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Thank you for considering developing a program for ABA International’s 2009 Spring Meeting, April 14-18, 2009 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC. We are looking for cutting-edge programs with world-class speakers. Qualitatively, we want the 2009 Spring Meeting’s programs to be the best in ABA International’s history. We are providing this guidance to help you navigate the program proposal process.

We are using an online program proposal submission form for the 2009 Spring Meeting that will be available on September 2, 2008.  Program proposals will be due at 5 p.m. Eastern time on September 30, 2008.

Program Format

• One of ABA International’s principal objectives is the presentation of world class programming with best-in-the-field speakers, and the implementation of a policy of promoting diversity in all endeavors. Proposed programs should reflect the diversity goals of ABA International. Proposals will be scrutinized carefully to determine if they approximate the Section’s rich diversity in their speakers. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to strive for equal representation amongst men and women in all programs, and for your program to reflect diversity in other areas including race, nationality, geography, disability, age and, as appropriate, nature of practice (corporate counsel, outside counsel, government, academic, NGO).  World-class program proposals that reflect the diversity goals of ABA International will be favorably considered.
• All programs are 90 minutes long. Your program proposal should contemplate having four (4) speakers plus one moderator, unless otherwise approved by the meeting co-Chairs. Be sure to plan for time at the end of your program for discussion among the panelists and an audience question-and-answer segment. To the extent possible, please identify potential speakers for your proposed program. Such identification will assist us in evaluating your program proposal. Proposed speakers should be experts and at the top of their fields. Please note: you may ask potential speakers if they are interested in speaking at the 2009 Spring Meeting, however, you should NOT formally invite any speakers unless and until we confirm acceptance of your program for the 2009 Spring Meeting.
• We strongly encourage innovative program formats (e.g., mock trials, moderator with roving microphone) and discourage “talking head” panels (several speakers each giving a 15 or 20 minute speech). The format of your presentation will be a key indicator of whether a program is accepted so please be creative in your approach.
• A Program Chair is the person with ultimate responsibility for planning and executing a program at the 2009 Spring Meeting. The Program Chair also is responsible for developing appropriate, high-quality written materials for the program. There should be no more than two (2) Program Co-Chairs for a single program. A Program Chair/Co-Chair may also be the moderator or speaker for their program, but need not be. The Program Chair/Co-Chairs is/are the primary contact for their program. In the program proposal form, the space “Program Submitted By” should be filled in with the name(s) and email(s) of the Program Chair/Co-Chairs.  Program Chairs who are not moderators or speakers generally should not be seated on the panel, but can be acknowledged by the moderator at the outset of the program.
• A Moderator is the “emcee” of the program. We recommend that there be a single moderator for each program. The moderator’s duties include introducing the speakers and keeping the program on the right pace. In exceptional circumstances a moderator may also be a speaker, however please note that there may not be multiple speakers from the same firm on a single panel.
• A Showcase Program is a program that is expected to attract more than 150 attendees. Showcase programs should have broad appeal, prominent speakers, and an ability to “fill the room.” A Showcase Program should be sufficiently attractive to draw its audience even if run concurrently with several other programs on other topics.
• A Committee Program is a program that has a narrower focus and would attract around 75 attendees, while run concurrently with four (4) or five (5) Showcase/Committee Programs on other topics. Although we expect a large turnout at the Spring Meeting, the attendance at any particular program is not guaranteed.  Program Chairs are responsible for publicizing their programs as well as the entire meeting.  The best attended programs are frequently those where the Program Chair has engaged in significant marketing efforts.
• When drafting a program description, ensure that it is punchy, accurate, less than seventy five (75) words, and designed to convince people to attend your program. This description will appear in the meeting brochure, website, and onsite materials, although we reserve the right to amend proposed program descriptions.
• The 2009 Spring Meeting may have nine (9) or more program tracks, and we are in the process of making track selections. We expect the program tracks at the 2009 Spring Meeting to be similar to those at past seasonal meetings, and include:
  
  - Public International Law
  - Dispute Resolution/Litigation
  - Taxation
  - Rule of Law
  - Corporate/Transactional
  - International Trade/Customs
  - Regional
  - Corporate Counsel
  - Young Lawyers
  - Regulatory
  Each program must fit into one or more of these tracks.

Speakers

• A program may NOT have two (2) or more speakers from the same organization; moderator included, unless approved in advance by the Meeting co-chairs. Note further that no specific speaker should speak on more than one (1) panel, unless given approval from the meeting Co-Chairs. 
• Replacements for initially-scheduled speakers who have to cancel their appearance must be approved in advance and communicated to the Meeting Co-Chairs with copy to the Meetings Manager via email.  Replacement speakers should be a best-in-field speaker and generally will not come from the same firm as the speaker being replaced.
• ABA International typically does not reimburse travel expenses for speakers at seasonal meetings, including the 2009 Spring Meeting. Reimbursement decisions, when made, are done on a case-by-case basis and take into account a number of factors. All decisions regarding reimbursement requests will be made by the Spring Meeting Co-Chairs and the Section Chair.
• ABA International will provide appropriate letters of invitation to speakers who require such a letter to obtain a visa to enter the United States. Please contact Annie Wanlund, ABA International’s Meetings Coordinator, at wanlunda@staff.abanet.org or +1.202.662.1673 to arrange for a letter of invitation. Please make such request as far in advance of the meeting as possible. Last-minute requests may go unfulfilled.

CLE

• All submitted programs must qualify for CLE credit. To that end, if your program is accepted, please make sure that you develop content for inclusion on the 2009 Spring Meeting CD-ROM. CLE rules require more content than just the inclusion of each speaker’s biography. Speakers should be encouraged to submit papers for the programs on which they are speaking.  CLE rules require that at least one piece of prose be submitted for each CLE program.  PowerPoint presentations are not sufficient to qualify for CLE credit, and such presentations are typically not included in the CD-ROM.  As stated above, the Program Chair is responsible for assuring development of written materials for his/her program.
• We especially want to make sure we can offer a good amount of ethics CLE credit, so please keep that in mind as you develop your program proposal.  Programs offering ethics credits typically draw larger audiences than otherwise comparable CLE programs.

Collaboration

• We encourage two or more ABA International committees to cooperate on a single program submission. Good, innovative programs often require the input of more than one committee. Visit http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/committees/home.html for a full roster of ABA International committees, which, in turn, leads to each committee’s homepage and leadership listing. Members who are proposing programs must reach out to the leadership of the relevant Section committee(s) for sponsorship and are encouraged to join the Spring Meeting Planning Committee.

Decisions

• One of five fates awaits your program proposal.  Specifically, your proposal could be: (a) accepted as proposed or with minor changes; (b) accepted subject to combination with another program proposal; (c) wait-listed, meaning that a decision on the program is postponed until such time that we have a better picture of how other programs are developing; (d) deferred, meaning that it was declined for the 2009 Spring Meeting but will be considered for the Section’s next seasonal meeting; or (e) declined.  The Spring Meeting Co-Chairs will be in touch with you by November 14 regarding the decision on your program.

If you have any questions about the foregoing, please feel free to contact any of the 2009 Spring Meeting Co-Chairs:

• Meaghan McGrath Beaumont, (mbeaumont@ifc.org),
• Lori Sostowski (LSostowski@HHLAW.com) or
• Marcy Stras (MStras@bakerlaw.com).

We thank you for your efforts on behalf of ABA International and the 2009 Spring Meeting!