eWAC Guidelines

Organize a Western Alliance eConference. This is a living document, to be revised as needed. The Western Alliance consists of:

• • Pacific Planetarium Association (PPA)

  • Rocky Mountain Planetarium Association (RMPA)

  • Southwest Association of Planetariums (SWAP)

  • Great Plains Planetarium Association (GPPA)

Identify an eWAC host

The host can be from any of the four regional associations, but there must be a person or institution that takes responsibility for the technical underpinnings of the conference, be it with Zoom account or other videoconferencing platform.

Conference Dates

Try to avoid dates conflicting with South East Planetarium Association (SEPA), Mid Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS) Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA), International Planetarium Society (IPS), Live Interactive Planetarium Symposium (LIPS), and Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC).

THINGS TO DO BEFORE THE CONFERENCE

Form a conference committee with each regional association represented. Consult with experienced e-conference hosts. Consider having a conference theme and/or name.

Prepare a calendar of when to accomplish the following:

• • Designate volunteer responsibilities:

    • • Technical Host (e.g. Zoom host). 

      • Webmaster(s)—multiple volunteers—can include Vendor Coordinator, Scheduler, and Registrar.

      • Vendor Coordinator

      • Registrar 

      • Scheduler (prepare call for papers on website and coordinate speakers, papers, session moderators, posters, workshops)

      • Proceedings Coordinator (proceedings can consist of video recordings and documents for each presentation or workshop)’

  • Vendor participation (Vendor Coordinator)

    • • Organize Virtual Exhibit Hall by contacting vendors and through announcements on the website, dome-l, etc. 

      • Consider having virtual door prizes from vendors, such as free media items.

  • Conference Schedule (Scheduler)

    • • Create and post preliminary conference schedule; refine as possible.

      • Allow time for paper talks, workshops, demonstrations, poster sessions panel discussions, vendor demos and/or virtual vendor exhibit hall.

      • Plan break times with breakout rooms for informal visiting and schmoozing.

      • Plan at least one exhibit time unopposed by anything else.

      • Call for papers (can be included on the registration form). Have presenters send in their presentation by email, drop box, or share on Google Drive.  Ask for an abstract first. Decide when to require the full presentation to be submitted, e.g. in the week before  the conference.

      • If we are going to include a call for papers/presentations in the registration, there needs to be a cut off date for submitting  those. Registration can stay open until the day of the conference but proposals for presentations have to be in at least a month before.

      • Designate for each session a host/moderator other than the technical host.

  • Registration (Registrar)

    • • Email invitations to conferences are most common now. Find out from each regional what the best way to reach their members is. Send a preliminary announcement to members up to a year before the conference. Invite through other venues as well (e.g. dome-l, Planetarians' Network, Dome Dialogues)

      • Registration information should be sent at least 2 months before the conference (more time before is preferred.)

      • Registration form—should either on or linked from the conference website.  Usually there is no registration fee, but if there is to be one, make it  online having secure credit card or PayPal payment. For the credit card-challenged, make available an option for where to send a check and who to make the check out to. 

  • Schedule Test Sessions for presenters (Technical Host)—this is a good idea to make sure each presenter knows how to connect, has the best possible setup for maxiumum data bandwidth, and is ready to go.  These should occur at least several days before the conference.

  • Conference Hospitality

    • • Consider having informal post-conference virtual parties.

DURING THE CONFERENCE:

• • Be prepared for announcements regarding last-minute scheduling changes.

  • Maintain sanity and the illusion that you are in complete control of everything. Maintain a stately and dignified air amidst chaos and confusion.

AFTER THE CONFERENCE:

• • Give conference schedule, list of conference supporters, and door prize donors to the Proceedings Coordinator. 

  • Send thankyous to conference supporters if you have not already.

  • Final bookkeeping: provide an accurate accounting of all expenses and revenues to the Presidents of the four regionals within 90 days of the completion date of the meeting. Any surplus funds shall be divided up evenly and distributed back to the regional societies.