THE FUTURE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING: WHEN AND WHERE TO MEET?
We now face uncertainty about when and where the ASOR Annual Meeting will be held in the future. Why is this and what needs to be done? It is YOUR meeting we need YOUR input…. Again.
As many ASOR members know, we decided during our 2007 meeting that the best time and place for the ASOR meeting was just prior to the SBL meeting and in the same city. However, as the combined SBL-AAR meeting has grown and swallowed up prime hotel space, we have been pushed increasingly to the outskirts of the cities where we meet. This is an issue at this year’s Denver meeting and will be again as we look to book a venue for 2021, when there will essentially be no room for us downtown in San Antonio, the SBL-AAR venue.
We started this conversation in late 2016. At that time, we elicited input through an initial survey and at a membership meeting. The results of the survey were posted and are here summarized.
1) Responses: about 270 folks viewed the survey (actually went to the link) and between 220-236 responded (depending on the question);
2) Demographics: half of respondents had been members for 10 years or less and about 2/3 attend the Annual Meeting most or every year; 32% of respondents were SBL members and 40% of these responded that they regularly attend SBL;
3) 25% of respondents said they prefer to meet with SBL, while 33% preferred to not meet with SBL (42% were in the middle)
4) Most (31%) on a 1 to 5 scale preferred to stay with the Nov. Wed-Sat timeframe, even if we do not meet in conjunction with SBL; the rest of the responses were: 4 = 25%, 3 = 27%, 2 = 14%, 1 (strongly favor changing the Nov. Wed.-Sat. timeframe) = 3%.
5) For most, a change in the November date (59%) or days of the week (71%) would make NO difference to their attendance.
6) Although most (64%) were in the middle regarding meeting with another organization, the most popular organization to meet with was AIA (71%).
At the meeting and by email, additional input centered around
1) the date – a fall date and thus a spring deadline is difficult for papers involving field work, while spring was noted as already set for attending other organizations;
2) the focus of ASOR as an organization – the historical connection to “Bible” was noted as both important and unimportant;
3) the venue – having transportation readily available, and eateries and “entertainments” close at hand;
4) the cost – making two/multiple trips to national meetings per year was costly.
This input gave us a good start in our discussions, but then in March 2017, we got our eviction notice from Boston University (where our headquarters had been for many years) and the process of relocation side-tracked the discussion about the Annual Meeting. This delay proved to be less problematic than it could have been – we were able to contract for both San Diego in 2019 and Boston in 2020 (at the same hotel as our record breaking 2017 meeting). The urgent pressure was relieved. But now it is time to decide, both about our meeting in 2021 and for the years beyond.
As before, it must be understood that the Board is empowered to make this decision – and intends to do so at its Spring 2019 meeting. Thus, it is now time to provide the input necessary to create a decision that is in the best interests of the membership. The Ad Hoc Committee on the Annual Meeting was formed to do just that – provide a recommendation to the Board. This Committee seeks your input through several methods.
First, on Thursday of this year’s Annual Meeting, from 12:45-2:00, an all-member discussion will be held at the annual Early Career Scholars’ Panel. Open to all, this will allow members to present their views and discuss the issues and options with the larger membership. Please note: because we want to give everyone a chance to be heard, there will be a time limit for initial statements of 3 minutes. A record will be kept of these comments and conversations so that the Ad Hoc Committee may have this input moving forward.
A second method for giving input will be through the second membership survey, to be posted in January 2019. Yes, this one will allow for “comments” as well as “multiple choice.”
A third input mechanism is more informal: conversations or emails with an Ad Hoc Committee member. As before, the Chair of this Committee is Gary Arbino – GaryArbino@gs.edu.
Please note that SBL meetings through 2031 will ONLY be held at the following five cities: San Diego, Boston, San Antonio, Denver, and Washington DC.
By way of helping to structure the discussion here are the basic options for our Annual Meeting moving forward:
(1) ALL years: Stay with SBL in terms of city and dates and bend over backwards to figure out the best possible way to make it work.
A) meeting as close as feasible to SBL (Denver Tech park, resorts outside San Antonio);
B) meet in the same city but finish the ASOR meeting before SBL meeting begins- so there is minimal overlap of hotel space (ASOR would meet Tues.-Fri).
(2) ALL years: Split from SBL in terms of city, but NOT in terms of dates – ASOR meets either
A) far from the SBL city (making a long ‘triangle’ trip for double attendees), or
B) “close enough” (for a shorter ‘triangle’ trip; e.g. SBL at San Antonio, ASOR at Austin).
(3) ALTERNATING years:
In years that are MANAGEABLE (Boston, San Diego, Washington) – Stay with SBL in terms of city and dates;
AND
In years where the SBL city is UNAVAILABLE (Denver, San Antonio) – Split from SBL in terms of city, but NOT in terms of dates; either
A) Far from SBL; or
B) “Close Enough” to SBL
(4) ALL years: Split from SBL altogether in terms of city and dates.
NOTE: splitting in terms of dates opens other aspects of the discussion –
when and if we meet with any other organization.
ASOR needs and values your input. Please come to the Meeting and make your opinions known.
