Introduction
Based on our October 2015 survey, MAACBA members expressed great interest in all things related to professional networking. One of the most effective ways to increase your school's networking potential is to serve as the campus host for MAACBA's annual conference. While we know that the 2018 Conference will be held at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, we would like to begin planning now for future conference hosts.

Benefits
  • Hosting the conference elevates the visibility of your school to peers in the region. This includes conference participants (typically 100-150 deans and other business school leaders) as well as a broader network. This summer, we launched social media pages and a dedicated MAACBA Web site; these tools will bring broader recognition to host schools.
  • The college/university president or other senior official has the opportunity to welcome and address the conference participants. The process of preparing the president’s remarks often serves to deepen his/her understanding and appreciation of the value, reach, and key initiatives at your business school. 
  • Serving as the host campus increases exposure to new knowledge about contemporary business school leadership and management issues for your key team members with discounted registration for host campus faculty, staff, and administrators.
  • Host campus students, interns, and junior level staff members who get involved in organizing and executing the conference gain valuable leadership skills.

The responsibilities listed below are coordinated by the host campus:
  • Arrange event space reservations on campus or a nearby location, e.g., plenary, keynote, panel discussions, and concurrent sessions; welcome reception and networking mixer; board of directors and first-timer’s welcome meetings.
  • Coordinate catering for breakfasts, lunches, and welcome reception during conference.
  • Coordinate nearby hotel reservations for conference attendees (must be within walking distance from campus conference venue). MAACBA can sign booking contract from the start, but the host campus contact does the leg work.
  • Promote the conference on host school Web site (a banner and/or promotional statement works great, and this can link to this MAACBA Web site).
  • ​Lead and coordinate the conference attendees' registration and fee process (to be facilitated through this MAACBA Web site).
  • Provide a lead role in developing and distributing digital and print invitations, conference brochures, signage for event foot traffic, etc. (MAACBA can make recommendations for an outsource partner, or the host school can choose to do the work with their in-house marketing team.)
  • Support in developing the agenda, securing speakers, and identifying sponsors for the conference.

The responsibilities listed below are coordinated by MAACBA:
  • MAACBA ultimately covers all expenses and will collaborate with the host campus on the logistics related to pre-payments, transfers, and contracts.
  • Promote the event for marketing and advertising purposes via MAACBA Web site, contact lists, social media channels, etc.
  • Support coordination of registration, payment, and refunds of registration fees as needed.
  • Approve budget developed by host campus to cover expenses (food, room rental, technology, security, custodian).
  • ​Submit payment to host campus for any and all expenses incurred in planning, executing, and managing event components noted above.
  • Develop, administer, summarize, and analyze participant feedback survey at close of event (print and digital versions), sharing results with host campus conference organizers.
  • Lead in developing the agenda, securing speakers, and identifying sponsors for the conference.