Next Year's TAM?

[Lisa]

While at TAM, Hal asked me to pm him with any suggestions I have for next year. I assume he asked others to do the same. Unfortunately, I've been too busy and eye-glazingly lazy to do this. Plus, if we all PM'd him, the poor guy's pm box would max.
Let's discuss it here.
Over at PalTalk, some of us attendees got to throwing some ideas around. More "social" time? Less speakers? Same amount of speakers, but add a day to the conference? More off-site activities?
What do you guys think? Remember, we were biting our nails to get the 90 people required to get this off the ground. We ended up with about 250. This conference will undoubtedly become even more popular. Your input can make the difference between a good conference and a fantastic conference.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

The one thing I would like would be more time to socialize. The weekend was so dense that by Saturday evening I just went and got some food and returned to my room. By the time things slowed down Sunday afternoon people were already leaving.

A few less speakers with more time to speak and have QandA would be nicer also.

Due to transport issues, I'm not sure a lot of activities outside the hotel would be a very good idea unless we were willing to pony up for some shuttle buses.

 

[Girl 6]

Yes, I have to agree with UnrepentantSinner. I really wish there was more time to socialize. After all, how many times in our lives are we going to run into a roomful of skeptics?

I also think that less speakers would be fine. My head was just pounding with information and much admiration for everyone. I was really tired at the end of the day everyday.

I think that we should start an hour later in the morning and end around 4-5 with about 1 1/2 hours break for lunch. That would make for some balanced days.

I also think we should not stack all of the prominent speakers in one day. They should be mixed in with other speakers throughout the conference.

We should probably be a lot more organized with carpools or at least have people contribute towards some sort of shuttle.

We also should have ended earlier on Sunday to give people a chance to fly back home at a more reasonable time.

And, Linda should not have to sit in the lobby area for the entire conference time!!

G6

 

[Jeff Corey]

More speakers would be fine if 2 or more sessions were run simultaneously. This is how the conventions that I have attended work. It gives more people a chance to present and more choices of what to see as well as opening up more time for socialization.

 

[Luciana]

Supposedly there was a time set aside for socialization - the cocktail on Friday, before the event started. It was great because it allowed for the preliminary introductions with the people you would be sharing the same space in the following weekend. That part was fine. But we surely needed other plans regarding pub crawls or any other social activity during and *after* the Conference. Next time we could settle beforehand where we were going to, if applicable (the Renaissance Hotel wasn't suitable at all!), and set up a meeting time at the lobby.

Maybe the conference could start on Thursday, so that we could have the same number of conferences, or even more (simultaneously), with a more relaxed schedule?

 

[Lisa]

I would have loved to have had some more social time on Friday night. Here's what happened. Friday afternoon I was minding my own business, not bothering a soul, and Hal said "Are you busy?"
Which is why many of you met me at the registration desk. I ate at the registration desk. I had someone bring me a beer to the registration desk.
SkepticScott was stuck over selling the tee shirts. Every time I saw Scott he was at the merchandise table. Let's spread this around a little bit better next year, hmmmm?

 

[Jeff Corey]

Volunteers who hejp run conferences usually don't pay to register.

 

[SkepticScott]

Volunteers who hejp run conferences usually don't pay to register.

NOW HE TELLS US! Where were you at TAM? Linda did offer me a free TAM T-shirt, but I had already bought one.

I used the "mindlessly stand behind the merchandise table" to get a private place to stand and think Saturday after they announced the loss of the Columbia.

Scott

 

[Dinonychus]

SkepticScott was stuck over selling the tee shirts. Every time I saw Scott he was at the merchandise table. Let's spread this around a little bit better next year, hmmmm?

I wouldn't have minded staffing the table for a while.

Just had a crazy thought: how about we have a sign-up thread/sheet for those who wouldn't mind manning the tables/booths for a little while during the conference.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Let's not forget that some people are constrained by work/vacation schedules and flight plans. Friday night after I got to my room and made my way downstairs the reception was nearly over and the Meeting was officially about to begin. Sunday night I had more time since I was flying out Monday. Even after going to see The Two Towers after adjournment I had time to socialize in the bar Sunday evening (and finally felt comfortable enough to do so).

I suppose the biggest factor will be how many speakers and attendees there will be as to how TAM '04 will be organized.

I'd like to apologize for not volunteering to help out more, but this was my first vacation in 19 months and I wasn't in the mood to work during it.

 

[Jeff Corey]

NOW HE TELLS US! Where were you at TAM? Linda did offer me a free TAM T-shirt, but I had already bought one. Scott

Well, I did help schlep stuff up to Hal's suite after the tables closed down. But I would be willing to take a more active role by manning tables and moderating papers next year

 

[kittynh]

helping out

I've alread offered to help Linda out. I think she was really swamped. I think more social time is great. Maybe even a time where the forum members all get together.

