First Timers Guide

What the conference day will look like

• 7:30-4:00 Registration
• 7:45-8:45 Breakfast, Poster and Vendor Session
• 8:00-8:30 Book signing with Keynote Speaker Steve Krug
• 8:50-9:00 Opening Remarks by Conference Chair Patti Fantaske
• 9:00-10:00 Opening Keynote Presentation
• 10:00-10:15 Break
• 10:15-11:15 Breakout Sessions
• 11:15-11:30 Break
• 11:30-12:30 Breakout Sessions
• 12:30-1:30—Lunch in President’s Hall (Kevin Morooney will speak at 12:45)
  
• 1:30-2:30 Breakout Sessions
• 2:30-2:45 Break
• 2:45-3:45 Breakout Sessions
• 3:45-4:00 Break
• 4:00-5:00 Town Meeting
• 5:45-? Restaurant Hops

How many people usually attend and who they are

The Web Conference usually attracts somewhere between 375 and 390 attendees from University Park, several campuses and Penn College. The attendees’ Web experience varies widely from those who input information into their department pages to those who write programs and run services offered to all Penn State employees. All who attend will find something of interest to take back from the sessions, posters, vendors, and networking opportunities available to them.

Casual/Business casual dress

Attendee dress is casual to business casual. However, the temperature in the rooms at the Penn Stater can be quite chilly, so dress in layers to insure your comfort.

What is included in the price?

The conference fee entitles you to attend any of the keynote, poster and breakout sessions during the conference day on June 9, including the town meeting at the end of the day. Also included in the fee will be a breakfast snack (if you arrive before the opening general session), morning and afternoon snacks, and a buffet lunch at the Penn Stater.

The tutorial fee entitles you to attend only the tutorial(s) for which you have registered. Included in the tutorial fee will be morning and afternoon snacks and lunch.

Types of presentations to expect

Opening Keynote

Everything You Need to Know about Usability

Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Higher education has some unique challenges—and, oddly enough, one or two significant advantages—when it comes to developing a useful Web presence. Using examples drawn from the Penn State Web world, Steve will explain why making your Web sites and applications more “user friendly” is actually much easier—and much harder—than you think.

Town Meeting

This year we are trying something different for our closing keynote presentation. Rather than the usual general session that closes the conference at the end of the day, Kevin Morooney, Vice Provost for Information Technology at Penn State will moderate a Town Meeting. Panelists will include our invited speakers from HighEdWeb including Mark Greenfield - Director of Web Services, University of Buffalo, Daniel Frommelt - World Wide Web Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Steven Lewis - Web Manager / Information Security Coordinator at The College at Brockpost, State University of New York, and Matthew Winkel - Communications Officer for Web and New Media at The College of New Jersey. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to submit questions to the panel. Audience participation will be essential!

Breakout, Poster and Vendor Sessions

For more information and descriptions of our Breakout, Poster, and Vendor Sessions, please visit the appropriate link.

Travel and accommodations

If you are traveling from outside of University Park, you may stay at the Penn Stater at the conference rate. To book a room, contact Penn Stater reservations at 1-800-233-7505 and provide them with the conference code, USE0608.