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Roles

Learn how Chapman conveners and AGU staff partner to create exceptional conferences.

Unique Approach to Convening

AGU Responsibilities

AGU makes organizing an event easy. Our team manages logistics for your conference, from booking venues to arranging accommodations to helping secure sponsorships.

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Convener Responsibilities

Conveners have control over topic and speaker selection as well as format and outcomes of the conference. AGU supports the logistics so you can focus on the science.

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If you have questions regarding a proposal or the Chapman process, get in touch!

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AGU Responsibilities

While Chapman conveners focus on the scientific programming of a Chapman meeting, AGU team members lead on logistics, promotion, and overall organization. Conveners and AGU team members communicate regularly throughout the process.

Build and maintain a website for your Chapman conference.

Manage the conference budget and communicate with the conveners on budgetary issues.

Work through site selection, logistics, food and beverage management, onsite vendor management, coordination of poster and AV needs, contract negotiations and overall conference management.

Organize the scientific program online and open for abstracts, as needed.

Set up and manage registration per conference needs.

Assist conveners with sponsorship and fundraising to fulfill obligations (as needed).

Provide onsite support during the meeting.

AGU works with the conveners to determine the best city to meet conference goals. AGU makes the final decision on a specific venue and executes the required contract. Conveners should not pre-arrange facility contracts.
Conveners will assist with the initial content for the conference website. AGU staff will create and maintain the conference website, including providing the conference logo.

* AGU runs an abstract management system for the conference. The primary convener manages the scientific program and all conveners review abstracts. The program, with abstracts, is published online by AGU.

* Poster sessions invite detailed discussion and networking. By mixing sessions types (oral, panels, invited, discussion sessions, posters, etc.), attendees have more time to exchange ideas and results.

AGU will work with any conference attendees requiring accommodations to fully participate in the conference. We request attendees share accommodation and dietary needs during the registration process.
Conveners often submit funding requests to federal agencies, foundations, and industry partners to support travel and lower costs for the meeting. While AGU assistance is available to submit a proposal, the conveners are responsible for writing the proposals. AGU is listed as a funding recipient and uses the money to pay for direct conference expenses. Conveners may also write proposals to request travel support for attendees, e.g., airfare and hotel to help minimize attendee costs. AGU can also assist with and manage this process.
AGU staff assumes responsibility for contracting all services for the conference, including setting registration fees. The conveners should not pre-arrange facility contracts or other services required for the conference.
Conveners will assist in the preparation of announcements and pre-conference communications to be published on social media and other appropriate channels or networks. AGU staff prepares final copy for marketing pieces. Registration and housing information is sent to all who contribute to the conference program or express an interest in attending.
AGU will manage conference registration including setting the registration fees. Registration may include ticketed events and field trips for attendees and guests.

What Conveners Need to Know

If you have a conference idea, it takes an average of 15-18 months from beginning your initial application to convening the actual meeting.

  1. Engage scientists with breadth of knowledge and diversity of opinions to form the program committee
  2. Support grant applications to keep registration rates down and enable participation from student/early career scientists. All potential sponsorships need to be discussed with AGU before a contract is signed.
  3. Recruit participants, generally a minimum of 75 attendees, including speakers/presenters. Student/early career scientists should be fairly represented at the conference.
  4. Plan the session topics and schedule for the meeting as well as program development including sessions, workshops, career development opportunities, and other interactive pieces.
  5. Promote the conference to your network with the help of AGU team members.
  6. Create outcomes that can be disseminated in many media, including completing a final conference report for AGU scientists that will be posted on an AGU website.

After steps 1-6 are complete, submit your Chapman idea for a Phase I review to receive feedback from AGU scientists. Once you receive feedback and make any necessary revisions, submit a Phase II application.

If you are considering proposing a Chapman Conference, we encourage you to review the following information to understand the scope, organization, and management of Chapmans. If you have questions regarding a proposal, please email [email protected].

The conveners should establish an appropriate list of potential participants even before submitting Phase I of the application. The most productive Chapman Conferences include 80-120 attendees with a fair representation of student and early career scientists as well as expert scientists who represent all aspects of the topic.

Your Phase II application should include a list of names and contact information of people who are likely to attend the conference.

You should allow no less than 15 months between your proposal and the proposed conference dates.
AGU scientists review Chapman Conference proposals as they are submitted and the timeline of review can be 8-12 weeks given the time it takes to find appropriate reviewers. Chapman Conferences should not conflict with major holidays, or other scientific society meetings. Chapman Conferences are not convened in December.
View upcoming meetings.
Chapman Conferences range from three to five days. Conference objectives are more likely achieved when all participants remain for the full conference. Conference longer than three days generally have attendance attrition, particularly on the last day.
An outcomes plan is part of the conference proposal. Outcomes may include meeting presentations and other public, scientific, or media outcomes. Outcomes may be publications such as conference reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, and/or a book.

Hosting scientific field trips are common with Chapman Conferences and are a reason to suggest a particular location for the meeting.

The Program Committee may recommend a local scientist to assist with the development of the field trip. Generally, Chapmans held outside the United States have a convener who can help create partnership in the location.

Chapman Conferences are a self-supporting program of AGU, meaning AGU does not provide monetary funding. Conveners need to identify potential financial sponsors for their conferences early on. AGU is the principal sponsor of Chapman Conferences, however, other societies, institutions, and organizations can be approved as co-sponsors. Co-sponsorship is a natural way to recognize and promote interdisciplinary approaches to a problem. Anticipated co-sponsors should be identified when submitting your Phase I application.

If your conference is proposed outside the United States, a local geophysicist or geophysical organization should be asked to co-sponsor. Sponsorship, in this case, may not include financial assistance.

AGU is responsible for managing conference finances including the development of the conference budget and setting the registration rates. Revenue comes primarily from registration fees and sponsorship and the conferences are expected to be self-supporting.

Registration fees vary per conference requirements (i.e., food and beverage, audio-visual, and logistics and administrative support, etc.).

The information presented at Chapman Conferences lends itself to publication. The Conference Convener must include a publication plan as part of the proposal. Publication outputs may take the form of conference reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, and/or a book. AGU has a range of options for publication. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in proposing a special collection. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in proposing a book.