It happens every year. Urgent issues—or burgeoning topics—surface at our annual meeting or during the lag time after proposals are due and before the conference actually happens. So often, we discuss these issues informally in the few precious moments before and after regular sessions. You talk in the hallway. But how can the field benefit from the knowledge we all bring to these discussions? If only there were a way to bring people together to discuss timely topics on short notice . . .
Wait! We can do that! For the second year, the 2015 AASLH annual meeting will include Pop-Up Sessions. We’re excited to use this new-to-us format to make needed discussions of timely topics possible. We’ve held two slots for these roundtable discussions: Friday at 4:15 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.
So, is your head buzzing with a current issue or question relevant to a range of people in the field? Do you see something that’s not on the list of current conference sessions that just needs to be addressed? Or did you just arrive in Louisville and wish you could talk about a topic that just occurred to you?
Please suggest a topic before 2 p.m. on Thursday, the first day of the conference. We’ll take suggestions two ways: 1.Through in-person sign-up at the AASLH Registration Desk, or 2. Via Twitter (use the hashtag #AASLHpop). Please check the hashtag and favorite or retweet to show your interest–or star a proposal you like at the registration desk. We’ll announce the Pop-Up topics no later than 6 p.m. on Thursday, both via Twitter and on the info board.
Just remember that these are ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATIONS, not presentations, so be prepared for attendees to learn together!
Megan Wood (@meganlkwood) and I are looking forward to facilitating this process. We hope you’ll participate in our “un-conference” adventure, and we’re excited to see your ideas!
Sarah Jencks (@sarahjencks) is the Director of Education Programming for the Ford’s Theatre Society in Washington, D.C.
