Susan Kistler on the AEA Annual Conference

My name is Susan Kistler. I am the American Evaluation Association Executive Director and the contributor of each Saturday’s aea365 post. This week is one of my favorites each year as it marks the start of the 2010 AEA conference ramp-up. Registration is open, the program is online, and we’re making plans for an amazing event. Here are a few ways to make the most of the conference, even if you can’t attend!

Hot Tip – Find Colleagues With Similar Interests: The AEA Conference program includes information about over 600 sessions and hundreds of individual presentations. Because it is fully searchable, the online program is not only a great resource for planning conference attendance, but also for identifying and connecting with others doing work in your area of interest.

Hot Tip – Make the Most of Collateral Materials: This year, we’ll have over 100 conference presenters making contributions to the aea365 Tip-a-Day Alerts (be sure to subscribe if you have not already), and conference presenters will be encouraged to upload materials into the AEA Public eLibrary. Even those who cannot attend, may receive great advice via the alerts from conference presenters, and all materials in the eLibrary are freely downloadable.

Hot Tip – Attend Workshops: There are over 50 professional development workshops that precede or follow the conference. These are affordable, investigate both foundational and cutting edge methods and issues, and many are taught by some of the most revered leaders in the field. You can attend these whether or not you attend the conference itself. Because there are three days of workshops in advance of the conference, you can make a great customized training institute by selecting the best 1, 2, or 3 days of workshops that suites your needs.

Hot Tip – Attend the Conference! AEA’s Annual Conference will be held November 10-13 in San Antonio, Texas. While we have great ways for those who cannot attend to benefit still from the knowledge exchange, nothing substitutes for experiencing Evaluation 2010 face-to-face. You’ll have the opportunity to build your network, engage in great sessions, learn in a supportive environment, and explore a city steeped in history. Visit the Evaluation 2010 website to learn more.

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