Radiation Therapists of Wisconsin

Host a meeting

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6 to 12 months before meeting.

• Select date and reserve meeting rooms for Friday and Saturday night.
• For spring meetings, avoid spring break for UW-L students, CART weekend and Easter weekend. For fall meetings, avoid ASTRO week, as well as those before and after that week.
• Remember that people will be attending from all over the state. Find 1 or more hotels that are close to the meeting site. A hotel conference room is ideal but can be costly. Use your hospital if possible or maybe a community center. Use your own judgment here. By contacting hotels early, many will give discounts to non-profit organizations.
• For a fall meeting, plan on approximately 40 students to attend and 40 – 50 therapists.  Spring meetings typically have 40 students and 50 – 60 therapists attend.. If the spring meeting is to be held at the Chula Vista, Wisconsin Dells, please see the “Chula Vista Tips” section below.
• Begin selection of topics and speakers. Provide at least 5-6 hours of continuing education.  Consider having one of the lectures done by a panel – 1 hour and 40 minutes is enough for 2 credits. Our honorariums are $200.00 maximum. KNOW WHAT YOUR SPEAKER EXPECTS! Please ask them what they need to cover their expenses. When getting a list of speakers, it is always good to get a couple extra in case some cancel when the dates get closer.
• Announce the meeting date at the RTOW meeting preceding yours. The sooner members know, they can make plans to be there.  Also, email the webmasters with the dates so they can update the website.

4- 6 months prior to meeting.

• Send letters to vendors (see template below). See if they would like to sponsor breakfast, breaks or lunch, or if they would be interested in having a vendor table.  Typically breakfast costs between $600 and $1000 (depending on site and attendance), break $400 to $900, and lunch $1500 to $2000.  Make personal calls or email if possible. Calling salespersons for companies your hospital contracts with often is a great place to start.  This tends to receive better contribution results.  In addition, review the sponsor list from the prior meetings to get ideas of whom to contact.  The planning team from the meeting prior should be able to give you contact information.  Some speakers require you to supply/provide a list of speakers/topics to the vendors. Charge what you need to in order to cover your expenses.  $200 - $300 for a vendor table is reasonable.  Vendors should make donations payable to RTOW.  Some may need tax id or other information.  Contact the treasurer for this information.
• Confirm speakers.  Ask if they have a preference for the time of day they present.  Gather lecture abstract or objectives, lecture outline and speaker CV's - these are needed to apply for continuing education approval.  Apply for ASRT and MDCB approval.  MDCB is now an ASRT approved RCEEM – this means you only have to apply for MDCB approval, but get approval for both ASRT and MDCB.  If you apply for credits through the ASRT, remember that RTOW is an ASRT affiliate (through the WSRT).  See the website links on this page for links to the approval websites.
• Create brochure (meeting agenda) and registration form (see template below).  Include lecture titles, speakers, fees, agendas, maps, hotel information, and the contact person's name and phone number. In calculating fees, remember that member fees are a minimum of $30.00. Non-member fees are a minimum $60.00. This is the price of our current RTOW membership plus $30.00 for non-members and will increase proportionally when membership fees increase.  This will encourage more individuals to become RTOW members. Remember, charge more if you need to, to break even. Student members should pay between $15 and $25.  Add at least $10 for late on or on-site registration.  Registration should be due 1 month prior to the meeting.  Request checks be made out to RTOW.  
• Create postcards to let members know the registration information is available (see template).  You can buy postcards at an office supply store and use a premade template in Microsoft Word.
• Obtain mailing list from RTOW secretary.  Do not use the membership directory on the website – this is not all members.
• In addition to current members, obtain addresses for each radiation therapy department in Wisconsin and those that are nearby in neighboring states. (IL, IA , MN) These are listed on the RTOW website.  In the past, we have had quite a few attendees from these states.
• Choose someone to manage the meeting funds.  This person should be the one receiving registration forms.
• Obtain menu options. Choose continental breakfast items, morning break items and the luncheon meal. While doing this, remember that meetings should pay for themselves. In addition, don't forget about our members with special food restrictions.  Sometimes you can get a package deal for the food, which saves a lot of money.

2 - 3 months prior to meeting.

• Send registration information, agenda, etc. to the webmasters.  Allow one week for the information to be uploaded.  Once it is online, send out postcards to members and radiation oncology departments.
• Create an Excel worksheet to record registration information.  Feel free to use the sample template.
• Have programs printed. Ask your employer if they can supply paper to do the programs, you may be able to use your print shop.  Expect to pay six cents per page to copy at a Kinko's or similar store.
• Make evaluation and certificate forms using templates online.
• Get folders and pens for conference packets – most hospitals will donate these.

1 month prior to meeting.

