SAS Global Users Group/Conference Chair Nomination
From sasCommunity
[edit] Request for Applications for the SAS Global Forum 2011 Conference Chair
December 1, 2007
TO: Prospective SAS Global Forum Conference Chairs
FROM: Chair, Nominations Committee* of the SAS Global Users Group Executive Board
SUBJECT: Conference Chair SAS Global Forum 2011
We are soliciting applications for Conference Chair of SAS Global Forum 2011 which will be held on April 4-7, 2011 at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Applications will be screened by the Nominations Committee of the SAS Global Users Group Executive Board. The full SAS Global Users Group Executive Board plans to select the conference chair from the strongest candidates at the SAS Global Users Group Executive Board meeting in San Antonio. Applications may be submitted, until January 2, 2008, to the SAS Global Users Group Nominations Committee Chair, Kim LeBouton.
Please include a cover letter (limited to a page), a ‘conference experience’ resume, a recent picture and a short professional resume on your electronic submission. The committee will address any of your questions via e-mail.
The cover letter will inform the Executive Board (EB) of your desire to lead the conference in 2011, your employer's level of commitment and support, your ability to devote time and resources to the task, and your vision of how you might enhance the conference for all attendees. This may sound a bit daunting, but we are not asking for your final plans - just your ideas on how SAS Global Forum can continue to serve the entire SAS Global Users Group.
As you apply for the position of conference chair, please keep in mind that the composition and form of the conference is evolving and the chair has to be in tune not only to its relationship with the core business of SAS and SAS's marketing strategies, but to the future direction of the conference.
It is hoped that the successful candidate will have a strong overall perspective of the role of the conference chair, the role of the EB in shaping the conference, and the chair's relationship to the EB.
Please refer to SAS GLOBAL FORUM Chair Responsibilities below for the SAS Global Forum Conference Chair and note the time commitment required.
Attached to the letter should be your ‘conference experience’ resume- what roles have you played in previous SAS Global Forum/SUGIs year by year? In the Regionals? In the local groups? Other conferences? How has your role evolved as you have participated in different aspects of these groups and conferences?
Lastly- what is your professional resume? We don't need full 10 page vitae, but having an idea of your professional affiliations and job history helps the committee see who you are both in and out of the SAS world.
We are looking forward to receiving your application. The Nominations Committee will review your application and selected applicants will be notified (please refer to the attached timeline) that they will need to be available for an interview on March 16th at the SAS Global Forum in San Antonio. Applicants not selected for the interview will also be notified. SAS Global Forum will benefit from your interest and participation!
*Nominations Committee:
Kim LeBouton, Chair
Bob Hamer
Mic Lajiness
Tony Oña
Nancy Wilson
[edit] Timeline
[edit] SAS GLOBAL FORUM Chair Responsibilities
Under the current paradigm, conference chair elects get involved with the planning of the upcoming conference within two months of the announcement of their chair position. Thus, the following definition is provided as an aid in understanding which chair we are talking about.
Prior conference chair is the most recent conference chair, conference chair indicates the current conference chair for the upcoming conference or the current conference, conference chair elect is the next conference, conference chair elect (1 years prior) and conference chair elect (2 years prior) indicate the newer announced conference chairs. Using last day at SAS Global Forum 2007 as an example (April 2007), Kim LeBouton is the prior conference chair, Rob Fecht is the conference chair, conference chair elect is Warren Stinson, conference chair elect (1 year prior) is Lori Griffin, and the newly announced conference chair elect (2 years prior) is Lauren Haworth. At the closing of SAS Global Forum 2007, Fecht is prior, Stinson is conference chair, Griffin and Haworth are conference chair elects.
[edit] Specific Responsibilities
[edit] Conference Chair Elect (2 years prior)
Average Monthly Time Commitment: 20 Hours
Upon acceptance of your Conference Chair Elect position at the current conference, your conference Section Chair position the following year will be Pre-Conference Activities (i.e., pre-conference training classes). You will also serve as back-up to the Industry Solutions Chair, Conference Chair Elect (1 year prior), which includes overseeing the on-site issues related to Industry Solutions. This will include assisting the Industry Solutions Leaders with problem resolution, room set-up, etc.
You will be encouraged to attend a Post Conference and Conference Planning Meeting within 2 months after the current conference at SAS Institute in Cary, NC. This meeting includes reviewing attendee evaluations and a discussion of lessons learned. A finalized calendar for the upcoming conference is completed. The prior conference chair, current conference chair, and conference chair elect (1 year prior) are required to attend with appropriate SAS staff. You should have high level thoughts on Pre-Conference Activities for the next year.
