Get Your ASJA22 Session Ideas Ready! Plus, Volunteer Roles Still Available

In case you haven’t heard: The 2022 conference will be on Sunday, May 1, and Monday, May 2, with Client Connections that Monday. And this year, it’s not in New York—we’ll be an easy jaunt right across the river at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson.

If you’re interested in running a session, start getting your ideas ready now. Applications for proposals will open in the fall. As a bonus, members that present or moderate sessions get an extra perk, $50 off registration costs.

Session proposals should fall into one of the three track categories: Journalism, Content Marketing, and Books. Past sessions have included panel chats about diversity in publishing; tips and tricks on how to become a six-figure freelancer; nitty-gritty details about contracts; taking a restorative narrative approach to writing; penning books for young audiences; navigating the self-publishing process; working for corporate publications; optimizing SEO in your writing; and more. We’re looking forward to seeing all your great ideas when the time comes to apply!

In addition to running a session, we also have a number of volunteer positions available. All volunteers get special perks, including a discount on registration. Interested? Here’s what we still need, and descriptions of each:

• Track Host: You run an individual track of the conference (books, journalism, or content marketing). You’d be responsible for being in contact with all the moderators/panelists, helping them with any issues, getting everything we need for the track set up, assisting with scheduling and deciding on the sessions.
• Funtivities Chair: Responsible for putting together fun activities, like headshot events, yoga sessions before the day’s schedule, after-conference networking events, etc.
• Bookstore Co-Volunteer: Works to get the conference bookstore put together. You would interface with authors (ASJA members and/or conference presenters) to get their books from them and run the bookstore at the event.
• Networking Lunches Co-Chair: You’d be responsible for organizing in-person networking lunches, which are like snack chats. One of the two co-chairs is already in place, so you’ll be working with someone else. Basically you’d seek out volunteers to host lunches at restaurants in the area, where participants would have a discussion on one particular topic. Your job would be to find the volunteers, keep a spreadsheet of the hosts/sessions, and keep the conference chair(s) up to date so we can open signups for the lunches. The volunteers themselves pick the restaurant, make the reservation, and run the discussion, and everyone pays for their own food.
• Sponsorship Chair: You’d be responsible for bringing in cash sponsorships, and organizing and arranging sponsor and exhibitor tables.
• Awards Vice-Chair: You’d be responsible for helping to run the awards program, including helping to craft clear instructions for entrants and judges, coordinating judging panels, and helping with the best part, finding ways to celebrate the winners. This role works closely with existing Awards Chair Janine Latus, with the understanding that you would take over as Awards Chair in the future.

We also have opportunities to host a networking lunch and to work with the client connections team. If you’re interested in any of these positions, please complete the ASJA contact form.

As always, we can’t wait to finally see everyone—in person!—for a fun and fulfilling conference in 2022.