SC2000 Media Relations Final Report Submitted by Jon Bashor, Media Relations Chair Media relations is a quirky field, much like fishing. The best baited hook, cast in the most promising area, sometimes draws nary a nibble. Other times, a chance pitch can lead to reeling in a big one. The SC2000 media relations effort, which was a loose but ultimately effective partnership between members of the Public Relations Committee and vendors' PR staff, brought in some great trophies articles in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. We also attracted various Dallas area media, HPC-focused media and a variety of industry analysts. Unlike SC99, however, the number of Web-based publications covering the conference was tiny. Also, the full results of our efforts are difficult to measure as there is no clipping service in place to monitor and report all mentions of the conference. If SC2000 Chair Louis Turcotte's directive to the PR committee spread the word and get attendance up is used as a gauge, then we were successful. In terms of national media interest, this was also the best year since 1997 (my first SC).. These strong results are due to a lot of folks contributing their time and talents and building on past experience. In this report I'll describe what went well, where we can improve and offer some general ideas for next time around. Media Relations Chair As Media Relations chair, I worked closely with Kate Carey and others to write and distribute news releases, set up the Media section of the SC website, preregister media for the conference, organize and staff the media room, respond to media enquires, provide media representatives with access to the conference and act as an information resource to almost anyone who asked. Kate and I found ourselves bearing a larger burden than expected when one of our committee members seemingly vanished from the face of the Earth. Additionally, I was able to devote less time than expected in September and October when the events coordinator and SC2000 planning lead for Berkeley Lab unexpectedly resigned in September. SC2000 Media Coverage As mentioned above, when it comes to the media it's hard to predict what, when, why, and how of their interest in the SC conference. The regulars tend to register in advance, but half of them fail to show. The local and national media tend to treat the conference as a last-minute, drop-in event. However they find us, though, our objective is to get them credentials, provide them with the equipment, information and refreshments they need, and with just a few gentle nudges, let them seek out their stories. Here is a list of media/analyst representatives attending SC2000: External Media Barnaby Feder, New York Times barnaby@nytimes.com Theodore "Theo" Francis, Wall Street Journal Texas regional edition Theodore.francis@wsj.com 214-951-7015 Marcus Kabel, Reuters Marcus.kabel@reuters.com HPC Wire/DSstar Tim Chilcoat, timc@tgc.com Chris O'Neal chris@tgc.com Tim Staub tim@tgc.com Jennifer Tabor jennifer@tgc.com Tom Tabor tom@tgc.com Steve Witucki Steve@tgc.com Robert Pitscheneder, U.S. Writer FOCUS Magazin, Germany pitschy@compuserve.com Patricia Daukantas Government Computer News pdaukantas@gcn.com The Dallas Morning News Karel Holloway, Education Extra editor kholloway@dallasnews.com Rick Barrick, Personal Technology Editor rbarrick@dallasnews.com Alan Goldstein, Technology Editor agoldstein@dallasnews.com Cheryl Diaz Meyer, photographer Byron Harris, reporter WFAA Channel 8/ABC, Dallas Peter Combs KRLD Radio, Dallas Kim Sekel, Scientific Computing & Instrumentation ksekel@cahners.com Dennis Waters, GenomeWeb dwaters@genomeweb.com George Cybenko, Computing in Science and Engineering gvc@dartmouth.edu In-House Media (from exhibitors' organizations) DoD ERDC MSRC Dana Allen, David Longmire Jeanie McDonald Chesley Cuicchi cuicchic@wes.hpc.mil Judy Conlon, NASA Ames Research Center jconlon@mail.arc.nasa.gov Louis Varricchio, Raytheon ITSS/NASA lvarricchio@mail.arc.nasa.gov Industry Analysts IDC Earl Joseph, II ejoseph@idc.com Debra Goldfarb dgoldfarb@idc.com Chris Willard cwillard@idc.com Kara Yokley kyokley@idc.com Asian Technology Information Program David Kahaner kahaner@atip.or.jp Wallace Lopez wlopez@atip.org Dave Keck Richard Partridge, D.H. Brown Associates partridge@dhbrown.com Carl Leonard, associate of Brett Berlin cleonard@netscape.net Fred Adler, RCI fadler@erols.com Joseph Lee, International Consulting Services jwlee@erols.com Registered, but did not attend Scott Nance, New Technology Week snance@kingpublishing.com Andrew Rosenbloom, ACM magazine rosenbloom@acm.org Nicholas Veronico, NASA Ames Research Center nveronico@mail.arc.nasa.gov Don Tennant, assistant news editor at Computerworld Don_Tennant@computerworld.com Vendor-Driven Media Relations As was our experience at SC99, focused media relations efforts by exhibiting vendors paid off handsomely. For example, SC2000 marked the second year at which IBM's PR team arranged for local TV stations to broadcast live from the IBM booth on the show floor. The IBM PR effort, which started well in advance and was carried out by John Buscemi of IBM and Donna Basilicato of TSI Communications Worldwide - IBM Media Relations, generated significant coverage of both IBM and the conference. IBM media "hits" included the Associated, KTVT-TV (CBS), WFAA -TV (ABC), TechWeb, HPCWire, InfoWord, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dallas Morning News and the New York Times. Similarly, Cray's PR efforts, led by Steve Conway and Jenny Gantz (of Shandwick