SIOP Orlando 2017: A Welcome From Your Conference Chair

Daisy Chang

SIOP 2017 is just a few short months away—Orlando here we come! Take advantage of this annual opportunity to develop, network, and engage with all that is I-O. Here is what you need to know:

Book your hotel room at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

This lake-front hotel provides the ideal backdrop for our conference. The entire scholarly program will be held in the Dolphin hotel. The Resort offers a wide variety of activities on site (there are five pools in the resort!), various Disney-related benefits (e.g., transportation to the parks; extended park hours), and is within walking distance from bars and restaurants ranging from family-friendly choices to foodie-approved options. The online reservation for the hotel is now open. Take advantage today for the special SIOP room rate!

Plan your travel!

Orlando can be accessed through the Orlando International airport. You can choose from a variety of transportation options, including private sedans, taxi, and shuttle, to travel between the airport and the hotel.

Register for the conference!

A few quick mouse clicks now will ensure that you get our best rate. The early registration deadline is February 22, 2017.

Utilize preconference activities!

There are a number of fantastic preconference development opportunities that will maximize your conference experience.

Workshops. Emily Solberg’s team has paired an all-star, engaging, expert presenters with 11 cutting-edge topics. You will be amazed by how much you can learn in a single day! If you can’t devote a full-day for the workshop yet still want to pick up some new skills, we have a solution for you. Based on the feedback from past workshop attendees, this year we offer a flexible half-day option for attending either the morning or the afternoon sessions. Space is limited. Register early for this premier opportunity for professional development and continuing education in I-O psychology.

Consortia. For the past 3 decades, SIOP has been offering preconference development opportunities that are carefully designed to support students in master’s (Master’s Consortium) and doctoral programs (Doctoral Consortium) and early career professionals pursuing academic careers (Junior Faculty Consortium). This year, Tracey Rizzuto and her committee are proud to offer the Early Career Practitioner Consortium, expanding the preconference developmental opportunities to four partially integrated consortia.

Newcomers. Is this your first SIOP? We want to welcome you to our conference at a newcomer’s reception at 5:00 pm on Wednesday afternoon. We also invite you to participate in the Ambassador’s program, which will connect you to a returning SIOPer who can give you firsthand insight into the conference highlights.

Join the opening plenary!

The conference officially begins with the all-conference opening plenary session on Thursday morning. After a brief welcome message from your Conference chair (yours truly), the announcement of award winners (Awards Chair Joann Sorra) and the new Fellows (Fellowship Chair Kenneth De Meuse), SIOP’s President-Elect Fred Oswald will introduce our SIOP President Mort McPhail. Mort will address how we can build on the existing foundation and explore new directions for our science and practice.

Immerse yourself in the conference program!

The submissions that you carefully crafted and thoughtfully reviewed will be showcased in 3 days of outstanding posters, symposia, panels, roundtables, and debates. Zack Horn’s Program committee has also constructed an amazing set of invited sessions that will feature an exciting Thursday Theme Track on a set of future-oriented topics to explore new frontiers, six Friday Seminars, and opportunities to engage in timely Communities of Interest.

Take a Fun Run!

Join race director Paul Sackett and a growing number of speedy I-O psychologists for the 24th Annual Frank Landy 5K Fun Run. The race will begin just outside of the conference hotel along the lakes and beaches!

Volunteer!

Students, are you looking for a way to get more involved? Are you interested in meeting and networking with other students and members of SIOP? Would you like some extra spending money while at the annual conference? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have a solution. Check out the website for more details or reach out to the Volunteer Coordinator (Kaleb Embaugh) at kembaugh@pradco.com with any questions.

Don’t miss the closing plenary and reception!

Although we can’t share the keynote speaker’s name at this time, the speaker we have scheduled has risen to heights unsurpassed by any past keynote speaker or conference attendee! The speaker’s address will be followed by a Latino themed closing reception with music by the band Coco Loco. Be sure to stay through Saturday to enjoy a Havana night!

The Orlando conference is destined to be one of the best yet, thanks to your outstanding submissions, hundreds of gracious volunteers, and the incredible dedication of our stellar Administrative Office staff.