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 ©Hurst, 2000
Updated 08/08/00

LASSO

Each annual meeting should be a new adventure, an exciting experience developed through the creative efforts of the local arrangements committee in consultation with the Executive Director and the LASSO Executive Committee.  These guidelines are only guidelines; they are meant to encourage the adventurous and creative spirits of local hosts and LASSO officers.

Article IV of LASSO bylaws states:

1. The opportunity to host an Annual Meeting is open to any LASSO member in good standing.  Solicitation will be made at least once a year in the LASSO Newsletter.  Interested persons, on behalf of organizations/institutions, shall submit to the Executive Committee a one to two page proposal including at least dates, organizing committee, and facilities available.  By invitation, a spokesperson for the proposal may be present to answer questions at the appropriate Executive Committee meeting.

2. The Executive Committee shall vary the location of the Annual Meeting sufficiently to provide geographic diversity from year to year.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC)

 Appointed by the Executive Committee at the preceding year’s meeting.  The chair is usually self-selected and lines up others to serve on the committee.
 Usually consists of at least three persons.
 Should try to get involvement and cooperation of people at the various universities in the immediate area, if not on the committee itself, at least in helping out, getting student volunteers, serving as session chairs, etc.

Meeting Dates – need to be set by early January for printing in the February newsletter

 Meetings traditionally run from Friday until Sunday noon.
 Dates are set by the LAC in consultation with the Executive Director and the program chair.
 Should try to avoid conflicts with other regional meetings (WECOL, SCMLA, etc.) and other conferences meeting in the Southwest.
 Be sure to avoid local conflicts (major football games, festivals, etc.) that affect lodging rates and lodging availability.

Meeting Theme – to be announced in the February newsletter.

 Having a special emphasis or two can be attractive in the Call for Papers.  This is a decision for the LAC and program chair.  Presumably the announced focus will be one that is of particular interest to local linguists and to the plenary speaker.

Plenary Speakers – to be announced in the February newsletter

 The LAC in consultation with the LASSO Executive Committee (particularly the Executive Director, the President, and the Vice-President/Program Chair) decides on the plenary speaker.  The invitation can be sent by whichever LAC or Executive Committee knows the plenary speaker.
 Special sessions,  programs, or meeting themes that coordinate with the plenary speaker’s research area are desirable.
 LASSO can typically afford just one plenary speaker who, according to the constitution, receives an honorarium of $200 plus travel expenses and hotel charges.
 If  the host university or universities can provide funding for an additional plenary speaker or can provide a local person of note to serve as plenary speaker, more than one speaker can be booked for a conference.  Keep in mind, however, that the LASSO president gives a Presidential Address that must also be built into the program schedule.
 
 

Meeting Site (hotel, campus, convention center) – decision announced in February newsletter if possible.

 The meeting may be held on a local campus (if lodging is also available on the campus or within easy walking distance or accessible through a convenient shuttle) or at a conference hotel.
 Meetings held on campus have the advantage of attracting attendance from the students and faculty at the local institution.
 Meeting on campus can also help attract graduate students to LASSO and can raise the visibility of academic programs on campus.
 On the other hand, in some towns and cities, meeting having the conference sessions in hotel meeting rooms is much more convenient.
 Cost, convenience, and access are all to be taken into consideration in choosing the site.
 Remember that people attend LASSO conferences from all over the world and all over the nation.  Conference attendance varies greatly.  Usually 60-80 papers are on the program; some of the session chairs and LASSO officers who attend are not also giving papers, and a very few out of town people will attend even though they are not giving papers.  LAC should take these ranges into account and also include local attendance from students, faculty, and community members in the area when estimating conference attendance.

Hotel(s) -- must be announced in the August newsletter, though an announcement in the February newsletter is desirable.

At least 50 rooms need to be blocked; attendance at the last few conference has been over 100, but some people share rooms and some people who live close by do not need lodging.
 Negotiate for a desirable conference rate and for conference freebies (such as a free room for the plenary speaker, executive director, and LASSO President; favorable rates on catering, provisions for meeting rooms, no charge for a small meeting room for the Executive Committee, etc.).
 Have a written agreement about the conference rate and the deadline for booking reservations.
 In the August newsletter, we will need to announce the confirmed rates, the address with directions from the airport, and the telephone number for reservations.
 If a certain number of rooms will be required for a free room or for other amenities, LAC should prepare an enticing description of the hotel for the August newsletter in order to encourage everyone to stay there.

Session Meeting Rooms

 At least three meeting rooms should be reserved, each seating 50 persons.  At the past two conferences we have had quadruple sessions.
 If only three meeting rooms will be available, the program chair must be so informed as this will affect the number of papers that can be accepted for the meeting.
 Negotiate the charge, if any, for the meeting rooms.
 Microphones, overhead projects and screens should be available.
 Rooms should have a table in front with a podium (freestanding or on a table).
 Pitchers of water and glasses should be available for speakers.
 (The Executive Director will provide instruction sheets for session chairs.)

Plenary Speaker/Presidential Address/Business Meeting Rooms

 Depending on the site, the potential interest in the plenary speaker or the plenary speaker’s topic, and the seating capacity of the session rooms, one of the regular session rooms may be large enough, or a larger auditorium or space may be needed.  The room for the Plenary Address and Presidential Address should be able to seat 50 or so LASSO people plus however many local people (students, faculty, community members) are likely to attend.

