San Francisco: What a wonderful city. If San Francisco can't ignite your passion, we need to talk!! I knew the minute I arrived on my first visit that I was in a very special place. I can't tell you what it was exactly; perhaps it was San Francisco's beautiful Pacific Ocean or the San Francisco Bay. It may have been the blue skies; beautiful, foggy, picturesque mornings and sunsets; or gazing out at the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Of course, it may also have been the wonderful selection of foods offered at Fisherman's Wharf, the proximity to the Napa Valley wineries, the night life, or San Francisco's diverse cultures that stole my heart. I know the fact that I didn't need a car and could get anywhere I wanted to go using the cable cars or bus system didn't hurt either. As I was leaving to return home, I remember singing lyrics from "I Left my Heart in San Francisco," feeling as though these words held a new truth and meaning for me.
Yes, San Francisco is the perfect city to host our convention with its theme: Ignite Your Passion: Turning Dreams into Reality. For San Francisco is sure to ignite passion in each of you. Not only will your passion be sparked the moment you enter the city, but this year's course content and speaker selections have also come together to complement our convention theme. The Scientific Session Planning Committee, chaired by Pat Terrell, has worked diligently to select speakers and topics that will make you feel inspired and proud to be part of ASPSN. Topics such as Patient Safety, Distraction Osteogenesis, and Body Contouring will give you food for thought to take back to your practice. Instructional courses, such as Botox(R) Cosmetics, Incorporating Permanent Makeup into Your Practice, and Sclerotherapy, will help improve your technique and teach you the newest advances.
As you review the enclosed convention brochure highlights, keep in mind that you are viewing only a small portion of the topics, speakers, and events that are being planned. These highlights are presented to whet your appetite, spark your interest, and give you something to hold on to until the full brochure makes its way to your mailbox in June.
ASPSN was fortunate to have had our program chair, Pat Terrell, stay at our host hotel during a recent family vacation. Pat's review was fabulous. "Our hotel is absolutely beautiful," says Pat. "Members will want to reserve their rooms early." The Palace Hotel, located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, is elegant and glamorous. "The Palace is not only beautiful," states Pat Terrell, "but the staff went out of their way to assist us." "Best of all," Pat goes on to say, "the hotel is close to the exhibit hall. This is a win-win for everyone." Rooms are sure to fill up fast, so if you are considering San Francisco and interested in joining colleagues for this fabulous convention, I'd suggest you contact the Palace and reserve your room NOW. Don't be left looking for an alternate hotel, for as you know from past experience, rooms are very hard to come by during the ASPSN/ASPS convention and the Palace is definitely the place to be in 2006!!
HOW CAN I TELL IF I'LL GET MY MONEY'S WORTH FROM THE EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS?
This may just be the six million dollar question, yet true value must be determined by each individual recipient. However, I'd like to offer you some guidance in making this determination. Years ago, I had a conversation with one of my physicians because I noticed he was involved in attending many educational meetings. I asked him if he learned much from the conferences he constantly attended. His response has stuck with me through the years; it is the gauge I use to determine my return on investment of time and money in attending the many meetings I attend.
He said that the first 3 to 4 years people attend meetings, they seek out speakers and topics related to their practice area. Generally, they come away feeling they have learned quite a bit of information and are pleased with the conference content. However, after they have worked in their particular practice setting long enough to develop some degree of expertise, they need to change the way they look at meetings and realize the knowledge they are bringing home is different, not always as direct or obvious."
"Why continue to attend then?" I asked him. "Education is an ongoing process. Just because you become a relative expert in your field, doesn't mean you know everything there is to know. There are only so many major breakthroughs out there," he said, "but there are always subtle advancements, if you're willing to look for them." He went on to tell me that he likes to attend lectures that are out of his realm of expertise. He shook his head and laughed as he told me how often he has actually been able to apply something from one of these lectures to his own practice. "The challenge becomes opening yourself up to seeing the subtle differences each practice has to offer and finding ways to incorporate these into something that can benefit you."
"The importance of networking can't be undervalued either," he said. "I use the time to make connections and reconnect with people I haven't seen for awhile. People don't realize how important that is. It's every bit as important as the lectures you attend." He shook his head once again as he said, "I can't tell you how many times these connections have come in handy over the years."
What this physician shared with me made sense. These were principles I would apply to my own educational endeavors and it is why you may just see me in a lecture far removed from pediatric reconstructive surgery.
WHAT GOES INTO PLANNING THE CONVENTION? MEMBERS SPEAK, ASPSN LISTENS
At the end of every convention, the planning committee sits down with board members and management staff for a postconvention meeting. The group discusses what they believe went right and what they would like to improve upon the following year. Issues or problems that may have occurred, the resolution of that issue, and how to avoid that particular issue from occurring in the future are also discussed. Ideas for future speakers and suggestions for returning speakers are made, based on the group members' excitement regarding something they heard during the course of the week. Member comments are also discussed since member satisfaction is the number one goal of this committee.
Every member attending the convention is also asked to give feedback on educational sessions, speakers, events, and overall convention organization. Evaluations are tabulated and presented to the committee for review. The committee reviews all the evaluations, pulling data such as suggested topics and speakers or back by popular demand requests. Once the speaker evaluations are tabulated and results sent to speakers for their review, the committee begins to look at improvement suggestions made by participants. "Leave the coffee/break food out a little longer; consider adding more social events; find a hotel close to the exhibit hall; and change the President's Reception and Regional Receptions to grab a larger number of participants." Members' suggestions are taken very seriously. The number one goal of the committee is to present a program that will interest members. The more you tell us, the more personalized we can make the convention to fit your specific needs.
THE END OF ONE IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT
As you can see, planning the next convention actually begins during the previous convention. After the evaluation review phase, the planning committee begins to get down to the real business at hand. Planning a convention is like planning a wedding. Every detail must be considered; arrangements must be made; and contingent plans must be put in place to cover unforeseen circumstances. All this is done by the planning committee via e-mail and conference calls. Committee members begin by contacting those speakers who have been recommended by last year's convention attendees or who have been requested to make an encore presentation. Speakers whose presentations were not previously selected may also be reviewed for applicability to the theme and needs of members. Once these speakers and topics are in place, the committee begins to look at "program holes" and begins to solicit speakers needed to fill a gap. This can be an arduous process, but the challenge is met head on by a diligent committee determined to put together a wonderful educational experience for attendees.
In addition to finding appropriate speakers/topics, the committee works on organizing the convention so that it flows in an orderly fashion. This is not as easy as it may sound because many factors must be taken into consideration.
Being part of the convention planning committee can be a very rewarding experience. Though prior experience is not needed, creativity, energy, passion, excitement, and an ability to work as a team are musts for committee members. Do you have what it takes to become part of a winning team? Pat Terrell (Committee Chair 2006/2007) is being shadowed by Karen Harman-McGowan, as she prepares to step into the role of Committee Chair in 2008. Why not contact the National Office at 1-800-272-0136 to let them know you are interested in becoming part of this imaginative committee. You'll be glad you did.
Enjoy the convention highlights and remember there is much more to come. See you in San Francisco!!