LTER 2009 All Scientists Meeting Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: I have never been to one of these LTER ASM meetings before.  What can I expect?
A: An "ASM Users Guide" was published in the May 2009 edition of the LTER Newsletter:  Go to http://news.lternet.edu/Article234.html

Q2: How do I get from the Denver Airport to the YMCA of the Rockies-Estes Park Center, and where do I go once I am there ?
A: Check out the Lodging and Transportation page for instructions.   The shuttle driver should know to take you to the main YMCA Administration Building where you will go to the front desk for room assignments or other assistance.  Registration materials (name badges, program and agendas etc) will also be picked up there during registration hours listed in the agenda.  Note that these companies can also get you from the YMCA up to Rocky Mountain National Park. See http://asm.lternet.edu/2009/lodging-and-transportation

Q3: I forgot which working groups or posters I am supposed to attend during the ASM !!! What do I do?
A: Login to your LTER or ASM account on the main ASM page and go to the "My Account" link on the left side-bar.  All content in the ASM is linked through a common database and you will see any Working Groups of which  you are an organizer or co-organizer as well as any posters you have authored.   From there you can also go to the "Signups" tab to see an itinerary of all the Working Groups you plan to attend (including ones you are leading and of course signed up for!).

Q4: I am driving to Estes Park. How do I get there?
A: You will want to check out the "Lodging/Travel link on the ASM web page, or directly at:
http://asm.lternet.edu/2009/lodging-and-transportation
and look at the links for "Maps and Directions" as well as a map of the YMCA Estes Park Center itself.

Q5: I heard through the grapevine that the AIBS is giving a workshop on communicating with the media and stakeholders at the ASM. However, I don’t see that on the ASM workshop schedule.
A: AIBS will do two kinds of media/policy activities. There is one presentation scheduled in the Auditorium on Monday evening, (concurrent with the Poster Session and Mixer)  for anyone who wants to attend. There is a follow-up Working Group on Tuesday Morning in Working Group Session 3  for those interested in more information.  Scientists and students interested in the Working Group session should sign up in advance for this on the ASM Webpage.

Q6: Are Executive Board members covered separately by the LNO for the ASM?
A: No. However, if we have money left over after the ASM, we may be able to adjust our reimbursement to those sites that sent EB members.

Q7: Will the LNO reimburse my mileage or per diem for my travel day to the ASM?
A: All travel costs are reimbursed by a single allocation from the LNO directly to the LTER site, so it is up to the policy of each site as to what individual costs are reimbursed.  You need to contact your site PI or program personnel for each site's reimbursement policy.

Q8: I'm coming in early for the Executive Board Meeting but sharing with people arriving the next day, how do you handle that?
A: The YMCA will adjust your separate room costs when you check in

Q9: Can you let us know if LNO can provide separate funding from the NSF allotment  for three of our grad students?
A: Sorry. We have committed all of the travel funds we have for the ASM.

Q10: Geez!  It says now that full payment is needed to sign up for housing!  Why don't they do this like a normal hotel?
A: The YMCA has agreed not to charge cards for lodging until arrival.

Q11: Should we have received acknowledgement of our housing reservation from the YMCA?
A: Yes, You should have received (and saved) an Email directly to the Email you used for your reservation. Contact the YMCA directly for further questions on housing reservations.

Q12: Is it possible to leave the conference early, for example after lunch on Wednesday September 16? Will there be transportation from the lodge to the airport at that time?
A: You can leave anytime you want, but you have to make your own travel arrangements with the shuttle service. If no one else wants to leave at that time, you may be stuck for a way to the airport. For a group of people, it may be cost-effective to rent a car for the meeting.

Q13: Is it possible for us to register our whole group for ASM and pay with a single purchase order?
A: Contact susanj@sgmeet.com to set this up. You'll have to have each person fill out a registration form, which you can download from the web page.  

Q14: Do we need to register for the upcoming ASM? If so, isn't the cost of registration covered by LNO for the International or site IM representatives? Also, I don't drink alcohol, so can I deduct whatever percentage this represents of the registration fee?
A: Meeting registration covers the cost associated with the meeting that cannot be paid for using grant funds. Therefore, ALL participants need to register and pay their own fees. Many people don't drink alcohol, and many people don’t drink coffee or sodas -but they use meeting rooms and facilities. The bulk costs to provide the variety of items used during the meeting really need to be averaged among all the participants. The early registration fee of $50 or even the on-site fee of $80 is SIGNIFICANTLY less than the $300-$500 registration costs to attend meetings such as ESA, AGU or ASLO. For meeting registration questions contact Sneider Group, Susan Jones who is responsible for the ASM registration ( susanj@sgmeet.com ). You can view a registration list posted in the "News" section of the ASM Webpage.

Q15: One of our LTER colleagues has been asking if there are any proposed ASM workshops dealing with disease ecology or epidemiology, and especially how global change drivers (land-use, climate, etc.) might influence disease spread and human impacts.
A: You can browse the workshops that have been submitted using the search function at http://asm.lternet.edu.

Q16: I just registered for ASM online using a University credit card. However, I was not able to purchase a hat with the University credit card (rules from our college business office). I was wondering if the hats were going to be available for purchase at ASM or is there a way just to purchase the hat without re-registering?
A: We will have some extra hats that you can purchase at the registration desk for the ASM.  They are pretty neat this year, so if you really want one, grab one early - First come, first served.  ASM mugs will be availble for individual purchase as well.

Q17: I will need a digital projector for my Working Group.  Who do I see about this?
A: All Working Group rooms will have a digital projector, screen and flip chart with pens.  If an overhead projector is needed they should contact the LNO.  Working group organizers must provide THEIR OWN Computer, laser pointer or other materials for their working Groups.   Wireless internet will be available in all rooms, some also with wired connections.  There will be about 8 ad-hoc meeting rooms (4 with digital projectors) available for signup each day of the meeting.

