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ESTABLISHING A PDS COMMITTEE


Organizing a PDS, especially the first time, is a worthwhile endeavor, that can bring chapter members together, perform a valuable service for the community, and provide money to fund other chapter activities. It is recommended that a committee be established with the following members and the following responsibilities:

 

PDS Chair (a good organizer with much energy)
Organize committee
Define committee member roles (use the guidelines shown below)
Assign responsibilities
Coordinate activities among all PDS Committee members
Call meetings, prepare agenda
File PD request with ACM PD Committee
Select seminar dates (done with cooperation of Program and Site Chairs)
Establish a timetable and critical deadlines (start with the action item list)
Discuss and approve the seminar budget (start with the sample budget)
Approve seminar fees (ACM members should receive lower registration rate)
Decide whether cancellation is necessary
Has overall supervision of PDS activities

Program Chair
Solicit topic ideas from previous seminar attendees, committee, chapter members, and others
Maintain Speaker Contact Forms to record calls with potential speakers
Select final subjects and speakers
Contact instructors and obtain agreement
Work with instructors an topic outlines and vitae
Assist in preparing visual aids
Distribute, collect, and analyze evaluations

Book/Handout Chair
Get information from the speaker for books to be ordered
Obtain publisher information
Set up an account with publisher
Determine the number of copies to be ordered
Negotiate the best possible discount
Order books by phone
Receive/check book shipment
Maintain log of publishers, discounts, orders
Fill book tracking form
Forward to Finance Chair all packing slips
Obtain student handouts and bibliography from instructors
Print and bind speakers handouts for students
Deliver books/handouts to the seminar location
Mail material to no-show registered attendees
Return extra books to publisher
OR
Contact local technical bookstore
Arrange for them to host an onsite bookstore at the PDS site
Have them bring sufficient copies of the speaker's book(s)
Have bookstore bring books on the general topic area
Offer a discount rate for attendees
Bookstore should take care of all book sales, transporting of books, setup/packup
Bookstore should sell during registration, at morning and afternoon breaks, and during the lunch period

Publicity Chair
Contact other societies: IEEE, DPMA, AWC, etc.
Determine target mailing zip code area
Obtain mailing lists, including ACM members
Contact local businesses, newspapers
Send letters to Computer calendars in the area
Prepare and send Press release to businesses and newspapers, radio, TV
Publicize seminars in Bulletin Boards and on the World Wide Web
Prepare publicity brochure
Select printer
Print and mail brochure
Arrange for ACM publicity display material to be exhibited during the seminar
Coordinate with local ACM SIGS for their newsletters and any other material that could be exhibited on the day of the seminar

Registration Chair
Receive registration forms and fees as they are returned
Send confirmation of registration and receipts set up processing procedures (you may opt for indicating on the registration form that confirmations will not be sent. You would then make up individual receipts to be given out during PDS registration).
Maintain attendance list (updates should be given regularly to the site chair to ensure proper room sizing and food)
Notify registrants in case of cancellation and arrange for refunds with Finance Chair
Establish a late registration deadline to be printed in the publicity brochure
Forward to the Finance Chair the money collected
Forward to the Finance Chair all the Refund forms issued
Prepare final registration list for the Seminar
Set up the registration area at the site
Have special onsite registration area

Finance Chair
Open Bank account with appropriate signatures *
Establish all accounting procedures (this need only be done once and kept up to date; the same is true of the other procedures in this section)
Carry out required accounting bookkeeping
Establish refund deadline (must appear in publicity brochure) to handle cancellation of registrations
Establish procedures to handle reimbursement of expenses incurred by PDS committee members
Establish procedures to handle reimbursement of expenses incurred by out-of-town speakers
Prepare budget for each committee function (in cooperation with Chairs); issue final budget
Deposit registration fees
Pay bills for budgeted expenses and instructors fees requests/government Purchase Orders
Request Committee approval of PDS non-budgeted expenditures and make corresponding payments Issue refund checks
Invoice attendees who registered with accepted training
Establish late payment penalties (this should be on registration form)
Collect outstanding invoices and late fee penalties
Determine break-even attendance requirements
Present to the Committee income/expense reports
Obtain W-9 forms from speakers
Inform ACM Chapter of payments made to speakers
Issue Treasurer final report
Close bank account *
* Your chapter may have a standing PDS bank account or use the Chapter's general account with careful accounting of the balances for each funding area.
NOTE: Accepting Purchase Orders and other means of credit requires a lot of extra work and initial capital

Local Arrangements Chair
Investigate sites for committee approval (try colleges or businesses where you might get this free)
Prepare plan of the selected site and mark those areas where special signs are needed to guide attendees
Obtain a rental contract
Negotiate room upgrades to accommodate attendance
Make signs (parking, registration, rooms, etc.)
Contract early morning and break refreshments (and lunch, if included)
Secure audiovisual equipment (projectors, lectern, microphone,, etc.)
Secure dataline, etc. if needed, for dialup
Select menu and mid-day break refreshments Coordinate special dietary needs (ask on registration form)
Prepare information sheet for out-of-town speakers who require hotel arrangements

Site Coordinator Chair
Recruit on-site help for the day of the seminar
Prepare a "survival kit" with basic supplies
Prepare name badges for registered attendees
Print registration receipts for on-site registrations
Keep clean foils and pens for speakers use
Prepare individual envelopes for each seminar with: registration list, book tracking form, walk-in registration forms, lunch count form, attendance certificate, evaluation forms, speaker's honorarium on the day of the seminar check assigned room(s)
Inspect room(s) for sufficient table spaces
Establish a message center for attendees
Arrange a quick check-in line and a special registration table for walk-in attendees
Set up an Exhibit/Display table with ACM material received from Publicity Chair
Collect no-show information at the end of the day and pass it to Book/Handout Chair
Fill up the on-site registration report with all the forms included in the seminar envelope of the crash box
Handle emergency reproduction of materials if required by unexpected larger attendance (or generally overprint the handouts by 10%)

 

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