Region, Section and Caucus
Conference Tools

In addition to the Annual ISA Convention, all regions and some sections choose to host smaller conferences for their members. These conferences are intended to provide a forum for the exchange of scholarship within the Region/Section, as well as the dissemination of ideas and the optimization of graduate student involvement.

Section Conferences

A Section may elect to hold a conference separate from the ISA Annual Convention. It is not unusual for Sections to hold a Conference in conjunction with a Region or another Section (or in some cases, another organization) in order to maximize information sharing and minimize expenses.

Region Conferences

All Regions shall hold at least one Annual Conference.  Regions that are more geographically compact may choose to hold more frequent conferences and/or special meetings. Regions may elect to co-sponsor a Conference with another Region or Section in order to maximize the above stated purpose and to share expenses. Details regarding past Regional Conferences can be found in the Region Annual Reports.

The Regional Business Meeting is generally scheduled during the time of the Annual Regional Conference. Elections, if any, are also held or formalized at such time.

ISA-HQ Support

Pre-Conference

  • Hotel/Venue planning and contracting
  • Registration process
  • Hotel room block monitoring
  • Expense tracking tools (Conference Balance and Reimbursements Form)
  • Proposal submission process, via MyISA Conference Manager (optional)
  • Program construction/design, via MyISA Conference Manager (optional)

Post-Conference

Planning a Region or Section Conference

The following should be taken into account when planning a Region or Section Conference

Venue Selection

ISA must approve and sign the venue contract, whether the conference site is at a hotel property or at an affiliated university. ISA recommends holding smaller conferences at a university (where feasible) as costs can often be reduced for meeting space rental. If a hotel is preferred, ISA-HQ can provide assistance with venue selection and contracting. This provides our affiliates with access to our vast network of suppliers with significantly discounted rates and terms favorable to ISA members.

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Scheduling

Adequate lead-in time is essential to planning a conference.  Therefore, the program for the current year’s Region/Section Conference should include time set aside for discussion of the following year’s conference.  Discussion should include, but is not limited to, dates, theme, leadership, and location.

Generally, a call for papers should be issued three to four months prior to the date of the Region or Section Conference. The Final Program, with defined panel topics, etc should be published one month prior to the Conference.

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Financial Commitments (Conference Balance and Reimbursements Form)

All Region and Section finances are conducted through ISA Headquarters - Regions and Sections are not separate legal entities and thus have no financial or legal autonomy as such.

Beginning 2010, Region/Section conferences held in the U.S. will be required to carry liability insurance.  ISA HQ will arrange the insurance package for each conference which will in turn be billed to the Region/Section (approximately $225-$250). For conferences held outside of the U.S., Region/Section conference organizers will need to make special arrangements with Dana Larsen (isa@isanet.org).

ISA's Director of Conventions and Meetings, Jeanne White (JeanneWhite@isanet.org), can provide information on setting up the master accounts for conferences.  Assistance with site selection, contracts and conference budgeting is also available.  All contracts with hotels for Region/Section Conferences must be approved (or signed) by ISA Headquarters.

In order for your region/section/caucus to access the conference balance and receive reimbursements, ISA requires an overall assessment in the form of the Conference Balance and Reimbursements Form (xls). Please return it to Brittany McCain (bmccain@isanet.org) within 30 days of the conference. Additionally, please also forward all receipts and onsite registrations (together) to ISA-HQ as soon as possible (and within 30 days of the conference).

Please note: if your conference is granted Professional Development Committee funds, please adhere to the following PD Guidelines.

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Theme/Content

ISA Headquarters encourages Regions to adopt a theme for their annual conference and to recruit panels and speakers based on the theme.  Program chairs for Regional meetings should partner with other organizations or ISA sections in the planning and sponsorship of the meeting.  Professional development activities for faculty and graduate students are strongly encouraged.

Region and Section officers shall coordinate with the major scholars of the Region/Section to facilitate the broadest possible contribution to the Conference.  Invitations to colleagues, graduate students, non-ISA scholars, and other institutions (other than the hosting institution) to participate in the conference program should be effected in order to facilitate diversity and volume within the Conference forum.

Region/Section Business Meetings typically take place during these conferences.

It is common protocol for Region or Section Program Chairs to arrange for the appearance of, or to have a panel lead by, a Distinguished Scholar within the Region or within the field addressed by the Section.

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MyISA Conference Manager

ISA-HQ is making the MyISA Conference Manager system available to Regions, Sections and Caucuses interested in hosting their own individual conferences. Individual conference registration will be run through this system and region/section/caucus leaders also have the option to run proposal submissions and conference program design in this system. ISA-HQ supplies technical assistance and MyISA Conference Manager training to those interested in using the MyISA Conference Manager system. In order to set up the conference webpage and registration, region/section/caucus leaders should fill out the ISA-Affiliate Conference Manager Questionnaire. (Please note: ISA runs conference registration through the MyISA system as a standard procedure. Region/section/caucus leaders wishing to have an alternate registration process OUTSIDE of the MyISA system must contact Brittany McCain at bmccain@isanet.org.)

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Registration Process

ISA Headquarters will handle online registration for Region, Section and Caucus conferences and will set up registration webpages. ISA-HQ manages individual conference registration through the MyISA system. Region, section and caucus members can contact Joel Davis if they are experiencing any difficulty with the online process or if they would like to register by phone. Please note: while ISA HQ is pleased to handle the pre-registration process for Region/Section conferences, Region and Section organizers should establish a process (including the receipt form) to provide On-Site registrants with payment confirmation.

Please note: ISA runs conference registration through the MyISA system as a standard procedure. Region/section/caucus leaders wishing to have an alternate registration process OUTSIDE of the MyISA system must contact Brittany McCain at bmccain@isanet.org.

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Travel Support/Stipends

Some Regions and Sections choose to provide travel support/stipends/reimbursements to some individuals attending their conferences but this varies depending on the Region/Section and the year.  ISA encourages Regions/Sections to present these monetary awards to either ISA members or deduct the cost of an ISA membership from them. Travel support can be awarded for travel, per diem and hotel expenses. Please note that ISA does not pay honoraria.

If Region/Section conference organizers are interested in providing travel support/stipends, the Region/Section leaders need to contact Dana Larsen, isa@isanet.org. If the Region/Section Leaders wish to disburse checks at the conference, they must contact Dana Larsen 2-3 weeks prior with the full names and amounts of the award. For those leaders wishing to reimburse after the conference, please be sure to have the "Reimbursements" tab within the Conference Balance and Reimbursements Form (xls) filled out. Please note: ISA-HQ requires receipts for reimbursement to be sent along with the on-site registration package.

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Keynote Speaker(s)

The responsibilities of and costs incurred for bringing in a keynote speaker for the Region or Section Conference must be borne by the Region, not ISA. This includes airfare, travel to and from the airport, and hotel expenses for the duration of their stay - in essence, travel support (see above).  It is often helpful to ask a region or section member to serve as a liaison and make sure that all is in order for the keynote speaker.  Please note that ISA does not pay honoraria.

Typically, Regions and Sections request (substantially in advance of the conference) the President or the Executive Director to attend their annual conference and participate on the program. The manner of participation is up to the Region/Section, although often the President is asked to give a keynote address. When doing so, it is assumed that the Region/Section will host the President. Due to conflicting schedules, the President may ask one of the VP’s or the Executive Director to participate instead.

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Additional information on planning a Region or Section Conference can be obtained from Jeanne White (JeanneWhite@isanet.org), ISA's Director of Conventions and Meetings.