The Annual Conference Is Changing! An Advance Look

In October 2006, the Program Advance Task Force of academics and practitioners was created. Its charge was to create a 5-year plan focusing on the program for the SIOP annual conference. The task force was created at the request of President Jeff McHenry in anticipation of the change from a 2 ½-day conference to a 3-day conference in 2008. The task was completed through critical review of member conference satisfaction data, conference data trends (e.g., attendance figures over time), and emerging priorities of the Society.

Task Force Members

Steven Rogelberg (Chair)
Tammy Allen
Ben Dowell
Julie Olson-Buchanan
Luis Parra
Doug Pugh
John Scott
Lois Tetrick
Janine Waclawski

There are some exciting changes to expect at the upcoming San Francisco Annual Conference.

Each day of the conference will have a unique defining element in addition to the standard peer-reviewed programming.

Introduction of a Thursday and Saturday theme track. A theme track is almost a conference within a conference. It is a narrow actionable theme that appeals to all individuals regardless of whether they work in an applied setting or academia and reflects a cutting edge topic or trend. For each theme there is a full day of coherent programming (e.g., invited speakers; debates).
Friday will contain a repackaging of the successful Sunday seminars, some key committee reports, and an extension of the fall consortium.

There will be fewer session types to simplify the submission process, reduce confusion, and decrease redundancies.
Expect a reduction in the number of concurrent sessions. This reduction, coupled with the additional half-day being added to the conference will result in roughly a net zero increase or decrease in total programming. A reduction in concurrent sessions allows us to maintain the current acceptance rate and uphold program quality. It is also worth noting that the ratio of invited sessions to peer-reviewed content will be of roughly the same proportion as it has been in the past.
There will be a reduction in the use of 110 minute sessions coupled with an increase in the number of shorter sessions.
The conference will continue to open with its traditional plenary address but will also conclude with a second plenary session and a major, unforgettable invited address.
There will be an all-conference reception Saturday night to celebrate the conclusion of the conference.

There are also some behind-the-scenes changes occurring such as the implementation of a new software system to enhance efficiency, a new reviewer assignment process that provides the Program Committee with more information on an appropriate reviewer set for a submission, new procedures for allocating non-peer-reviewed content and new subcommittee structures.

SIOP is dedicated to making the annual conference a unique, enriching, and memorable experience for all our members. We recognize that this requires constant self-reflection, continuous improvement, the trying of new ideas, and a commitment to excellence. It is our sincere hope that the changes above build on the tremendous success already associated with our special conference.