necessary. Do not use registration funds or RTOW general funds to
buy door prizes (you can use vendor funds if you are breaking even or
have a profit). Monies donated from vendors or door prizes donated
by area businesses and hospitals are acceptable.
- Request checks for speakers from the treasurer.
Use “RTOW Request for Funds” form on the web. Remember, scholarship
recipients are required to present at a meeting and do not receive an
honorarium.
3 weeks prior to meeting - Print final programs, course and meeting evaluation
form (use template on web), sponsor list, and template for CE credit
labels for packets.
- Print CE labels. Print labels for students as well –
they use the labels to verify attendance.
- Print sign-in attendance sheet for ASRT and MDCB (use
templates).
2 weeks prior to meeting - Assemble packets and name tags. Remember to make
extras for late registrants (5-10 is typical). Make name tags for
vendors and speakers as well.
- Assign jobs for the meeting - registration,
distribution of certificates, etc.
- Organize introduction of speakers.
1 week prior to meeting - Make sure that registration tables are available.
- Arrange for vendor tables to be set up near
continental breakfast and morning break areas (if possible).
- Give final count to food service. Some
conference centers (including Chula
Vista ) make 5% extra – which you are billed for. You
do not need to include extra for on-site registration – the 5% extra
takes care of this.
Day of meeting - Assist attendees with registration. Print out at
least three copies of the Excel worksheet for those registering
attendees. Have extra registration forms and membership
applications available. Also, have membership list available to
verify membership; the secretary or webmaster can provide both lists.
It is a good idea to bring the meeting registration form, in case
someone was accidentally omitted from the registration worksheet.
- Have extra nametags, pens, packets etc. for those
registering the day of the meeting.
- Have water pitcher and glasses available for
speakers. Have a timer available as well.
- Have honorariums available to give to speakers.
- Handout CE clipboards (with sign-in sheet and CE
labels) when there is 10 minutes
left in the lecture. Assign someone to collect the clipboards at
the end.
- Have a designated area for the meeting evaluations to
be turned in. Remind attendees to complete throughout the day.
1 day to 1 week post meeting - Send out thank you letters to speakers, vendors and
businesses. Designate this to the President.
- ASRT no longer accepts sign in sheets or evaluations
as proof of attendance at the meeting but this must be kept by RTOW for
7 year. Pass these on to the Sarah Seefeld or Dani Schoner for
safe keeping. Each member is responsible for sending in their own
information to the continuing education department.
- Type out meeting evaluations. Send to President
and person planning the next RTOW meeting. Pass along lecture
feedback to speakers.
- Complete RTOW meeting budget form and send to the
President and Treasurer within one month of the meeting.
Resort Tips: 1. The
meeting may be booked through the senior sales representative for the
conference center. Be sure to remind them of RTOW’s tax-exempt
status. You will need to request a proposal which indicated the number
of rooms to block, conference room needs, A/V needs, program timelines, and
catering needs. Plan on approximately 100 attendees. a. Reserve
approximately 40 rooms for Friday night and 15 for Saturday night. b. Classroom
style is preferred set-up for meeting, rounds for the luncheon. c. At
minimum, book LCD projector and screen, podium with microphone for
meeting. If lunch is in different room, book a microphone for the
business meeting. You are expected to bring a computer. d. Plan on 7
am – 3 pm for the Saturday meeting. e. Will need
breakfast, am break and lunch. 2. When
booking the conference room, mention that you would like it to be large
enough to arrange vendor tables at the back of the room or in an easily
accessible space. Plan this in to your budget – some charge extra for the tables.
Do not forget to get a table for registration too. 3. There will
be approx. $500 deposit required by the hotel to book the
meeting. Ask the sales rep to apply the deposit towards the final
bill on the day of the meeting; this is not usually a problem. 4. Unless you
are having a speaker on Friday night, you do not need to reserve meeting
space for that evening. However, check with the RTOW president to find
out where, when and how many people to make a dinner reservation for their
executive board dinner Friday night. 5. For
catering needs, consider utilizing one of their “packages”. The
Corporate Package includes breakfast, lunch and a break for one standard
price. Then you can choose your menu from a variety of available
options. The package price will usually save you money. 6. Since we
have many members who are young mothers, consider asking the sales staff for
an available room/conference room near the meeting room to utilize for their
breastfeeding/pumping needs. In past meetings, they have given us this
space free of charge. Then be sure to highlight this option and ask
about needs on meeting registration forms so the membership knows of this
option and you can be prepared. 7. Plan on
gratuity – not only for the food, but A/V services as well. This can be
a forgotten expense. |