Refreshments

 Arrange for coffee, decaf, and tea at the opening of each day.  Mid-morning refreshments are also desirable.  Arrange for cold drinks or coffee and tea in mid-afternoon.
 Arrange for donuts or pastries at the opening of each day and cookies or some sort of snack in the afternoon.
 Negotiate a firm arrangement with the vendor or caterer for the cost of these items.  It is best to overestimate serving numbers when arranging for food.  We almost never have left-overs.
 Set up the refreshments near the meeting rooms but with some noise buffer.
 

Reception

 The Presidential Reception is usually held the first evening.
 The LAC should arrange for food and non-alcoholic beverages at the reception.  The food can be more or less elaborate depending on the costs and availability at the local site.  Cheese and crackers, appetizers, or other such foods can be sufficient if other arrangements are too costly.  Sit-down dinners are generally too expensive.
 Entertainment such as music can be pleasant, but remember that the LASSO budget is very limited, so free or low-cost local/student entertainment is best.
 If the local customs allow it and the LAC wishes to offer alcohol, a cash bar should be set up; LASSO does not pay for alcoholic drinks.

Maps showing location of the hotel and meeting site must be provided for the August newsletter.
 Should show major arteries for those driving.

Transportation must be announced in the August newsletter
 What airlines fly into the nearest airport?
 How far away is the airport and what is the cost of a taxi or shuttle service?
 Does the hotel offer a courtesy van?
 Any special parking issues should also be noted in the newsletter.

Registration Fee must be announced in the August newsletter.

 The Executive Director and LAC will set the registration fee based on the cost of the meeting.  The cost of the conference should be covered by the registration fee and by local donations.  Some universities have been and can be very generous in donating meeting rooms, money for speakers, cost of refreshments, and undesignated cash.  Other universities have not provided much in the way of funding for the conference.  The LAC should reach an understanding and confirm that understanding in writing, as to what if any funds are being provided by the host institution.
 Generally, on-site registration fees works best for LASSO.  Student registration can be offered at a reduced rate.

Registration Table

 Should be located near the meeting rooms, but preferable with some sort of noise buffer.
 Depending on the site, LAC should post signs directing people to the conference building and registration area.
 Registration is staffed by the LAC, who may ask Executive Committee members to assist.  Local students may also be recruited to assist in staffing the registration table.  Two LAC members plus student volunteers or Executive Committee recruits should be on hand in shifts throughout the first morning of the conference.  (At the discretion of the LAC, student recruits may be offered free conference registration in exchange for their work on the conference or at the registration table.)  One or two LAC members plus volunteers should be on hand throughout the second morning of the conference.  One or two people should also be on hand during the afternoons and perhaps on the last morning to assist those who arrive later in the day.  (Depending on the location of the conference and the cost of the hotel, probably fewer than half of the out-of-town conference people will arrive in town on Thursday evening, about half will arrive Friday morning, and the rest will straggle in later Friday or on Saturday.)  People at the registration desk will also be called up to answer questions about directions and restaurants and local places of interest.
 At the registration desk, people will pay their registration fee and pick up their name badge, final program, and abstract booklet.  The Executive Director will give the LAC a copy of the final program and the abstract booklet and a list of participants, and the LAC will prepare the name badges and copies of the program and abstract booklet for distribution at the registration table.   A restaurant guide listing nearby places to eat, a sketchy map of the local site, and other local information brochures are also desirable in the registration packages; sometimes the local Chamber of Commerce provides free folders with free local information.
 The Executive Director will provide membership application forms and other organizational information for the registration table.  A person does not have to be a member to attend the conference, though we encourage attendees to become members, and we encourage all members to pay their next year’s dues at the conference.  A person does have to be a member in good standing in order for his or her name to appear in the program, however; this includes everyone -- presenters, sessions chairs, LAC members, organization officers  -- except the invited speaker(s) and any local administrators (dean, provost, etc.) who have no disciplinary interest in the conference but are present to introduce a speaker or greet the conference.
 An additional nearby table will be needed for display of materials, including back issues of SWJL.  Publishers may also display their books; display copies are generally sold at the conference or donated to the host institution if not sold.  If a book exhibit is to be available, be sure to understand from the exhibitors what their requirements and expectations are about security at the book exhibit, sale of display copies, and so on.

Final Program

 A preliminary program will appear in the August newsletter; the final version will be available at the registration table.
 The Vice-President/Program Chair is responsible for preparing the program in consultation with the LAC and the Executive Director.
 As for session chairs, top priority goes to LASSO mainstays who are not otherwise on the program (sometimes necessary for travel funding); the second priority goes to local and area people who are not otherwise on the program; officers and other reliables already on the program can be used to fill in the gaps.
 The LAC will be asked to arrange duplication of the final program and abstract book.

Summary of Deadlines

 For the February Newsletter (deadline of early January):
  Establish dates for the meeting
  Confirm the plenary speaker
  Set the theme, focus, or special session
  (If possible) set the meeting site and hotel

 For the August Newsletter (deadline of late June)
  Information about how to make hotel reservations
  Maps for meeting site and hotel
  Information on local transportation
  Registration fee
  Preliminary program

 For the conference itself
  Facilities setup (rooms, registration tables and materials, reception arrangements)
  Volunteers to help with conference preparation and with registration
  Restaurant guide/Information on local places of interest
  Final program and abstract booklet (may not be ready until a week or two before the conference)
  Registration materials, exhibit materials, etc.
 
 

Suggestions for improving these guidelines are most welcome and may be sent to the Executive Director, Dr. Mary Jane Hurst, who may be reached via e-mail at <maryjane.hurst@ttu.edu>.
 

 To obtain more information about LASSO, visit the association homepage at <www.tamu-commerce.edu/swjl/lasso.html>.