• Contact speakers and obtain information regarding handouts. These can be printed and handed out in packets. Budget $200 -$300 if you will use a service to print the handouts.  Invite them to stay for luncheon and remember to include them in the head count if they are interested. If a speaker is also obtaining CEU's from the meeting, they must register as an attendee. RTOW will pay luncheon fee for all other speakers.  See speaker letter template.
• Also ask speakers for an electronic copy of their presentation (if they would like you to have a back-up).  Each speaker should plan on bringing their own presentation on a jump drive or CD.
• Contact vendors with specific information regarding the meeting (directions, vendor table size, schedule).  Ask if they would like to attend lunch.  Include them in the head count.  See vendor letter template.
• Find out what type of audio-visual needs each speaker has.  Typical A/V needs are a laptop, computer projector, wireless microphone, and podium with microphone. 
• Get Door Prizes: Door prizes are nice, but not necessary.  Do not use registration funds or RTOW general funds to buy door prizes.  Monies donated from vendors or door prizes donated by area businesses and hospitals are acceptable.
• Request checks for speakers from the treasurer.  Use “RTOW Request for Funds” form on the web.

3 weeks prior to meeting.

• Print final programs, course and meeting evaluation form (use template on web), sponsor list, and template for CE credit labels for packets.
• Print CE labels – include the title of the lecture, speaker name, CE approval #, CE value (ex – 1 pt).  Print labels for students as well – they use the labels to verify attendance.
• Print sign-in attendance sheet (use template on web).

2 weeks prior to meeting.

• Assemble packets and name tags.  Remember to make extras for late registrants (10 is typical).  Make name tags for vendors and speakers as well.
• Assign jobs for the meeting - registration, distribution or certificates, etc.
• Organize introduction of speakers.

1 week prior to meeting.

• Make sure that registration tables are available.
• Arrange for vendor tables to be set up near continental breakfast and morning break areas (if possible).
• Give final count to food service.  Some conference centers (including Chula Vista) make 5% extra – which you are billed for.  You do not need to include extra for on-site registration – the 5% extra takes care of this.

Day of meeting.

• Assist attendees with registration.  Print out at least three copies of the Excel worksheet for those registering attendees.  Have extra registration forms and membership applications available.  Also, have membership list available to verify membership.  It is a good idea to bring the meeting registration forms in case someone was accidentally omitted from the registration worksheet.
• Have extra nametags, pens, packets etc. for those registering the day of the meeting.
• Have water pitcher and glasses available for speakers.  Have a timer available as well.
• Have honorariums available to give to speakers.
• Handout CE clipboards (with sign-in sheet and CE labels) when there is 10 minutes left in the lecture.  Assign someone to collect the clipboards at the end.
• Have a designated area for the meeting evaluations to be turned in.  Remind attendees to complete throughout the day.

1 day to 1 month post-meeting.

• Send out thank you letters to speakers, vendors and businesses..
• ASRT no longer accepts sign in sheets or evaluations as proof of attendance at the meeting.  Each member is responsible for sending in their own information to the continuing education department.  The evaluations do need to be kept by RTOW for at least 3 years in case of an audit, but are otherwise used for RTOW’s use in planning future meetings.
• Type meeting evaluations.  Send to President and person planning the next RTOW meeting.  Pass along general meeting evaluation report to the secretary and webmaster to be posted to the membership.
• Complete RTOW meeting budget form and send to the President and Treasurer. 
• Forward non-member attendee list to the membership services committee.

CHULA VISTA TIPS

1.      The meeting may be booked through the senior sales representative for the conference center.   We have worked with Linda Wolfram the past few years (Linda Wolfram [lindaw@chulavistaresort.com]).  Be sure to remind them of RTOW’s tax-exempt status.  He/She will be able to pull the file from previous years’ meetings for you to go off of.  This will show you how many rooms to block, which conference rooms were reserved, program timelines, and catering needs.

2.      When booking the conference room, mention that you would like it to be large enough to arrange vendor tables at the back of the room or in an easily accessible space.

3.      There will be approx. $500 deposit required by the hotel to book the meeting.   Ask the sales rep to apply the deposit towards the final bill on the day of the meeting; this is not usually a problem. 

4.      Unless you are having a speaker on Friday night, you do not need to reserve meeting space for that evening.  However, check with the RTOW president to find out where, when and how many people to make a dinner reservation for their executive board dinner Friday night.

5.      For catering needs, consider utilizing one of their “packages”.  The Corporate Package includes breakfast, lunch and a break for one standard price.  Then you can choose your menu from a variety of available options. The package price will usually save you money.

6.      Since we have many members who are young mothers, consider asking the sales staff for an available room/conference room near the meeting room to utilize for their breastfeeding/pumping needs.  In past meetings, they have given us this space free of charge.  Then be sure to highlight this option and ask about needs on meeting registration forms so the membership knows of this option and you can be prepared.

7.      The Chula Vista will allow you to bring in your own AV equipment. However, you must be able to set up, service, and troubleshoot on your own if you do so.  If you use their equipment, they have an AV specialist to help you with your needs and setup equipment for you.  You will need to bring your own computer, even if you use their A/V equipment.