International), resulted in nine articles HPC, online and print media. Media reporting on Cray were CNET News.com, Computergram, The Dallas Morning News, Forbes.com, HPCwire, New Technology Week and The New York Times. Some of the coverage cited by IBM and Cray included the same article and reflects the fact that sometimes competing pitches can result in broader coverage. For example, both Cray and IBM had conducted lengthy interviews with the New York Times reporter prior to the conference. Bob Borchers had also contacted a New York Times writer to promote the conference. The end result of these separate initiatives? The first coverage in the NY Times in my four years of helping with the conference. Obviously, participating vendors and organizations with full-time, professional PR staffers can devote more time and resources to media relations than can the volunteers working with the conference committee. Every effort should be made to try to leverage this capability for future conferences. Copies of some of the media reports on SC2000 are available upon request. SC2000 Media Qualifications and Registration For SC200Based on past experience, we decided to try to be more stringent in issuing media/analyst credentials as we were for SC99. My overall impression was that a number of applicants were registering as media strictly to get free admission to certain portions of the conference, rather than actually cover the activities and presentations (this was reinforced by a small number who made pests of themselves trying to finagle extra drink tickets and Thursday night reception tickets) without paying for them. Our guidelines for SC2000 as posted on the web were: SC2000 Press Registration Guidelines and Policies Thank you for your interest in attending and covering SC2000. We have updated the media registration policies and procedures in hopes of streamlining the process for everyone. You must be a reporter, writer, editor, publisher, photographer, or videographer assigned by a local, regional, national, or international publication to cover SC2000. Qualified media representatives will be registered at no cost. We define qualified media representatives as meeting one of the following criteria: o Full-time employees of media organizations must present a press pass, business card or a letter from a supervisor confirming the registrant is on assignment to cover SC2000. o Freelance writers, photographers, or videographers must verify they have been retained to cover SC2000 by presenting a letter from a recognized news organization or a publication related to the high-performance computing industry. Alternately, you may present clips of published articles you have written about past SC conferences. o Computer Press Association (CPA), National Association of Science Writers (NASW), or National Writers Union (NWU) press cards with current, full membership status are accepted as proof of press credentials. To register, (advance registration is strongly encouraged and will mean less time waiting in line at the conference) please contact SC2000 Media Coordinator Jon Bashor at JBashor@lbl.gov for credential verification. Advance registration must be received by Friday, Oct. 20, 2000. Those received after 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 20, 2000, may not be acknowledged and must be resubmitted for processing at SC2000. Written confirmation of conference registration will be mailed by the IEEE Computer Society within ten days of receiving your registration. If you do not receive confirmation, please call +1-202-371-1013. Those who register in advance may pick up their conference materials at the Dallas Convention Center in the Media Room beginning Saturday, November 11th after 1:00pm. Media Guidelines: Registration Limit: A limit of two media/analyst passes will be issued per organization. Industry Analysts: To register as an industry analyst, must have a valid credential (see above criteria). If requested, must show proof of previous publications referring to SC. If you have any questions, please contact SC2000 Media Relations Chair Jon Bashor at JBashor@lbl.gov. As the advance registration deadline neared, I sent out friendly reminders to 6-8 media/analysts who had attended in the past, but hadn't yet registered. All of them did register in advance. Registration was handled via the web, on a "hidden" page. Only after an interested person contacted me and I was able to verify their credentials would I refer them to the web page. Those who did not make the deadline then registered at the conference by filling out a reg form in the media room and taking it to the registration desk. This worked reasonably well. Overall, I would recommend maintaining the advance registration approach, as well as sending out friendly reminders to regular attendees or media representatives we have regular contact with. Who Did What I volunteered at the end of SC99 to serve as Media Relations Chair for SC2000. For the media room, I again recruited trusty volunteers L.J. Evans (ARSC), Mike Moore (DoD) and Betsy Toole, and persuaded Kate Carey to help out, too. This year, Sabryna-Joi King of Compaq contacted me and volunteered to help out. She was very helpful in the Media Room. Unlike in 1999, we had a smaller PR team and a less diffused effort for SC2000. This worked well in most cases, but left us a bit short-handed when unexpected staffing problems cropped up as the conference neared. One area we could have done better, with more people, is personally pitching the conference to various media. Again, this is the approach