You also become a member of the SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board. Your first SAS Global Forum Executive Board Meeting will be the third weekend of July of that year. (See Participation on SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board below.) You will also present a brief overview of possible Pre-Conference classes.
Prior to the upcoming conference, you will be interviewed for the SAS Global Forum Daily News. This interview may require some writing on your part. See Interview with Daily News under Conference Chair Elect.
[edit] Conference Chair Elect (1 year prior)
Average Monthly Time Commitment: 28 Hours
You will serve as Industry Solutions Chair, which requires on-going coordination with SAS staff and Industry Solutions Leaders (your volunteer staff). The number of Industry Solutions Leaders that you will oversee depends on the number of industries to be represented for the upcoming conference, e.g., SUGI 31 had six, SAS Global Forum 2007 had nine and SAS Global Forum 2008 has five. The decision of the number of industries is decided between the Conference Chair, Industry Solutions Chair and SAS personnel. The Conference Chair will put forth the number of industries at the same meeting where the Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders slate is put forth.
Because the Industry Solutions Sessions includes paid speakers, you and SAS personnel will keep track of the budget. Industry Solutions Sessions are a conference within the conference. There is a lot of detail and you are often dealing with the paid speakers staff versus the actual speaker. Traditional Section Chairs that have crossed over to the Industry Solutions Leader position will need to be coached on the nuances of their new position.
[edit] Conference Chair Elect
Average Monthly Time Commitment: 30 Hours
[edit] Deadlines prior to upcoming conference
SAS Global Forum Color Theme: Prior to the upcoming conference, the conference chair elect works with graphic artist provided by SAS Institute for your conference color theme. This will happen early in the year, about 1 ½ years out from your actual conference. This color theme will be used throughout your conference website and giveaways at the current conference announcing your conference. A shell of the website will be available during the current conference for the volunteer database application.
Attend Pre-Conference Meeting (often coordinated with the RESUG Meeting): This is a current conference meeting to address issues for the conference chair and also a preplanning meeting for conference chair elects. The conference chair elect participation is mandatory. Available convention space and a preliminary calendar are discussed.
Allow time to watch the filming of the conference chair for the upcoming SAS Global Forum Opening Session. This provides a better understanding of your role the following year.
All conference chair elects are allowed to attend the RESUG meeting. This is a good time to get ideas for your conference and also meet potential Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders.
Email Announcement to Current Year Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders of Interest for Next Years Positions: Remind applicants that the slate is approved by the SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board. Ask applicants for recommendations for new candidates. Also, seek out RESUG leaders for more suggestions.
Plan Section Chair/Industry Solutions Leader Dinner: (Aside: This dinner is different then the Conference Chair dinner that you will host at your own conference, which includes inviting SAS Staff, SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board, and your Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders.) The second task is to work with SAS staff on coordinating your Section Chair/Industry Solutions Leader Dinner, which is held the evening of the last full day of the conference (prior to the Kickback Party). Formally invite SAS staff prior to the conference. You cannot formally invite your Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders, since they will not be approved until the conference. Use the information obtained for meal selections from the Conference Chair dinner as an indicator of how many regular and vegetarian meals to order.
Interview with Daily News: Several months before the conference, conference chair elects will be contacted by the Daily News staff for an interview. Conference Chair Elect will include a broad overview of the upcoming conference, including location and vision for conference. This is usually published on the last day of the conference. The most recently announced chair is usually highlighted on the first day edition of the newspaper. Contact conference chair or SAS staff if you have not heard from the Daily News staff.
Conduct First Timers Session: The 1 to 1 ½ hour presentation is a Pre-Conference Activity. It occurs late in the afternoon. It includes a detailed overview of how to get the most out of the conference and possibly some team building experiences. PowerPoint slides are available from the previous year. The slides should be updated to include electronic photographs from the prior and current conference. Work with SAS staff for high quality electronic photos. Also update slides to use the current conference PowerPoint template. Some local giveaways are often handed out too.
Announcements of upcoming Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders at the Conference: For the Daily News and signage at the Kickback Party, ensure that you have a SAS contact person prior to attending the current conference to provide the list of sections, Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders names and their respective affiliation. The conference chair following your conference is a good liaison for this role.
[edit] Conference Activities
Sections and Section Chair/Industry Focus Leader Selections: At the SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board meeting during the conference (usually last full day of conference), you must present a slate of Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders and Section topics (including Industry Focus Sessions) to be approved by the Executive Board. On-going dialogue with the chair elects as to their potential removal of Section Chairs is important.
