Brian,

It was a very good conference.  Good job!

The significance of cost and time varies from one individual to  
another depending on things you cannot control like age, experience,  
location and nature of employment.  If the quality can be maintained  
on each given day of the conference, go for it.  Let the membership  
fend for themselves.  But, it might be a good idea to inform the  
membership of less expensive lodging alternatives.  I would like an  
additional day, but doubt I would take advantage of it every year.

I disagree with the proposal of a student track.  I think its  
important for the students to rise to the professional level, rather  
than have papers directed at them or by them.  They are apprentices,  
let them listen to and be encouraged by the membership. It is the  
best preservation education available, let them jump in with both  
feet.  We don't eat our young; we won't let them drown. Immersion in  
the culture of APT may deflate a few student's egos, but the sooner a  
preservationist learns to keep his/her ego out of site, the better.   
Its also a great place to find a role model.

I found the Colloquium very worthwhile.  Thanks.

-jc



On Sep 19, 2006, at 8:00 AM, Brian Robinson wrote:

> Dear P'heads,
>
> I appreciate all of your comments about this years APT conference  
> in Atlanta. As with all APT initiatives, we are in a constant  
> process of improving and refining the conference product and all  
> your suggestions are very relevant and will be taken into  
> consideration.
>
> Here are a couple of observations/initiatives on which you might  
> want to offer your comments.
>
> I have always wished that we could add one additional day to the  
> conference so that there would be less overlap of programming. I  
> hate having two excellent presentations offered at the same time  
> and having to pick one over the other. The reason we have not  
> expanded the schedule is expense. It is hard enough to dig up the  
> $2000+/- it currently takes to attend the meeting with air fare,  
> hotel, registration, workshops, and social events. Another day at  
> the venue is seen as cost prohibitive for the attendees. Comments?
>
> APT is considering adding a young professional/student track for  
> paper presentations. This is essentially an expansion of the  
> current student scholarship program. It is critical that we have  
> young professionals present so that we can continue to grow APT.  
> The downside is that these presenters are often green as grass and  
> unfamiliar with APT in general. When I gave my first presentation  
> in Toronto, I saw several great presentations the first day of the  
> conference. I quickly ran up to my room and rewrote my entire  
> presentation based on what I learned from the delivery and format  
> of the professionals. Anytime you have 50 presenters there is going  
> to be a range of content and quality. I have seen this same issue  
> at PTN, National Trust, Traditional Building, and at state and  
> local HP gatherings. How can this process be improved?
>
> As for personal agendas of the presenters, it is very difficult to  
> tell where a presentation is going based on the abstract submitted  
> by the presenter. APT tries hard to eliminate papers from  
> consideration that push a presenters product or proprietary  
> process, papers that do not relate in any way to technology, or  
> papers that have been presented in other venues. I think we do a  
> good job, but there is always room for improvement. The best  
> solution is to have a very deep pool of papers to choose from. This  
> might eliminate some of the marginal presentations. In 2006 we had  
> roughly 110 papers from which to choose 45 presenters. I think that  
> we can do a better job of soliciting abstracts and promoting APT in  
> general.
>
> Thanks again for all your positive comments and constructive  
> criticism. I hope to see you all in San Juan. I also am very sorry  
> that I will not be able to be in Holy Cross with PTN in October. I  
> still have the Preserve America Summit in NOLA in October and the  
> NTHP in Pittsburg in November. My students have to have me in class  
> every once in a while in order to learn something. I hope that IPTW  
> 2006 is a great success!
>
> Best to you all,
>
> Brian
>
> Brian Scott Robinson, MHP
> Chair APT 2006
> VP APT
>
> Professor
> Savannah College of Art and Design
> School of Building Arts
> Historic Preservation Department
> P.O. Box 3146
> Savannah, GA 31402
>
> 912 525 6940 office (Mon/Wed only)
> 912 262 1202 home (students emergency only)
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> -- To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the  
> uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to: http:// 
> listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html

--
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