- Can I videotape sessions at UPA?
- What are Workshops and What are Tutorials?
- What are the Tutorial Waiting Lists about?
- What is a SIG? For that matter, what is a BOF?
- What if I need to cancel my reservation?
- If I bring my family, what does the UPA provide
for them?
- I have never been to a UPA conference. Why should
I go?
- I stopped going to the conference--why should
I start going again?
- I'd like to volunteer. How do I do that?
Can I videotape sessions at UPA?
No. The use of video-recording equipment is not permitted during any
part of the conference.
A tutorial is an intensive instructional session, typically
a full day, conducted by an expert in the field. Tutorials are usually,
but not always, oriented towards introductory or intermediate material.
Anyone may register for a tutorial.
A workshop is an exploration of open issues in the field,
conducted by someone who has a particular interest and expertise in
the issue. Workshops are small, closed highly interactive working sessions;
it is not unusual for a workshop to result, eventually, in a book or
other major publication. In order to participate in a workshop, you
must submit an application or position paper describing your interest
and experience in the specific issue to be discussed. These go to the
workshop organizer, who will select the participants. Workshops are
usually, but not always, oriented towards more experienced people.
See each workshop description for information about submitting position
papers. If the workshop organizer does not ask for specific content
for the paper, then a one to three page paper describing your interest
and experience in the area would be appropriate.
Some of the tutorials may sell out before registration is closed.
We try to provide enough seating for everyone, but we can't always do
that. If a tutorial is sold out, the online registration will offer
you the chance to ask to be on the waiting list for that tutorial; if
a seat does open up, it may be offered to you.
In general, it's not a safe bet that a seat will be available for
a tutorial that offers a waiting list. If there is another tutorial
at the same time that interests you, you should sign up for it in addition
to making your wait-list request. If a seat becomes available later,
it isn't automatic that you'll get that seat; you will be contacted
and will have a chance to change your registration.
A Special Interest Group ("SIG" for short) is a gathering
of a group of people interested in a particular topic. A Birds
of a Feather session ("BOF" for short) is more or less the same
thing. Some conferences provide both, with SIGs generally being planned
a little more in advance, and perhaps listed in the conference program.
A BOF may mean something informal, almost spontaneous, and where the
idea for the session is proposed during the conference itself.
The UPA conference provides up to eight SIG sessions on Wednesday
evening. See the section of the program on SIGs
for more information.
To change or cancel your registration, contact Prestige Accommodations
(registration@prestigeacc.com,
telephone +1 800 321 6338 or +1 714 957 9100). Written refund requests
will be honored if postmarked before Monday, July 17, 2000. A $100 administration
fee will be deducted. Mail or fax requests for refunds to Prestige Accommodations.
If accompanied by an authorization letter from you, registration can
be transferred to a colleague.
You will need to cancel your hotel reservation directly with the hotel.
Call the Grove Park Inn at (800) 438-5800 (or +1 828 252 2711 for international
callers).
Your family is welcome at the UPA conference and at the Grove Park
Inn. Several conference events are open to family, including all of
the tours and the Special
Events. Just remember to buy tickets for them during the registration
process.
In addition, the hotel provides child care.
If you are a already a usability professional, or are thinking about
integrating usability in your organization, this conference is for you.
You will learn useful information about how veterans integrated usability
and processes into different types of organizations. You will hear inspiring
talks from invited speakers. You will learn some useful usability methods
and techniques that people are using today. Best of all, you will meet
people who will help answer your specific questions about the situation
you are in today. There are other people out there who share the same
types of challenges and experiences as you--meet them and learn how
they have improved their organization and products through usability.
UPA is growing. The membership is becoming more diverse, and more advanced.
The presentations are reflecting this, as more business case studies and
more advanced topics are scheduled to be presented this year. Additionally,
people that belong to UPA and attend the conference are the same people
who have been advancing usability as a field. You can be one of those
people if you stay involved. The more you read, present, write, and yes,
even attend the conference, the more the field of usability will be accepted
and advanced worldwide. We have come a long way as a profession, but we
still gave a long way to go. Be a part of this exciting, growing community.
The UPA is a volunteer organization; we'd love to have your help. You
can contact the conference committee through either Marie Tahir at marie_tahir@intuit.com
or Kara Coyne at Kara_Coyne@lotus.com
to help with the conferences. We can always use people to do planning
work, review submissions, arrange various activities, and much more.
For non-conference work, please contact Mary Beth Rettger at mrettger@mathworks.com.
Volunteer work is a great way to establish new contacts in the usability
community, and to experience the diversity of people who work as usability
professionals and of approaches to usability in different environments.
All help will be very much appreciated.
