Complete Story
08/30/2024
Behind the Scenes with ACHNE's Program Chair
Communication Committee Update
The Communications Committee “sat down with” our Vice President, Scott Harpin, to discuss the 2024 Annual Institute. Planning the AI is the responsibility of the VP, along with a volunteer committee.
The AI was well-received by attendees. From your perspective, what met your expectations—what exceeded them?
Pretty much everything about the 2024 AI exceeded my expectations! I was worried about registrations and not meeting our goal for attendee numbers. In the end, I think we had 20-25 more people than we planned! The evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, especially for our slate of keynote and plenary speakers and participants feeling we met the conference objectives. I was also very proud of our two pre-conference workshops, how well-attended they were and the high marks each got from participants. Finally, I had been a bit concerned about how far away we were going to be from Chicago's Loop and other entertainment options. But it seemed that people still found a way to go down and 'see the sights' if they desired, with very few complaints about being so far north in the suburbs.
Really, overall, ACHNE and our Program Committee can be very proud of putting on a fantastic conference and professional development offering!
While the AI was overall successful, what could have gone better?
There really hasn't been much that I've heard anecdotally or via the evaluations for what we could've done better. Our committee was a bit disappointed that we couldn't attract more sponsorship tables, especially featuring textbooks and learning materials that ACHNE members use for their courses. But we've learned that the loss of sponsorships is a new post-pandemic phenomenon that a lot of conferences are dealing with.
We also had a goal of recruiting and including students at the AI this year, both as a part of attracting new members and addressing our strategic planning goal of 'mentorship'. What we did for that was a bit last-minute in terms of getting students scholarships to get them there. But it still worked out and we will do better next year being thoughtful about those integrations.
What will the planning committee be looking to do for next year?
We started working on elements of the 2025 AI at this time last year. We've secured an incredible commitment of support and sponsorship through University of South Carolina's College of Nursing via past-VP, Robin Dawson. Our Planning Committee has also been thoughtful about engaging with the new CREIDE committee to continue their fantastic momentum and the 'racial reckoning' discussions from the 2023 AI in San Diego. When we decided we'd be having our next AI in South Carolina, our committee and the Board of Directors agreed it would be a great location to incorporate local history into those crucial conversations about equity and inclusivity.
But really, our goal for this year's Planning Committee is to plan for and have a great conference akin to what we had in Chicago, one that ACHNE members will look forward to attending to meet their professional and personal goals from a membership organization. We know that travel stipends at universities are tight, and many people have to pay for conferences out of pocket: we want to host three days that people will look back on and know their time and money was well-spent!
