We’d like to remind everyone of a few important points for the conference prior to arrival. We have dubbed the Technology Regional Conference a “working conference” because our goal for the conference is to provide a foundation for technology protocols and framework that can be scaled across to all chapters in the US and Canada, as well as adopted by chapters internationally. Unlike other JETAA conferences you may have attended in the past that feature open discussion of ideas, this conference will bias documentation and action.

Ideas come from all of us, but the work into documenting our ideas is also a responsibility we share. If, for example, we are discussing chapters that don’t have particular functionality for their websites, instead of assigning action items to follow the conference, we expect delegates to help integrate this functionality to those websites for those chapters. If we are discussing how not all JETAA chapters have Facebook Groups pages, we would expect that everyone in attendance roll up their sleeves and make sure that all chapters have Facebook Groups pages by the end of your session.

We also want to document the conference. Actually, we want all of you to help document the conference. We will have official note takers, but we also want our delegates contributions to document the work that is done, discussions and important points for JETAA to know, questions that need to be answered following the conference, etc. Everyone should have received a login to the wiki and will be encouraged to contribute to the wiki during the conference. For those who are inexperienced with wiki’s, they are very friendly collaboration environments. Let regionalconference@jetaaportland.com know and we will schedule a quick walkthrough on Saturday prior to when the sessions start.

It is very important that everyone adhere to the prerequisites for the conference. Please try and work on the wiki test page. It is recommended (but not required) to download the software and be familiar with how it works. This will help to enhance our opportunities with respect to documentation and action. Come prepared because we really can’t afford the time to catch anyone who hasn’t finished the prerequisites for the conference.

Time will be tight and the eyes of JETAA are on us. There are 11 chapters attending the conference, including CLAIR representatives from Tokyo and New York, and many more following the conference online/Facebook/Twitter. Let’s put our heads down and deliver results – stay focused, document and execute. We may table some discussions for follow up after the conference if we don’t have the resources or ability to answer. We will have little choice given the day and half to accomplish all the things we need to for the conference.

See you in Portland everyone! (or online wherever you are!)

If you notice the rotating image at the top of the site you will see how this conference has truly become something special. The first image is the original five chapters that agreed to participate at the National Conference. The second image includes all 11 chapters attending.

JETAA Portland is truly humbled by the amazing response and thanks all JETAA chapters for their interest and participation. We look forward to meeting everyone next week. Remember to let us know if you have any questions, send them to regionalconference @ jetaaportland.com