Set dates for the conference.

• Joe Yoder and the Conference Chair will help with this.

Establish the PC members.

• Don’t talk anyone into it. Rather, make sure each person is interested and excited about doing it (or he/she won’t be much help).

• Put the Conference Chair on the PC.

• Ask the past year’s Program Chair to be on the PC. 

Get the web page going.

• Even if you don’t have all the information, post a placeholder stating that more information is coming soon.

Include Dates for:

• Conference registration

• Paper submissions due

• Shepherding begins

• Shepherd recommendations due

• Notification of acceptance to the authors

• Conference drafts due

• Registration deadline

Write the Call for Participation.

• Think about what events you want in addition to the usual Writers’ Workshops (focus groups, BoFs, etc.)

Decide on a submission system (and make sure it is working).

• Ask PC members and other friends to help test it.

Budget.

• The Conference Chair should work on this with help from Joe Yoder and with your input.

Plan the Special Activities, such as:

• games

• special “big name” speakers

• evening events

• etc.

Keep in touch with shepherds and authors throughout the shepherding!

• Send regular “how is it going?” emails, with reminders, during shepherding.

Handle the papers when they start coming in.

• Get shepherds (and PC members) assigned to papers.  Allow at least two weeks for this, but better yet, start lining them up before the papers come in.

• Remember sound guidelines when accepting papers for the conference.

Assign to writers workshops. 

• Get help/input from PC members when doing this.