Speaker Information Page
Thank you for participating as a speaker in the Workforce Innovations 2008 conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15-17, 2008. This conference's continued success is dependent upon the high quality of its presenters, and we thank you for helping us make Workforce Innovations a premier conference.
This page is designed to keep you up-to-date and informed of all the information related to your presentation at Workforce Innovations 2008. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans - if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@workforceinnovations.org.
Updates:
Speaker Registration:
As a confirmed speaker for Workforce Innovations, you are entitled to receive one complimentary registration on the day you are scheduled to present. We encourage you to attend the entire conference to network and learn about other promising practices in workforce and economic development! Speakers who attend the entire conference are entitled to a discounted registration of $275, which will cover all conference sessions, admission to the Exhibit Hall, and a number of meals including the Wednesday Night reception.
All Speakers are responsible for registering themselves for the conference.
If you have already registered for the conference at the full conference rate, please contact Registration at WorkforceInnovations@ambassadors.com or 888-643-1119 to request an adjustment in your registration fees.
Speaker Substitutions:
Should you require a speaker substitution for your Learning Lab, please notify Workforce Innovations immediately by emailing info@workforceinnovations.org. To substitute a speaker registration, requests must be submitted in writing to info@workforceinnovations.org.
Note also that additional speakers (beyond the total number proposed originally) may not be added without prior approval.
Schedule and Room Location:
Download the final Learning Lab Schedule 
Schedule is sorted alphabetically within each time slot and include room number, room setup, and maximum seating capacity.
Learning Lab Materials:
Please post your session handouts on the Workforce Innovations 2008 Learning Lab session page. Posting your materials on the Workforce Innovations Web site can help generate interest and attendance for your Learning Lab, as there will be over 20 Learning Labs and numerous other conference events that will be offered during each timeslot! It also allows for attendees to follow-up and share your materials after the conference is over.
Send your materials along with your name and Learning Lab title to info@workforceinnovations.org to have your materials posted.
**Department of Labor staff should submit handouts through the online database**
Be sure to bring or ship enough handouts for participants in your Learning Lab session (seating capacity for your meeting room will be released at the time of the Learning Lab Schedule). In addition, please bring a hard copy of your presentation in large text format and an electronic version on a PC formatted thumb drive or CD-ROM in both its original presentation form as well as a version in plain text format. These formats are critical for the dissemination of handout materials to persons with disabilities, should they be requested.
At the conference, please leave a copy of your presentation on the desktop of the laptop provided. Workforce Innovations staff will collect these materials to post on the Web site after the conference.
Please note presentations will NOT be loaded on to laptop computers on-site ahead of time. All speakers are required to bring an electronic copy of your presentation on either a thumb drive or CD-ROM.
Shipping Your Materials:
Shipped materials should arrive no earlier than Tuesday, June 3, 2008 and no later than Thursday, July 3, 2008 to the address indicated below; do not ship anything directly to the Morial Convention Center address. Please plan to ship your materials accordingly to meet this timeframe.
Speaker materials that arrive June 3, 2008 - July 3, 2008 to the Workforce Innovations warehouse will be delivered to your Learning Lab room by our volunteers prior to your session. Additionally, Room 257, located on Level 2 on the Morial Convention Center, will be designated as the "Speaker Ready Room" and will be available to store any additional materials until the time of your presentation.
To ensure that your materials arrive at the right location in the convention center, we ask that you download and print the shipping label below and secure it properly to your box(es). Use this label in addition to any other label you use to ship your materials (e.g. FedEx, UPS, DHL).
All materials that arrive after July 3, 2008 must be shipped directly to your hotel-delivery and transportation of these materials to the Morial Convention Center will be your responsibility.
All of your materials should be addressed to:
ATTN: Chris Dang/Speaker Ready Room (257)
Workforce Innovations 2008
C/O Brede Allied
C/O Yellow Freight/Maloney Logistics
(504-207-7469)
5301 Jefferson Highway
Jefferson, LA 70121
In addition, please note on each box:
Speaker's Name
Title of Session
Date of Session
Time of Session
Room Number of Session
Number of Boxes Shipped
Audio/Visual Equipment & Requests:
Each room will be equipped with 1 laptop (PC), 1 LCD projector and screen, 1 podium microphone, and 2 table-top microphones. If you require additional A/V equipment (e.g. internet, wireless microphones, flip charts), please notify info@workforceinnovations.org as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, June 2. Please include the number and title of your session in your email request. Note: on-site, last minute requests are subject to availability of equipment and cost.
All requests for internet access in Learning Labs must be submitted to info@workforceinnovations.org by Monday, April 21, 2008. Please be aware that requests for internet after April 21 cannot be guaranteed.
Speakers are required to use the A/V equipment provided in the Learning Lab rooms. Due to limited on-site support technicians, speakers are asked not to use their own equipment (e.g. laptops).
Room Setup:
Meeting rooms on-site at the Morial Convention Center will be set up in either roundtables or theatre style, and one room will be designated as the computer lab. Learning Labs will be assigned to rooms based on the preference indicated in the initial Learning Lab proposal, if applicable.
Speaker Ready Room:
For your convenience, Room 257, which is on Level 2 of the Morial Convention Center, will be designated as the "Speaker Ready Room." We encourage all speakers with electronic presentations to do a dry-run of their presentation on the computer located in the Speaker Ready Room. In addition, the Speaker Ready Room is your one-stop-shop for checking the status of your mailed materials and getting any questions answered that you may have. The room will be available Tuesday - Thursday from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
On-site Support:
Our volunteers this year are named "The Krewe" - in honor of the New Orleans folks who make Mardi Gras happen each year and you'll find them wearing royal blue shirts. Typically, each workshop has a volunteer assigned, to distribute and collect evaluations, assist you with handouts or other needs, or contact IT support staff or conference-staff-you just need to ask! Assistance can also be requested in the Speaker Ready Room (257).
Housing & Travel Information:
Speakers are responsible for their own hotel and travel expenses. Information about airports, hotels, transportation and other New Orleans attractions is available at www.WorkforceInnovations.org/travel.cfm. We encourage you to make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. The deadline for hotel reservations is June 13, 2008.
To make your hotel reservations, visit: www.workforceinnovations.org/Hotel.cfm
On-site Business Center:
A small business center is located in the Lobby outside Hall F of the Morial Convention Center for last minute printing services; however we strongly encourage you to have your materials pre-printed and shipped to arrive at the Workforce Innovations 2008 warehouse in New Orleans between June 3, 2008 - July 3, 2008 (click here for shipping information). On-site printing services tend to be extremely expensive.
The business center does offer shipping services through UPS for sending your materials back to your home or office after the conference.
Conference Attire:
Conference dress for both speakers and attendees is business casual. The Morial Convention Center is quite large so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Useful Speaker Tools:
Download Handouts:
Dynamic Workshops: Decoded Webinar
Handout 1 Keys to Planning WI Session 
Handout 2 Learning Objectives
Handout 3 Additional Resources
Session Plan and Outline
Blank Session Plan Template
Speaker Qualities Checklist
Marketing:
Send a letter to your colleagues notifying them of your participation in Workforce Innovations 2008 and other conference highlights.
Download Dear Colleague Letter 
To request conference brochures and materials, contact Elaine Kolodny at kolodny.elaine@dol.gov.
Stay tuned for more details on how to spread the word!