taken by IBM, Cray and others as noted above. The primary pitching done by the PR committee took the form of news releases sent to a contact list we carried over from previous years. For the first time I know of, we also contracted with PR Newswire to distribute the last few releases on a national basis. It's hard to gauge the effectiveness of this move, but my impression is that the cost (about $2,000) was worthwhile in raising the profile of the conference. Here's a list of the 16 news releases I wrote and distributed (with input from Kate). They can be found on the Web at . Dallas to Host World's Leaders in High Performance Networking and Computing When SC2000 Conference Comes to Texas Nov. 4-10, 2000 - March 17, 2000 Web Site for Submitting Proposals for SC2000 Program Opens Monday, April 10 - April 1, 2000 SC2000 Conference Seeks High School Teachers for Training in Latest Computing Technologies - April 15, 2000 SC2000 Conference Looking For High Performance Computing Applications to Stretch High Bandwidth Infrastructure - Statements of Interest Due by Thursday, June 15 - April 15, 2000 July 28 is Submission Deadline for Various Research Activities at SC2000 Conference to be Held Nov. 4-10 in Dallas - July 6, 2000 eSCape 2000 Event at SC2000 Conference in Dallas to Showcase Ability to Obtain High Performance Computing Anywhere, Anytime - July 12, 2000 Registration Now Open for SC2000, the Conference of High-performance Computing and Networking. - July 26, 2000 SC2000 Conference Reaches $1 Million Milestone in Sales of Commercial and Research Exhibit Space - August 29, 2000 SC2000 Conference Issues Challenge: Who Can Build the Fastest Computer for $10,000 or Less - September 16, 2000 Up-and-Coming IT Firms Invited to Show Their Stuff (at No Charge) Alongside Industry Heavyweights at November Conference in Dallas - September 28, 2000 Noted Computer Designer Steven Wallach Selected as Keynote Speaker for SC2000 Conference in Dallas - October 4, 2000 Computer Performance Evangelist Gordon Bell to Sponsor Awards for Best Computer Clusters at SC2000 Conference - October 10, 2000 Supercomputing Conference to Kick Off Two-Year, $2 Million Program to Train Teachers in Using Computers as a Scientific Discovery Tool in the Classroom - October 18, 2000 SC2000 Conference Building Massive Network Connectivity Infrastructure into Dallas Convention Center - November 1, 2000 Teams Saturate Network in High-Bandwidth Applications Competition at SC2000 Conference - Exceed 1 Gigabit per Second Data Transfer - November 9, 2000 SC2000 Conference Capped One of Biggest Years Ever with Awards and Recognition - November 9, 2000 (Updated, complete version posted Nov. 21, 2000.) Media Room Operations The SC Media Room is a lot like the rest stops along the Interstate Highway System. While heavy traffic passes by almost non-stop, an occasional person pulls in to pause, take care of business and get recharged before re-entering the fray. It's rarely jammed, but would be sorely missed if not available. We offer the use of computers, a printer, copier, telephones and general assistance. Additionally, refreshments are provided in the morning and mid-afternoon. For SC2000, we again encouraged media/analysts to pre-register, and if they did so by Friday, Oct. 20, their credentials and materials were available for pick up in the Media Room. This meant they didn't have to wait in line at registration, and it also made sure they became familiar with the services we offered in the Media Room. About half of the media/analysts who attended SC2000 registered in advance and those who did were appreciative of the speedy check-in. In another ploy to attract people to the Media Room and position us as an information resource, we worked with IDC to schedule a news conference in the Media Room on Monday afternoon, Nov. 6. About 30 people, including media, industry reps, analysts and interested onlookers attended the announcement of a new benchmarking program. I made the decision to accommodate IDC's request, both for the reason above and because we no longer provide a separate room for interviews (which had costs far outweighing the benefits). To accommodate arriving media, we opened the Media Room on Saturday and Sunday before the conference officially opened. Traffic wasn't high, but we used the time to set things up and allow exhibitors to drop off media materials. The hours of SC2000 Media Room operations were as follows: Saturday, Nov. 13: 3 - 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14: 1 - 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday is basically clean-up time disposal of the many unclaimed press kits, etc., and there is no media traffic. So, this year we didn't open at all on Friday and no one complained. Here are the basic furniture needs of the Media Room (based on available space): ? Three 4-foot round tables ? Four 8'x30" tables ? Six 6'x30" tables ? Two 4'x30" tables ? 