Student Column: Plan for the 2011 ICA Conference in Boston!

by Malte Hinrichsen, U of Amsterdam and Diana Nastasia, U of North Dakota

Time is passing fast, and the 2011 ICA conference is quickly approaching. For ICA student members it is particularly exciting to travel to Boston, present scholarship, and interact with other scholars. Many student members might be involved in conference activities for the first time, and as such it is key to plan conference participation early and carefully. That is why we have prepared a checklist for student members who will be going to Boston to look over in the next few weeks. We are hoping that by taking care of the items included on this list, ICA student members, especially first-time conference attendees, will make the best of their conference experiences.

Here are our conference planning tips:

• If you have a paper accepted for the conference, submit your revised version by 30 April! Revisions are uploaded on the conference management site. Improvements you have made to your paper will be available for conference participants.
• Preregister for the ICA conference by 6 May 2011! You can preregister by printing and mailing a registration form, which may take up to 4 weeks, or by filling out the form and submitting the payment online. Preregistration prices are lower than on-site registration prices. Conference preregistration will help you avoid waiting in line at the conference and will ensure the availability for you of the conference materials.
• Register for ICA preconferences of interest to you! When you preregister, you can also choose a preconference to attend. Some preconferences will be held in the conference hotel and some preconferences will take place at other sites. Many preconferences are organized specifically for students or have discounted prices for students. Fifteen preconferences will be featured this year in Boston. They include: "Seamlessly Mobile? Mobile Communication @ Crossroads"; "Media, Child Health, and Well Being: Setting the Research Agenda"; "Political Communication Graduate Student Workshop"; "Strategic Communication: A Concept at the Center or Applied Communications?"; "Placing the Aesthetic in Popular Culture: Value and Beauty in Communication and Scholarship"; "Post-Rorty Pragmatism: The New Wave of Pragmatism in Communication Research"; "2nd Biannual Methodology Workshop: Analysis of Longitudinal Dyadic Data"; "Doctoral Consortium: Developing a Meaningful Career in Organizational Communication Studies"; "Mediating War and Technology"; "Doctoral Consortium of the Communication and Technology Division"; "What Kind of Communication Is @ the Center? An Investigation into the Impact of Public Relations vs. Marketing"; "Publishing Workshop and Forum"; "The Future of Public Media: Participatory Models, Global Networks"; "Thinking Outside the (Traditional Academic Career) Box"; and "Promotion and Tenure: Talking About What Nobody Wants to Talk About."
• Plan to take advantage of the virtual conference! ICA will unveil a virtual conference component in Boston in 2011, to supplement the experience of those attending the conference and to bring the conference to those who cannot attend. If you have paid conference registration, there is no cost for the virtual conference. The features of the virtual conference will include: live video footage and podcasts, online paper sessions, a virtual book exhibit, publishing and professional workshops, interactive chat sessions, and online cocktail hour.
• Finalize your travel plans! Decide how you will travel to the conference. ICA is offering the possibility to book discounted airfare to Boston through United Airlines and American Airlines. Also decide where you will stay at the conference. Westin Waterfront Hotel is the official host hotel of the 2011 ICA conference, and Renaissance Waterfront Hotel is serving as the overflow hotel. Make plans on whether you will occupy a room by yourself or you will share a room.
• Check the conference program for activities of interest to you! The conference program is available online. By consulting the program, you will be able to see what sessions you want to attend at the conference from specific Divisions or across Divisions, what established scholars you would like to have conversations with, and what receptions you would like to attend. Make your own list of activities and keep it on hand at the conference.

We are hoping that by planning early and carefully you will be able to have an enjoyable and productive ICA conference in Boston.