Susan Kistler on Evaluation 2012 Coming Up in Minneapolis

My name is Susan Kistler, the American Evaluation Association’s Executive Director and aea365 Saturday contributor. I went to graduate school at the University of Minnesota and thus am especially pleased to be able to share with you information about this year’s AEA annual conference in Minneapolis.

Hot Tip – Evaluation 2012: Registration is now open for Evaluation 2012 to be held October 24-27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Register early to secure the lowest registration rates.

Hot Tip – Pre- and Post-conference workshops: Most attendees register for one or more pre- or post-conference workshops. This year’s lineup includes some new offerings that I find particularly exciting, including Equity-focused Evaluation with Marco Segone of UNICEF, and Engaging Laypeople in Meaningful, Manageable Data Analysis and Interpretation with Kristin Bradley-Bull and Tobi Lippin of the New Perspectives Consulting Group. I know that I say this every year, but it’s true – please, please register (and complete your payment!) early to get your first choice of workshops as they do fill, and often do so quite early.

Hot Tip – Hotels and Logistics: This year, Wednesday’s sessions will be at the Hilton Minneapolis, while Thursday, Friday, and Saturday’s sessions will be at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Hilton and the Hyatt are approximately equi-distant from the Convention Center on opposite sides, each one block away from the Center, and all three may be accessed on the ground or via the above ground, enclosed, clean and heated skyway system.

Hot Tip for Fitness Buffs: The Hyatt is newly renovated and has the best fitness center – free for guest use – that I’ve seen in a long time in a hotel. If you are going to visit the workout room each day, the Hyatt may be the perfect option for you.

Hot Tip for Foodies: Minneapolis is a foodie heaven, and one place to visit is Hell’s Kitchen – for any meal, but in particular for breakfast. You can see its building from the front door of the Hilton so it’s an easy way to get out of the hotel for those staying at that hotel in particular. Advertising “Damn good food,” Hell’s Kitchen offers made from scratch meals, everything from house-infused liquors to homemade ketchup. What shined for breakfast? The eggs were delicious, but the rustic toast – and particularly the homemade marmalade and peanut butter – put it over the top. The peanut butter has been raved about on NPR and Gourmet Magazine. Want to see what others are saying? See a brunch review here or check out what people are saying about Hell’s Kitchen on TripAdvisor.

See you there!

Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org. aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.

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