Conference
Bloomington, Minnesota
2012 MCRSA/IMPLAN Conference
June 6-8, 2012
Hilton Airport/Mall of America
The MCRSA will hold its 43rd Annual Conference in conjunction with MIG, Inc.'s 9th Biennial IMPLAN User's Conference, June 6-8, 2012 at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America.
We invite you to be a part of this always enjoyable and productive professional meeting. The conference will offer a stimulating mix of academic and applied research perspectives. Please note and hold the dates. This will be a meeting you won't want to miss.
For IMPLAN users, IMPLAN will hold a special reduced-cost pre-conference Introduction to IMPLAN V3 Workshop, June 5-6 at the Hilton.
Important Conference Policy Changes
We're implementing several significant new policies with this year's conference. Please read them carefully.
MCRSA Combined Registration/Membership
What is it? We are including MCRSA membership in the conference registration fee for those who have not already paid for it individually.
Why? Members asked for it. It remains our policy that all participants in the MCRSA conference be members of the Association. So, there is an enhanced fee to cover the membership requirement. However, there is no mention of professional association membership on the registration form, nor will there be on the conference receipt. It only will say MCRSA Conference Registration. There is no MCRSA membership requirement for IMPLAN conference participants, and registration is priced separately.
Late Registration Surcharge
What is it? This isn't really new. We always have had a financial incentive to get people to register earlier rather than later.
Why? We are trying to cut down on the uncertainty associated with people who wait until the last minute to decide whether to come after their paper is accepted and the invitation to attend has been issued. The cost differential between early and late registration is $50.
Paper Acceptance Withdrawal for Non-registration
What is it? Anyone who has had a paper accepted but who fails to register and pay the conference registration fee by May 6, 2012 will have their paper removed from the conference program and their presentation time slot eliminated.
Why? Every year, we have “No Shows” who have had a paper accepted and included in the program, but who fail to register, who ignore inquiries about their intentions, and who we must make and pay for conference preparations. Most people have no idea how expensive it is to host a conference. A reminder will be sent to any such non-registrant, and a notification of withdrawal will be issued.
Non-conference Hotel Surcharge
What is it? Attendees who do not register for an overnight stay at the conference venue (Hilton Airport/MoA) or who book outside of the MCRSA/IMPLAN room block will incur an additional surcharge of $150.
Why? To get complimentary meeting space at the hotel, we need to guarantee conference participants will pick up a certain number of room nights. Some participants will book outside our room block, hoping to get last minute discounts. The penalties for failing to meet the minimum number of room nights could have significant negative consequences for the Association. This charge will help defray costs in the event that we do not meet the conference venue’s room-night quota, and the incentive helps us to continue to negotiate excellent discounted hotel rates for future conferences by preserving a good “history” of room pickup. (This surcharge does not apply to students or to attendees with a local business address, i.e. the Twin Cities area.)
Refund Policy
What is it? For any cancellations received before May 25, 2012, MCRSA will retain $25 of your registration fee to cover credit card and related handling charges. For students, $10 of the registration fee will be retained for cancellations through May 25, 2012. For any cancelled guest registration, $10 will be retained for cancellations until May 25, 2012. Refund requests should be submitted to MCRSA Secretary/Treasurer, John Leatherman (jleather@k-state.edu). Under no circumstances will refunds be issued after 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on May 25, 2012. If, however, it becomes impossible for you to attend after May 25, you may optionally transfer your registration to an alternate participant that you have identified by contacting John Leatherman.