Once approved, Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders must be contacted ASAP. It is customary to have a mail merged letter prepared prior to the conference, and have the SAS copy center do the printing of the letters during the remaining part of the Executive Board meeting. Handing out the letters can be done by conference chair elects and experienced Section Chairs. A list of cell phones of Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders is a huge help in tracking them down, and should be prepared prior to the conference.
Aside: Content of the letter should include location of the dinner, location of photographer and a tentative conference calendar. The upcoming deadlines include providing SAS staff the Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders contact information, section names and section description for the SAS Global Forum website and later publications.
Host Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders Dinner: Allow time for SAS staff to be introduced and also discuss issues related to Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders. Remember that the Kickback Party has already started during your dinner.
Televised Interview of Conference Chair and Conference Chair Elect for Final Day Report from SAS Global Forum: Tentative interview questions will be sent to you (usually at the actual conference) prior to the interview. Review questions and let your contact know if you are uncomfortable with any of the questions. Make-up is done about an hour before the interview. Too much Kickback Party the night before might cause a lot longer make-up session.
Closing Session: Along with the conference chair presentation, conference chair elect presents vision, location, and slate of Section Chairs/Industry Focus Leaders. Conference chair elect (2 year former) will join conference chair and conference chair elect to help with giveaway drawings.
[edit] Conference Chair
Average Monthly Time Commitment: 44 Hours
[edit] Deadlines & Activities prior to upcoming conference
- Email Management: Upon completion of the Closing Session, email to the Conference Chair becomes overwhelming. You will want to work with SAS staff and Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders on how to handle their emails versus emails that are sent to you concerning general questions from visitors to the SAS Global Forum website. Past Conference Chairs can make recommendations as to how to handle the flow, e.g., a separate email address available on the conference website versus the email address used for conference operations.
- Calendar: The conference calendar is tentatively set-up at the Pre-Conference Meeting. The Calendar is finalized at the Post Conference and Conference Planning Meeting. The calendar will be posted to the conference Intranet site, and changes will be reported to requisite staff and volunteers. Updating of the Intranet calendar will be done by SAS staff.
- Publications: Many publications (mail, email and Internet) are created for the SAS Global Forum conference. Much of the writing is done by SAS staff. The writing that is done by you and your volunteers will be passed on to SAS staff for review and also to get the document in the same voice.
- Paper Selection, Conference Proceedings and Conference Planning Software: The Conference Chair will work with Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders to determine the number of SAS Institute papers, invited papers and contributed papers for each section. The Conference Planning Software and SAS staff controls the paper submission process, including entering abstract and uploading working draft. Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders accept or reject papers through the Conference Planning Software. Final paper approval is done by the Conference Chair. Acceptance and rejection notes are handled by SAS staff.
- Site Visit: Attend the fall site meeting prior to your conference with SAS Staff. Many decisions are made concerning logistics of the conference at this meeting.
- Attend all conference meetings at SAS Institute explained in sections above
- Attend bi-weekly conference call meetings with SAS Staff
- Conference Chair Responsibility to SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board
- Attend requisite subcommittee meetings that pertain to current conference (often conference calls, but occasionally includes travel to SAS Institute)
- Provide feedback to SAS Global Forum Executive Board User Group on a regular basis
- Potential Filming (6 to 12 weeks prior to conference)
- CD Proceedings (For SUGI 31, filming occurred in the SAS Institute Regional Office in Orange County.)
- Vmail Marketing Literature
- Opening Session at SAS Institute
- Select Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders gifts with SAS staff
- Practice Opening Session script with SAS Staff, usually done at Pre-Conference Meeting
- Plan Conference Chair Dinner (night before Opening Session) with SAS Staff. Guest includes Section Chairs, Industry Solutions Leaders, SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board, and requisite SAS Staff.
[edit] Conference Activities
Your years of hard work and tight deadlines are almost over! At SAS GLOBAL FORUM you will do the following. SAS staff will provide a written itinerary of activities.
[edit] Day before Conference Opening Session
- Attend SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board Meeting and provide a brief summary of any outstanding issues concerning conference
- Rehearse the Opening Session & Technical Session with SAS staff
- Host Conference Chair Dinner with Section Chairs/Industry Solutions Leaders, SAS Staff and SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board Participation
[edit] Day of Opening Session
- Rehearse the Opening Session & Technical Session with SAS staff
- Between Opening and Technical Session practices, make an appearance at Pre-Conference Activities
- Try to attend Opening Session Dinner
- Make-up for Opening Session
[edit] Opening
- Present opening remarks at the Opening Session
- Meet VIPs following opening (30-45 minutes)
- Enjoy your party after the Opening
[edit] First Full Day
- Present opening and closing remarks at Technical Session on first full day of conference
- SAS Global Forum presentation at Executive Conference Luncheon and introduce speaker
- Along with other chair elects, thank sponsors and vendors in demo room
- Hand-out volunteer gift at SAS sponsored mixer (approximately an hour)
- SAS Global Forum thank you presentation at Alliance Partner Dinner
[edit] Second Full Day
- Introduce a speaker at the SAS Global Forum luncheon. Conference chair elect introduces the other speaker. (Should other luncheon speakers need to be introduced, then use other available conference chair elect.)
- SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board Meeting: Short presentation of conference successes and issues.
- Host Kickback Party
[edit] Final Day
- Televised Interview of Conference Chair and Conference Chair Elect
- Closing Session: Final thank you to sponsors and volunteers. Announce Best Contributed Papers.
[edit] Participation on SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board
As of this writing, the documents for the SAS Global Forum User Group Executive Board are being rewritten. Our participation as Executive Board Members is governed by these documents.
It is expected that newly elected conference chairs attend all of the EB meetings from the time of their election up to and including their conference to come up-to-speed as fast as possible.
Conference Chair Elects participate in committees directly related to their upcoming conference. Committee work may include travel to SAS Institute. The Conference Chair is on all committees and can be as involved or uninvolved as deemed necessary to move their conference agenda forward.
[edit] Travel/Expense Policies
Guiding Principle –The board will pay or reimburse expenses when the conference leadership (as defined below) is not able to gain approval by their employer for expense reimbursement. While SAS Global Users Group has historically depended upon corporate support for conference expenses, there has been recognition that some individuals lack corporate funding and have a need for financial reimbursement for meeting attendance.
[edit] Expense Reimbursement Policy for EB
- SAS Global Forum Annual Spring Conference and Committee face to face meetings
- The SAS team will reserve hotel rooms and provide access to SAS travel for flight planning, which will be communicated via email prior to a meeting.
- A Master account will be established at the meeting location to cover:
- Hotel as required - Rooms are provided for specified nights only (as determined by EB Chair for location and individual travel requirements); double occupancy will be covered, with any resulting extra charge covered by the Executive Board Budget
- Internet access
- Hotel Parking
- Per diem will not be provided
- Travel (reimbursement upon submission of receipts)
- Economy Airfare (receipt, or direct bill through SAS Travel)
- Mileage in lieu of airfare, not to exceed comparable airfare (mileage rate set by SAS based on IRS guidelines)
- Transportation(shuttle or mileage) to/from home and airport
- Airport parking
- Transportation to/from airport and hotel
- Conference registration and fees for associated events will be waived (see 3.4 for policy on guest registrations)
- Fees for meals and other extra fees at the conference waived for Board members
- SAS Global Forum Executive Board non-conference meetings
- The SAS team will reserve hotel rooms and provide access to SAS travel for flight planning, which will be communicated via email prior to a meeting.
- A Master account will be established by SAS at the meeting location to cover
- Hotel as required - Rooms are provided for specified nights only (as determined by EB Chair for location and individual travel requirements); double occupancy will be covered, with any resulting extra charge covered by the Executive Board Budget
- Internet access
- Parking at the hotel
- Travel
- Economy Airfare (receipt reimbursement or direct bill through SAS Travel)
- Mileage in lieu of airfare, not to exceed comparable airfare (mileage rate set by SAS based on IRS guidelines)
- Per diem payments will be made in advance of the meeting to attendees following established SAS corporate guidelines to cover the following expenses at the meeting location:
- Meals
- Transportation to/from airport and hotel
- Expenses can be submitted for additional home location travel expenses, including
- Transportation(shuttle or mileage) to/from home and airport
- Airport parking
[edit] Executive Board Emeritus Policy
- EB members who resign in good standing after serving 5 or more years on the EB have Emeritus status, an honorary title of respect and privilege, as reward for their years of service. (See Organizational policies For further detail on Emeritus qualification)
- 5 or more years on the EB
- Waived conference registration and activities fees
- Retain complimentary, non-business, workstation license to SAS License (subject to approval by SAS)
- A retirement gift valued under $500
- 10 or more years on the EB also receive
- Reimbursed travel expenses to the conference (up to the limit currently provided to the section chairs)
- 15 or more years on the EB also receive
- Up to 3 nights standard accommodation at the conference hotel
- Those who leave the EB after serving less than 5 years receive a retirement gift valued under $500
- The SAS team will reserve hotel rooms and provide access to SAS Travel for flight planning, which will be communicated via email prior to a meeting.
[edit] Questions asked by Potential Candidates
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