If you’ve ever thought about volunteering to help ICAN at the national level, but you weren’t sure when, the time is now!

We are currently looking for volunteers for the ICAN 2013 Conference Committee.

Whether you had the time of your life at the 2011 conference, or if you’ve never attended a conference before, we need your help. Volunteers who complete their term of service will receive free registration to the 2013 conference in Seattle, a few fun goodies, and the eternal thanks of a grateful nation of ICANers!

No experience is necessary, and we all support each other, so you won't ever be on your own. This is a great way to help ICAN and to help women. We need fresh perspectives and a lot of energy!

The list of open positions is below. Download the application form or email me at conference@ican-online.org or call me at 404-609-9873 if you have any questions.

Thanks!
Maureen Hetrick
ICAN Conference Director

Conference Committee Open Positions 2013

• Must live in or near the host city
• works with Attendee hospitality coordinator
• performs site visits for hotels
• works with conference director to select hotel
• provides any local assistance needed, including collecting and providing names of potential local sponsors and speakers.
• May call meetings of local volunteers to help with conference planning
• Oversee conference from the conference site.
• Accomplish tasks on site as necessary.
• Write content for website about the area with links to points of interest
• Develop list of family-friendly activities in local area
• Pan outing for families

• Works with local operations to develop list of needs for attendees
• Organize and set up “cry room” for attendees
• Organizes day trip for families
• Plans and coordinates social events at conference
• Compiles and develops list of local attractions, food, transportation options
• Stock hospitality room for attendees and families
• Helps attendees find groups for meals, outings, etc.
• Develop packets/information about local area for registration packet and website
• collect detailed information about airport and getting to the hotel for visitors
• This person should be outgoing and good at making everyone feel welcome and included.

• develops list of potential speakers for conference
• writes and disseminates call for speakers
• accepts speaker applications and works with committee to select an appropriate mix of speakers and topics
• Communicates with speakers to help them refine their presentations as necessary, turn in required paperwork, and to get speaker bios and session info for website and conference manual
• Coordinates travel arrangements for speakers
• Works with Speaker Hospitality coordinator and CEU coordinator
• Works with A/V coordinator to make sure speakers have necessary equipment
• must be available by telephone and email to respond to queries from potential speakers.
  Speaker Hospitality Coordinator
• help speaker chair with greeting speakers at the conference
• coordinates speaker arrivals from the airport, finds volunteers to pick them up
• puts together VIP speaker welcome bags, speaker thank you baskets
• work with Treasurer for speaker reimbursement prior to speaker leaving conference.
• On-site liaison with speakers for any needs.
• Must have cell phone to be contacted by speakers before and during conference

• assists exhibits chair in soliciting advertisers, exhibitors for conference
• keeps track of exhibitors and advertisers payments and follows up with those who have expressed interest in advertising
• Coordinates stuffing of welcome bags and shipment of materials to conference from vendors.
• Works with website chair and ICAN webmaster to place web ads
• Collects copies of ads and submits them to the conference manual editor for publication

Silent Auction/Raffle Coordinator

• coordinates the silent auction and raffle for conference
• works with exhibits chair to solicit silent auction/raffle items.
• Finds volunteer to store mailed auction/raffle items until conference
• Logs and records each item received and determines initial bid price
• Prints bid sheets for each item, sets up auction with displays and works with exhibit chair on location of auction
• Promotes auction during the conference
• Works with bookstore to facilitate payment after auction
• Organizes raffle, including getting necessary permissions in advance
• Coordinates timing of raffle drawing, and promotes raffle ticket sales during conference

• advertises the conference locally
• works with national promotions and publicity chair to coordinate efforts
• Develop advertisements for conference.
• Communicates with local news organizations for potentially free publicity
• (with national publicity chair) Writes press releases and sends to appropriate places (news outlets, nearby chapters, local birth organizations, etc.)
• Network using social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to spread info about conference.
• Communicate with local birth or parenting organizations to promote the conference to their members
• Develop list of local contacts

• advertises the conference nationally to ICAN members and other organizations or interested parties
• works with local promotions and publicity chair to coordinate efforts
• Develop advertisements for conference.
• Communicates with national publications to advertise conference
• (with local publicity chair) Writes press releases and sends to appropriate places (news outlets, chapter leaders, birth organizations, etc.)
• Network using social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to spread info about conference.
• Sends updates to ICAN-L list to keep chapter leaders aware of conference planning progress and build excitement about conference.
• Coordinates chapter leader scholarship fund with treasurer. Solicit donations and also encourage applications.
• Communicate with other birth or parenting organizations to promote the conference to their members (Lamaze, CAPPA, etc.)
• Develop list of national contacts – particularly those already affiliated with ICAN or who should be aware of ICAN

• collect contact information on those who have volunteered to help at conference
• coordinates with other committee members to assess needs for volunteers
• communicate with volunteers in advance and instructs them about the jobs they will be doing.
• Helps conference director in filling any unfilled conference committee positions.
• Hold pre-conference day meeting for volunteers
• Find thank you gifts for volunteers.

• obtains AV requests from the speaker chair and coordinates with the AV provider in order to obtain AV bids.
• During the conference, makes sure the AV provider is on site with all the necessary equipment and sets up equipment as necessary
• Is available at the conference to assist speakers in the use of the equipment and do basic troubleshooting.
• Uses the specs given by the Speaker chair to make sure that all necessary equipment is rented, available and ready for speakers. Works with A/V company or finds volunteer for session recording and sale. Needs to develop an emergent plan if something else becomes necessary during the conference.

Registration Chair

• will keep track of registrations, along with what sessions they have registered for, t-shirts ordered and CEUs ordered
• Will work with volunteers to keep registration table staffed at the conference.
• Track registrants to ensure payment has been made – communication with Treasurer is essential.
• Orders conference bags – work with promotions and exhibit chairs
• Must have ability to work with Excel spreadsheets to track registrations
• Organize and develop nametags and get them into lanyards
• coordinating with CEU chair to keep track of registrants who need cues
• work with conference chair to develop conference registration brochure/form
• work with bookstore and subscriber relations to develop online registration
• track pre-orders of t-shirts
• order nametag ribbons (board, volunteers, chapter leaders)

• Coordinate continuing education credits for MEAC and ICEA
• Search for other possible organizations who might provide CEUs
• work with Speaker Chair, contact speakers as needed for additional information needed for CEUs
• work with Volunteer Coordinator for session volunteers, oversee evaluation process, handout CEU certificate, compile materials for storage
• follow up with CEU applicants after the conference to make sure they received their credits.