For Member Comment: Principles and Priorities for Continuously Improving the SAA Annual Meeting

The SAA Council seeks member comment on the Principles and Priorities for Continuously Improving the SAA Annual Meeting, a document that guides planning for the Society's annual conference. At its May 7-9, 2018, meeting, the Council made the revisions indicated by underline (additions) and strikethrough (deletions). The Council seeks member input on these changes as well as on any other aspect of the document. 

Please review and submit your feedback in the comment box below or by emailing saahq@archivists.org. 

Principles and Priorities for Continuously 
Improving the SAA Annual Meeting
 

This document presents a summary of the Council’s principles and priorities for ensuring the continued development of the Annual Meeting, based on the excellent work of the 2011-2013 Annual Meeting Task Force.  Since adoption, the Council receives a report at each meeting on the extent to which these Principles and Priorities are put into play for the Annual Meeting. [See the agenda for each Council meeting, typically under “Staff Reports,” beginning in August 2013: http://www2.archivists.org/groups/saa-council.]  

(Adopted by the SAA Council, August 12, 2013; revised May 2018.)

Guiding Principles

• We will make every meeting as useful, affordable, accessible, and enjoyable as possible for all attendees.
• We will explore new locations, structure, and content for the Annual Meeting on an ongoing basis.
• We will embrace a culture of experimentation and will be willing to take calculated risks with respect to the Annual Meeting.  No aspect of the meeting will be off limits based on “tradition.”
• We will encourage diversity among the people attending the meeting, contributing to its content, and benefiting from its results.
• We will actively pursue ways of making meeting content available online.
• We will integrate a commitment to social responsibility and sustainability into all aspects of meeting planning and execution.
• We will continuously seek feedback from both attendees and non-attendees on all aspects of the meeting.

Priorities for New Approaches to Meeting Content and Structure

• We will experiment with new approaches to plenary sessions.
• We will identify and implement new approaches to structured and unstructured networking.
• We will experiment with new formats and content for education sessions.
• The Program Committee charge will be revised to encourage innovation.
• We will actively publicize to members all efforts to consider, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of new approaches.
• We will assess and review our meeting content and structure in order to improve continuously. 
• We will encourage structuring of panels that are diverse and inclusive with regard to the individuals (gender, race, age, length of time in the profession, ability), institutions (academic, government, corporate/business, non-profit, large, small), and geographic regions represented.

Priorities for Delivery of Meeting Content

• We will deploy a mobile conference app for access to program information via smart phones and tablets.
• We will ensure that each year’s conference website includes effective functionality and navigation.
• We will seek to provide free and easy access to session content from past conferences.
• We will investigate and incrementally implement online access to meeting content by various means as technology and resources permit.
• We will implement sustainable practices in our production of conference materials.

Priorities for Site Selection and Contract Requirements

• We will experiment with meeting in cities of varying sizes using a combination of a convention center and room blocks in several hotels at varying price points.
• We will reevaluate site selection criteria based on member input.
• We will facilitate inexpensive alternative housing (such as dormitories) whenever feasible.
• We will stipulate in all Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that free wireless access in meeting spaces is a key component of our needs.
• We will stipulate in all RFPs the importance of fair labor practices, sustainable (“green”) practices, and donation of excess food and beverage to worthy causes.
• Staff will actively monitor and report to the Council information about labor contracts and potential labor actions affecting the hotel sector.
• We will strive to meet in locations governed by laws, regulations, and practices that support the values and ethics of SAA.

See the current Principles and Priorities for Continuously Improving the SAA Annual Meeting, as adopted by the Council in August 2013.