24 straight chairs This was my fourth year working in the media room (I'm not in a rut I've just found my niche!) and I've continued to fine-tune it. We are gradually moving from predominantly Macintosh to PC computers, and for SC2000 we had three PCs and one Mac. We also need one copier, a networked printer and an Ethernet drop with hub and five IP addresses. Also, this year we opted not to have a fax machine, since we had no traffic whatsoever on it in 1998 and 1999. As could be expected, though, when there was no fax we had several requests for one. It's a tossup. We did have four phone lines, and although we had requested long-distance access, it wasn't provided but should be at every conference. I estimate that about one-third of the media/analysts made regular use of the room and our services. Essential to the success/usefulness of the Media Room is its location in close proximity to the exhibit floor. At SC97 in San Jose, we were on a different level and pretty far removed from both the exhibit hall and the technical program. As a result, we have very little traffic after the first day. At SC98, SC99 and SC 2000, we were located very close to the exhibits and central areas and saw more interaction as a result. I would lobby strongly for similar placement at all future conferences. I also continued two other changes I made at SC99 and no one seemed to notice (much). First, we did not set aside a separate room for interviews. We based this decision on past use of such rooms and the smaller space available at SC99. The main use of this room at past conferences was for the Monday night media briefing, which was also dropped at SC99. I made this recommendation based on observations at SC97 and SC98, where the invited speakers and committee members far outnumbered the media/analysts in the room. For example, we had four speakers at the SC98 media briefing, probably a dozen committee types and three media reps. The effort did not seem to be worth the small turnout. We also dropped the Monday night media tour, but none of the media said they missed it. Again, I think we were putting lots of effort into the tour with very little to show for it. In Dallas, we did not plan for any Monday night media tour, but no one asked us and the tour was repeatedly announced over the PA system. We had absolutely no media inquiries about such a tour and I would recommend that in the future, the PR team be consulted before such announcements/decisions are made. Some Thoughts on SC Media Relations I think the advance media registration went well -- about half of all who attended had registered before the Oct. 20 deadline and they appreciated having their credentials available on their arrival. For mysterious reasons, two advance registrations were not processed (for apparently different reasons), but these were easily accommodated. Again, having media pick up their credentials in the Media Room familiarizes them with the facility and our services, which gives us more opportunities to ensure they get the information they need to report on the conference. We strongly encouraged all participants who provided media materials to limit their stacks to 25 copies. Most complied, but, as threw away more than half of the materials left by most exhibitors. Kudos to IBM and Cray for putting out limited materials (and doing more proactive, interpersonal media contacts), yet earning the lion's share of coverage. However, most participating firms and organizations are targeting specific media and the media room offered a good opportunity to make their information available. In the future, I think it would behoove us to work a bit more closely with these folks, encouraging them to contact media ahead of time and providing them with a short, standardized paragraph about SC to include in their materials. Press kits and releases put out on tables, as far as I can tell, are of minimal interest and have minimal effect. Personal contacts are much more effective. One way to facilitate contact with individual media representatives is by making the advance registration list available soon after advance registration ends. For example, this year the cutoff date was Oct. 20 and we distributed the list on Oct. 24. Typically, we get more requests for the list than there are media reps on the list. In both 1999 and 2000, we have more than two dozen requests for the list. The process I have worked out these two years is rather clunky (cut and paste) and there is probably a better way if it can be set up ahead of time. Posting the list on the Web would likely be the most efficient way of tracking the information and it could be updated up to and during the conference to include on-site media registrants. This list could be hidden, as was the press registration site, and made available only to exhibitors and their public relations representatives. Some Thoughts for Coming Years At the end of SC2000 I came up with a list of ideas, improvements and changes which could be considered for future conferences. Because the interests and professional inclinations of the PR chair changes from year to year, some tweaking is inevitable. Here are my suggestions: Enlist PR staff from vendors/exhibitors to pitch the conference and their participation in advance. Provide PR types with "boilerplate" regarding the conference to ensure a consistent message (include conference name, description, dates and sponsors). Use PR Newswire, Businesswire or a similar organization to help distribute some of the media releases (the ones of more general interest such as keynote, SCinet, education) to help raise visibility of the conference. Consider providing a link on the Web page for SC-related announcements from exhibitors and participants. Guidelines would need to be developed, but this could also help with leveraging the committee's resources. DC Expo could help publicize this. Maintain a centralized, Web-based list of registered media and analysts and update continually. Plan ahead to write and distribute a wrap-up release on all awards. One suggestion from SC2000 was to make the draft available for a specified time after the awards session to allow recipients to review for accuracy. This, along with