Drawing on the success of the SSP pilot program
for Virtual/Regional SSP Meeting, SSP is expanding the program nationwide in
May!
The program brings together,
by region, sensory professionals for
networking and real-time presentations
in one central location. For example, in the Ohio region, over 35 SSP
members met at a site (graciously hosted by an SSP member's company)
and enjoyed lunch together, viewing with all
other sites two presentations in real time apropos to the mission of sensory science—including an all-sites Q&A
session, networking time, and a tour of the host company's facility. This took place during the day (around
lunchtime or so to minimize driving
in metro areas during the peak rush hours) and regions were targeted to
encompass all of the sensory professionals within a two-hour drive of one another. It was a great start to the program!
Become a Regional Meeting Coordinator
As SSP plans
to expand this Virtual/Regional Meeting concept nationwide, SSP is looking for folks to coordinate each of the regions identified as
having critical mass of SSP members to support a Regional Meeting. Being a
coordinator means leading the communication effort to SSP folks in your area
(SSP will provide you with the member list and contact information),
identifying a host site for the meeting for your region, and attending call-in
meetings with SSP leadership as we work out the details for the Regional Meeting. The regions in
which SSP is looking for coordinators are:
- Boston/New
England
- Central
& Western New York
- Toronto
- Northeast
Ohio and Pittsburgh
- Nashville/Central
Tennessee
- Dallas/Fort
Worth
- Northern
Florida
- Central
& Western Michigan
- Chicago/Madison/Milwaukee
- Southern
California
If you are interested in leading the May Regional Meeting for a region, please contact SSP Chair-Elect Jason Newlon. The regions that were part of the pilot (Metro NYC, Central PA and Maryland, Central and Southwest Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky, Minneapolis, and the San Francisco Bay area) have coordinators already in place for the May meeting. If SSP missed a region with a group of members that would make a great addition to the regional list, please contact Jason Newlon.
More Involvement Opportunities
More ways to get involved in our Virtual/Regional Meetings will be coming soon. If you have a presentation you wish to share, be on the lookout for the call for speakers, coming soon!
Finally, for members that do not reside in a "critical mass" region, SSP will be providing connection opportunities as well. More information is to come!