Last week, the ASAE annual meeting proposal notices came out. Some of us got in, some of us didn’t, and some got a little of both.
Now there are half joking – but that also means half serious – conspiracy theories floating around about certain people or groups being intentionally excluded.
I think we have a mote and beam problem here.
How many of our organizations are open about our selection criteria for our conferences?
- Does being a frequent presenter count for you – or against you?
- Do we consider old scores?
- What does having a “name” in your field get you?
- Are there unwritten rules?
It doesn’t have to be this way.
sxsw takes an interesting approach: people vote on the sessions they want to see (ASAE has incorporated elements of this in the past, too). Sure, that can turn things into a popularity contest, but popular vote isn’t the whole story, and it helps attendees feel connected to the event.
What can you do at your organization to be more transparent about why people are accepted or rejected for volunteer service, conference presentations, magazine articles, etc.?