photos of winners, should be announced at the start and close of the awards session. This release is very important and has always been one of the major headaches. There should be a primary contact on the PR committee for photography. This is has been a source of confusion at past conferences and needs to be handled by one person. One Last Thing (a repeat from my SC99 report) This was my fourth year helping out with the SC conference and second year as a committee member. This was the first year I felt really comfortable as a "real" member of the committee in the past I sometimes felt I was negotiating a maze blindfolded. Some things were obvious when I bumped into them, others weren't. Often, I didn't ask about things because I only learned of them after the fact. I discussed with Ann Redelfs and Kate Carey the idea that a "primer for new committee members" be written and distributed. I see it as laying out the roles, responsibilities and resources that go with the territory. I have written the initial version, but it needs to be a team effort as I know many of the questions, but not nearly enough answers. A copy of my first whack at this primer is attached and I would be happy to incorporate additions and suggestions. Send them to JBashor@lbl.gov Serving on the committee is rewarding both personally and professionally, and I think providing more information in an organized format will make it even an even more valuable experience especially for new members who are just getting their feet wet. A Primer for New SC Committee Members Welcome and Overview Thank you for contributing your time, expertise and talents to the SC conference. The continuing success of the SC conference series is due in large part to the efforts of volunteers like yourself we literally couldn't do it without you. Participating in SC as a committee member will give you an entirely new perspective on the conference how it's organized, how it works and how unexpected issues are routinely and quickly resolved. For many of us, this is new territory. On the other hand, there are a lot of rewards for being on the committee, starting with having an insider's perspective on things. As a member of the conference team, you will have access to a number of resources, receive various expressions of our gratitude for your help, and you'll most likely be asked to help out in ways we can't even imagine at this point. To help you negotiate your way through the whole conference experience, we've created this primer. While we have tried to cover many important points, no doubt some have been overlooked or forgotten. If you have any suggestions for helping future committee members, please tell us! One of the best resources available to you are the committee web pages. You'll be given access to these restricted sites, where you'll find a lot of logistical and organizational information. Roles and Benefits It may sound obvious, but your status as a committee member make you an ambassador for the conference. You'll have greater access to areas of the convention center, but you may also be corralled into acting as an on-the-spot troubleshooter. Keeping a cool head, helping as needed and acting professionally go with the territory. Also, dress is quite casual up until the conference officially starts. Once things get rolling and you start carrying out your duties, business attire is appropriate. And, of course, the official SC shirt is always acceptable to wear. Depending upon your position within the committee structure, you will have a set of specific duties to perform. Many of these duties may require a significant commitment of time in the months leading up to the conference, as well as during SC itself. Although you'll probably receive guidance from others, don't hesitate to ask if you feel lost or overwhelmed. In addition to current committee members, you can also tap the experiences of past members, too. As the conference begins (actually, a week before the first attendees register), there will be a number of almost-mindless tasks that require a lot of helping hands. For example the briefcases many attendees receive are filled with various materials, including the conference program. Just before registration opens, as many committee members as can be found are asked to help stuff the bags. Although the work is simple, filling 2,500 bags is a big effort. If you're available and can help out, it's much appreciated. You may also be asked to help out in other ways, but it's hard to predict when and where and why. But it's important to know that SC committee membership is not an endless grind. The committee knows how to have fun, and you're invited. Here is a list of some of the special activities which you should try to fit into your schedule. The Friday Night Dinner: On the Friday evening before the conference opens, committee members and guests are invited to attend a sumptuous dinner. As a prelude to the dinner, committee members pose for a formal group portrait. This is a first-class evening, so it's ok to dress up. You'll receive details and a formal invitation a few weeks in advance. Education Program Reception: On the first day of the conference (a Saturday, when the Education Program begins) there is an evening reception for the program. Again, you'll receive an advance invitation with details. Sunday Exhibitor Party: This event is held to recognize all those who help put together the displays on the exhibit floor.really helps kick off the conference and is a lot of fun. As a committee member, you're invited. Monday Gala Opening: The