#1 Question!  Why is the conference always in Appleton?

  • Staying at the same hotel every year allows us to hold down costs.  We would have to charge significantly more (or have cheaper speakers) if we moved the conference around the state.  We get discounted rates for signing contracts several years in advance.  Plus, prices in general are cheaper in Appleton than in Madison and Milwaukee.
  • The majority of attendees like being downtown with restaurants within walking distance, rather than being at the edge of a city and needing to drive somewhere.
  • The hotel is great to work with, accommodates our quirky requests, and the committee knows how to plan from year to year.  No (unpleasant) surprises like we used to get when we moved every year.

Could the conference end earlier on Friday?

  • This year we are experimenting with starting an hour earlier to allow the conference to end at 3:30 on Friday and still provide 10 CERPs.  It will be up to you to tell us on the evaluations whether you like this better.  We will go with the majority’s preference.

Why don’t we have soda at the breaks?

  • Cost.  We really try to keep the conference affordable and the cost of soda really adds up!  There should be time during the breaks to pop out to get whatever you’d prefer if the snacks we provide don’t meet your needs.  Soda is available in the lobby gift shop or in the machines by the pool.