Annual Meeting > 2009 Annual Meeting

2009 Annual Meeting

The TMS Board is currently accepting proposals for the 2009 Annual Meeting. The submission deadline is November 30, 2008 (note: this date might change in the next few months — please check back.) Please send your proposal to Rita Barlow or Valerie Slee.

Proposal Information

SITE:

Hotel and Conference Center

• Will accommodate a group of up to 200 people
• Will be located within 30–45 minutes of an international airport
• Must have a hotel shuttle and/ or airport or public transportation
• Must have a large public room (up to 200 people) available for the entire group
• A few smaller (50–60 people) rooms for smaller group meetings
• No other conference at the hotel can be booked at the same time that would threaten the health of our attendees, such as a perfume company convention, or a convention involving animals or flowers
• The event rooms, the surrounding hallways, and the restrooms must be smoke-free (it would be best if the entire facility were smoke free)
• Most, if not all, of the rooms in our block must be smoke-free
• There must be free, on-site, off-road parking for guests and attendees
• The event coordinator must be available on-site during the meeting

The hotel must provide audio-visual system with:

• An overhead screen
• Microphones
• Computer hook-ups

The hotel must have restrooms that are:

• Clean
• Handicapped-accessible
• Close to the meeting rooms

The hotel staff must agree not to:

• Shampoo the rugs, except for spot-cleaning, within one week of the conference
• Must refrain from any perfumed deodorizers or strong smelling cleaning supplies immediately prior to and during the conference

MEDICAL CARE:

Major Hospital or Teaching Hospital

• Major hospital or teaching hospital, with an ER that would be able to accommodate multiple people with anaphylaxis, within 5–10 minutes
• There must be paramedics available to accompany patients if 911 is called, and not just first responders or EMTs
• The ER Director must be willing to meet with a representative of TMS prior to the meeting.
• A pharmacy must be within 10 minutes of the hotel.
• Cabs must be available for those that need to get to a hospital or pharmacy, and cannot or did not rent a car.

GUEST ROOMS:

• There must be some handicapped-accessible guest rooms reserved in our block
• The rooms need to be very clean, with no mold in any corner of the bathrooms
• There can be no history of infestations with vermin or insects
• The hotel must agree to hold the rooms in a reserved block until a week prior to the conference
• A reduced room rate must be arranged for conference attendees
• The majority, or all, of the guest rooms in our block must be smoke-free

FOOD:

• Food must be preservative-free, freshly prepared and simple
• Ingredient lists for all food items, including sauces and condiments, must be made available for those who have allergies
• All meals (breakfasts and lunches will be provided) will have specific requirements, such as breakfasts must include fresh breads, fresh bakery bagels, fresh fruit (with no lemon or preservatives), pastry, doughnuts, margarine, jelly, cream and cream cheese
• There must be bottled spring water available at all times, along with coffee, tea, and soda

PROGRAM:

A tentative program must be planned out to include:

Thursday evening:

• Early registration

Friday:

• Breakfast and registration at 8AM
• Speakers at 9AM
• Mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks should be provided
• Luncheon provided between 12PM and 1PM
• We usually end the day at 4PM
• Board meeting from 4–5PM
• Dinner will be on your own
• The TMS Board will take the speakers and MAB members out for dinner
• Friday evening should include some entertainment — a dance, music, comedian, etc. — which should appeal to a very diverse population.

Saturday:

• Breakfast at 8–9AM again, with fresh food (not leftovers from the previous day) provided
• Meetings will take place all morning
• Small group meetings in the afternoon
• Luncheon between 12–1PM
• Dinner will be on your own

Sunday:

• Patient support group meeting from 10MA–12PM (This patient support meeting may be moved to a time and date earlier in the conference, pending Board discretion)
• Meeting finishes at 12PM

Speakers:

• The board will make the final decision about speakers (they may seek advice from our Medical Advisory Board)
• We will take into consideration any suggestions made by the conference hosts

FORM:

2009 Annual Meeting Proposal Form* (PDF)

* This link requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - please click here for the free download.