traditional opening event for the conference, the Monday night opening celebration is a big deal. Please plan to attend. Tuesday Morning Keynote Address: Please plan to attend and sit at the front of the hall near the speaker committee members are usually recognized at this start of the technical program. Thursday Afternoon Awards Presentations: If your schedule permits, please try to attend this session. Thursday Conference Reception: This reception wraps up each year's successful conference and is usually held at an exciting location. Don't miss it. Friday Night Party: After most of the conference attendees have left for home, the committee gets together on Friday night to commiserate and celebrate. If you can, please plan to stay a little longer so you can attend. Technical program: Ok, this may not be as much fun as the other events, but your committee badge will give you access to any of the technical presentations. While most of us have full schedules, it's usually possible to break away to attend a few sessions that caught our attention. Responsibilities Advance planning As you'll probably notice, planning to SC is a never-ending task. For example, at the SC99 conference, one early morning breakfast was convened to start getting a handle on SC2001. During the course of the year leading up to each conference, a series of planning meetings are held, lasting two days or more. Depending upon your role, your travel budget and time constraints, you may be expected to participate in some of these meetings. If you're not sure, please ask. Also during the lead up to the conference, many issues are discussed (and sometimes even decided!) via email. Reflectors are usually set up, making it easy to contact multiple committee members at once. Please remember, though, to restrict your messages to those who need to be involved. Sometimes, during the heat of battle, things get a little carried away and the messages are flying fast and furious. At the conference For committee members, the conference typically starts well before attendees arrive -- sometimes up to a week in advance. During the conference, your days will probably start earlier and end later than the official schedule indicates. A good rule of thumb is the schedule for the main committee office, which is open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. Obviously, depending on your duties, you can adjust your schedule. During the conference, the committee holds daily 3 p.m. meetings to keep track of events, discuss and resolve issues and take a few minutes to sit back and collect our thoughts. You should try to attend these as often as you can. In addition to a committee ribbon, many committee members are issued "blinkie" pins which give you pretty much access to go anywhere at anytime and take anyone with you. This is a valuable tool for handling those unexpected emergencies, but remember that the blinkie also singles you out as a troubleshooter. Under no circumstances should you loan out your blinkie. Many committee members, even those with assigned work locations at the conference center, are on their feet and on the move for hours at a time. The conference office houses a bank of radios that allow committee members to stay in touch. If appropriate, you should check one out and keep it turned on and with you during the day. Some of the radios have headsets for easier use. Follow-up As mentioned above, planning and carrying out SC conferences seems to be an endless cycle. Just as the conference officially ends at midday Friday, the committee for next year's conference convenes to begin planning in earnest. This is also a good time to provide suggestions based on experiences from the conference immediately ending. As a committee member, you'll gain a lot of good experience during the conference -- and you will be expected to write a report capturing what went well and what could be done even better. The reports are due in time for the annual January meeting, at which the committee for the preceding year's conference officially hands over the baton to the new team. The reports by committee members are a key component of this hand-off. Resources To help you do your job at the conference, we'll provide you with a wide range of resources. In advance, if you need them, there will be letterhead, envelopes, folders and the like available. If appropriate, you may be provided with conference business cards. You will also be able to request many copies of the Call for Participation and the Advance Program to help spread the word about SC. If applicable to your position on the committee, you'll be asked to specify the kind of equipment and furnishings (such as computers, printers, network drops, tables, chairs, signs, etc.) you'll need for the conference. If you're not sure, ask. Office supplies, if needed, are usually available from the main conference office. Each year, the conference recruits a number of capable, interested students to help out with numerous tasks during SC. If you would like to have students help you, submit your request to the student volunteer coordinator. Because committee members have a busy schedule, the conference does provide breakfast and lunch for them in the committee office. There are also drinks and some snacks available throughout the day. Conclusion We thank you in advance for the many hours you will donate toward the success of the SC conference. We know you will find it an enjoyalbe experience as many before you have. The SC family is really a place to make new friends.. and keep in touch with some old ones.