I worry about the TAM just getting too big. I heard there were going to be about 500 next year. I enjoyed the intimacy of the small TAM this year. BUt it might be a matter of economics.

Anyway, seems like everyone has great ideas!

 

[SkepticScott]

Well, I did help schlep stuff up to Hal's suite after the tables closed down. But I would be willing to take a more active role by manning tables and moderating papers next year

I'm sorry, I may have written something open to misinterpretation. By "where were you at TAM?" I meant "why didn't you tell us about this at TAM?", not "why didn't you help". You were one of the speakers; you _made_ TAM and therefore shouldn't have to help in any other way.

 

[Jeff Corey]

No problemo. I wasn't reacting aggressively, just wanted to say I volunteered to help Hal and it would cool to be more involved next year.
After all, Hal's "Official Acceptance" letter allowed me to convince my Dean to authorize expenses (in part)
The reson I suggested multiple sessions is that many academics have a limited travel allowance and would choose the Amaz... Meeting over APA.
But for those academics with picky bean counters running the store, calling it
The James Randi Education Foundation Annual Convention
would float better.

 

[Baker]

While at TAM, Hal asked me to pm him with any suggestions I have for next year. I assume he asked others to do the same. Unfortunately, I've been too busy and eye-glazingly lazy to do this. Plus, if we all PM'd him, the poor guy's pm box would max.
Let's discuss it here.
Over at PalTalk, some of us attendees got to throwing some ideas around. More "social" time? Less speakers? Same amount of speakers, but add a day to the conference? More off-site activities?
What do you guys think? Remember, we were biting our nails to get the 90 people required to get this off the ground. We ended up with about 250. This conference will undoubtedly become even more popular. Your input can make the difference between a good conference and a fantastic conference.

I wasn’t at the conference so I couldn’t say what would improve it but wasn’t the main reason for to get the JREF poster all together more social time is always better.
I would say having an even that all 250+ people have a chance to meet and talk with every one there.

 

[Lisa]

Re: Re: Next Year's TAM?

I wasn’t at the conference so I couldn’t say what would improve it but wasn’t the main reason for to get the JREF poster all together more social time is always better.
I would say having an even that all 250+ people have a chance to meet and talk with every one there.

Dude, try to make it next year. My husband was highly skeptical about attending, and now he's making plans for 2004.
I really like the idea of having more than one talk going on at one time. I mean, the place was certainly big enough. We could have tossed those Make-Up ladies out, we had them outnumbered.
We'd be able to keep the same number of speakers (or increase it), without trying to add a day or hanging out in the conference room til ten at night. Sure, you might have to choose between two speakers, but life's full of these decisions, isn't it?
Using hindsight (always 20/20), I could have asked someone to relieve me at the registration table so I could mingle. But the afternoon/evening of registration was serious hectic-land.
More social time would be great. Wonder if they'd set us up a bar on the back patio like they had Friday night for the buffet. For a convention hotel that size, their lounge was really tiny.

 

[Lisa]

Re: helping out

I've alread offered to help Linda out. I think she was really swamped. I think more social time is great. Maybe even a time where the forum members all get together.

I worry about the TAM just getting too big. I heard there were going to be about 500 next year. I enjoyed the intimacy of the small TAM this year. BUt it might be a matter of economics.

Anyway, seems like everyone has great ideas!

I hadn't heard that kittynh. 500 people?
I heard that due to the costs, there would probably be less than the 250 we had this year. Some folks I talked to said they simply couldn't make it every year.
Guess it's one of those wait and see things.

 

[Larry Barrieau]

On a personal and selfish note I'd like to suggest a summer meeting. It's possible that folks could combine thier vacations with a few days for the meeting.

I'm a teacher and I had a hard time getting the time to go. My superintendent doesn't like the fact that I use the paranormal to teach critical thinking in the first place. It causes to many problems with some vocal fundamentalists. I paid for the trip myself and upon my return he demanded that I tell him what sort of a product I was bringing back to the district. He wasn't quite convinced until I lent him my signed ("To Mr. Barrieau's classes..") copy of 'Bad Astronomy'. He then grudgingly paid for a substitute for two days.

I attended the "First World Skeptics Congress" in June of 96 and there were multiple speakers at the same time. It worked well but we would have to be careful not to book a particularly bright star at the same time as a brown dwarf.

 

[Dinonychus]

On a personal and selfish note I'd like to suggest a summer meeting. It's possible that folks could combine thier vacations with a few days for the meeting.

This idea, while a very good one and agreed to by many, was rejected because it's f***ing hot and muggy down in Floida in the summer. From April to October it's an oven down there.

And if you don't believe me, ask Linda.

 

[Larry Barrieau]

Florida is brutal, I was sweating in Feb.!

How about someplace else? Vegas(good prices), Hal's stomping grounds-the Rockies, New England-oops that's me, Nova Scotia,
Virginia, Taos-hmmmm, more choices?