Tag: conferences

AIDS Research Symposium recap

Posted on by Shawn Granton
Emee (r) with Anca Trifan of Tree-Fan Events, behind the scenes at the symposium

Last fall, we had the opportunity to assist with a AIDS research symposium, held here in Portland. This conference provided opportunities to exchange the latest scientific perspectives, research findings, and emerging technologies for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. As we mentioned before, we love working with educational organizations.

The bulk of the conference consisted of researchers presenting their research papers. There was also an area where people could see posters about other research projects that would not be presented live.

Attendees were treated to a diverse range of presentations at this week-long event. The time spent together fostered collaboration and inspired a collective commitment to eradicate AIDS.

We provided pre-event planning and consultation, administrative support, marketing of the conference to attendees, and trade show planning. We also provided final coordination, onsite registration and help desk, and onsite event coordination. Our partner Tree-Fan Events provided AV support and the livestream to participants who could not be here in person.

And we’d be happy to work with you on your next conference, whether it be an AIDS research symposium, educational conference or something else. Please get in touch!

An Educational Conference

Posted on by Shawn Granton

A little while back we had the opportunity to work with a great non-profit on an educational conference at University Place Hotel and Conference Center. We love helping with conferences!

This conference was a resounding success, with participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise coming together to share knowledge and collaborate on new ideas. Attendees engaged in thought-provoking discussions on a range of topics. The conference featured engaging keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and ample opportunities for networking, allowing attendees to build meaningful connections and gain new insights into their work. Overall, the educational conference provided a valuable platform for people to come together, learn from one another, and work towards a common goal.

Thoughts on creating community within a large, international alumni association

Posted on by Emee Pumarega

I had the opportunity last fall to attend the Association of Yale Alumni’s annual Assembly* in New Haven, CT.

As an alumna and an AYA volunteer, and especially as a meeting planner and association manager (I do event planning and contract association management for a couple of regional associations in the Pacific Northwest); it was an exciting opportunity to see the inner workings of a large, international, global association encompassing more than 160,000 members around the world.

The theme for the event was “Creating Community at Yale” and attendees came from all eras, from The Silent Generation to the newest “Gen Z”ers from Yale’s graduating class of 2017.

The entire 3-day conference was packed so full of activities, I hardly had any time to document, but I did put together this short slideshow to give you a glimpse of what attending the AYA Assembly is like:

AYA Assembly 2017
Click for Flickr Slideshow


And how do you create community in such a massive organization, spanning so many age groups, interest groups, and regions? Certainly the answer can’t be contained in a short blog post, but I’ll try to cover a few points that I saw being discussed at Assembly:

  • Recognize Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) and give them a voice at the Assembly
  • Survey the membership for their preferences in what the AYA should be delivering to them; report on the results of the survey, and allow it to inform decisions moving forward
  • Acknowledge the need for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and create a Task Force to study the issues and challenges of D/E/I at Yale and in the AYA

It was a great experience for a first timer to see the massive operation that is the AYA. I’m hoping I can take a lot of what I learned that week back to the other associations that I help to manage and coordinate conferences for, and see if any of these ideas about creating community also apply to other organizations.

*(For the Yalies out there, I was officially an alternate delegate from the class of 1995, and unofficially representing the Yale Club of Oregon and SW Washington in order to accept the “Outstanding Mid-Size Cities Award“.)