Q18: What MORON scheduled the the Hydrology Working Group and Biocheochemical Working Group at the same time?  I want to attend both!
A: Working Groups were assigned to reduce overlap among organizers, numerous co-organizers as well as subject matter and content.  Every effort was made to work with working group organizers to come up with a solution for overlaps.  Where content overlap was unavoidable, similar working groups were scheduled in the same building to at least permit attendees to jump between sessions.

Q19: I will need to bring in a participant for our Working group via VTC and teleconference.  How do I do this?
A: Information in the  "Equipment Requested" and "Additional Comment" entries for  Working Groups was checked, and the Working Group was assigned to a room with proper facilities (wired ethernet / phone etc).  Still, Working Group organizers should check out their venue ahead of time and contact the on site LNO Tech expert, James Williams  to make sure everything is working well prior to their Working Group session.

Q20: I submitted a poster abstract but will not be attending the meeting. How do I withdraw it?
A: The author – the person who submitted the abstract is able to edit/update the abstract at any time, including deleting it until the time the program is printed.  At that point the abstract is included in the ASM program.  Same for Working Groups.  The ASM program went to the printer on September 9.

Q21: Why would I ever want to waste the time to sign up for Working Groups?
A: Signing up for working groups links YOUR ASM attendee information directly to the Working Group content.  You become an active participant in the working group.  The working group organizer can contact attendees as well as add people to the attendee list they are REQUIRED to submit (along with at least a final Working Group report) as a condition of their Working Group submission.  In addition, by signing up for Working Groups, each user automatically generates a personal 'Itinerary" that can be accessed by logging in on the ASM web page and going to the "My account" link where all associated meeting content (Working Group associations and Poster Submissions" as well as an itinerary in the "Signups" link can be viewed.  All content is in a common database  and can be searched and sorted by keywords.  Printer-friendly and PDF versions of all content can be easily generated.

Q22: I  heard all registered attendees will receive "mugs" as part of their registration.  Why was part of my registration fee used for this?
A: The quantity costs for the mugs (about 1/4 retail) allowed us to provide an alternative to ALL THE PLASTIC disposable cups used (a meeting this size can use over 25 THOUSAND disposable cups)  during the meeting as well as providing a memento of the meeting itself.  Attendees are encouraged to use their mugs for EVERYTHING - from coffee in their rooms,  the second jolt at breakfast and breaks all the way to their beer during the mixers.  If you are not using your mug, you're not being green.  NOTE: because of their "special design" the mugs are NOT microwave or dishwasher safe!!!  LTER/LNO will assume no liability for any computer damage in their use...

Q23: I will need child care at the ASM. Is this available?
A: Because of limited interest and the off-season child care the one available service is the Nannies of the Rockies". Those that have already inquire about this have been directed there. Others interested should contact Julie Beyer there directly at 303-513-7733 (Julie's cell phone) or go to their website and select "Contact" at the bottom of the page:
http://www.nanniesoftherockies.com/ 

Q24: I would like to repeat my Working group session at the ASM and I would also like to reserve a meeting room for a group of us to discuss a potential proposal. Can I do this?
A: Ad-hoc meeting rooms can be reserved at any time, there will be a sign-up sheet in the "Aspen Dining Room".

Q25: I would like to have a place to put out promotional materials during the LTER ASM. Am I able to do this?
A: We will have a table(s) for people to use to distribute NON COMMERCIAL materials during the ASM meeting.  Also consider setting up a poster with some sort hanging wall gizmo or other way to put our materials.

Q26: I am not sure if my working group room will be large enough for everybody signed up for it and will need a phone connection.  How do I find out?
A: Check out the Meeting Room Description page in the news section of the main ASM page.  There should be phones in all rooms and cell phone access can be ok to spotty - check it out before you need to use it!   Contact John Vande Castle if there is a problem with the room and James Williams for technical support.

Q27: Is there a registration list for the ASM and How many people have registered?
A: The registration list and graphic is posted as a news item on the main ASM page. Emails are not included for privacy concerns as this web site is scraped by web-bots including Google on a regular basis. Everybody who created an ASM account can be contacted by searching for their name on the Search feature of the ASM webpage and contacted directly.  The ASM website keeps all emails not included in text items in a hidden database.

Q28: How do I upload my final report?
A: Step 1: Go to the LTER ASM Website (http://asm.lternet.edu/) and log in by clicking on the login link in the left sidebar

Step 2: After logging in and returning to the LTER ASM website click on the "My workspace" link in the left sidebar of the page

Step 3: Click on your working group title from the list and click on the "edit" link. If the list is blank or you cannot find your title, that means that someone else probably submitted it for you. If this is the case please contact the person that submitted if for you or contact the LNO (tech_support@lternet.edu) with your working group title.

Step 4: Scroll down below the abstract text box and locate the "Final Report" field and click the "Browse" to locate your report on your computer. Submit your report as a pdf file.

Step 5: After you have located your report and selected it click the "Upload" button. This will load your report onto our server

Step 6: Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page or your changes will be lost

Step 7: To add additional workshop participants, click on the "Official Participants" tab and add names in the spaces provided. Click "Add another item" for additional spaces. Just type in the last name and select from the pull down list.

Step 8: Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page or your changes will be lost.

Step 9: Add additional materials (e.g., handouts, agendas, etc.) under the "Working Group Materials" tab. Don't forget to save.

Step 10: Add workshop products under the "Products" tab. Don't forget to save. Come back to add products as the publications and proposals are completed.