The North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society (NASPS) will hold a standalone meeting in 2024 and is requesting proposals for locations and hosts for the meeting. Having a standalone NASPS meeting in 2024 builds on the success of our recent meeting in Folsom, California. Proposals will be evaluated by the NASPS governing board based on the information requested in the request for proposals (below). We are happy to work with interested parties in developing a strong proposal and can connect you with recent organizers. A decision will be announced to members at the 2023 NASPS virtual business meeting, which will be held towards the end of the calendar year. Following this decision, a meeting organizing committee will be formed and all members will be polled to provide input on the themes and workshops for the 2024 meeting. Proposals should be submitted in a single Word or pdf document to nasps@nasps-sturgeon.org by September 30, 2023.
Questions about this process or regarding the information requested can also be sent to the NASPS email listed above. The governing board appreciates the effort it takes to host such a meeting. We are happy to work with you and appreciate your consideration. Please know we will be in touch with each applicant during the decision-making process to ensure we can host a great meeting. We thank you for considering hosting our 2024 meeting!
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Request for Proposals: 2024 NASPS Annual Meeting
The North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Society (NASPS) will hold a standalone meeting in 2024 and is requesting proposals for locations and hosts for the meeting. Having a standalone NASPS meeting in 2024 builds on the success of recent meetings. The schedule of recent NASPS meetings is as follows:
- 2016: NASPS Standalone Meeting – Hood River Oregon (West)
- 2017:
- NASPS symposium held in conjunction with AFS in Tampa Florida (East)
- World Sturgeon Conservation Society’s ISS8 in Vienna Austria (Global)
- 2018: NASPS Standalone Meeting – Columbia, Missouri (Central)
- 2019: NASPS Standalone Meeting – Manitoba, Canada (North-Central)
- 2020: NASPS Standalone Meeting – virtual
- 2021: NASPS Standalone Meeting – virtual
- 2022: NASPS Standalone Meeting – Folsom, California (West)
- 2023: NASPS symposium held in conjunction with AFS in Grand Rapids Michigan (Midwest)
Proposals will be evaluated by the NASPS governing board based on the information requested in the form below. We are happy to work with interested parties in developing a strong proposal and can connect you with recent organizers. A decision will be announced to members at the 2023 NASPS virtual business meeting, which will be held towards the end of the calendar year. Following this decision, a meeting organizing committee will be formed, and all members will be polled to provide input on the themes and workshops for the 2024 meeting.
Proposal Due Date: September 30th, 2023
Proposal Submission: All proposals must be submitted to nasps@nasps-sturgeon.org.
Proposal Format: Submit your proposal in a single document (MS word or PDF format).
Questions about this process or regarding the information requested below can also be sent to the NASPS email listed above. The governing board appreciates the effort it takes to host such a meeting. We are happy to work with you and appreciate your consideration. Please know we will be in touch with each applicant during the decision-making process to ensure we can host a great meeting. We thank you for considering hosting our 2024 meeting!
Proposals should include all of the following information to receive full consideration:
- Host Names and contact information:
- Hosts will be responsible for coordinating the venues and accommodations. The NASPS governing board will work with the hosts to arrange an organizing committee to develop the program and workshops.
- Location
- Rationale for location:
- Information may include: rationale for the general appeal of the meeting location as it relates to NASPS, proximity to Sturgeon or Paddlefish populations/habitat, relevance to members, opportunities for field/site visits, or other recreational opportunities unique to the area.
- The location should also be considered in the context of the locations of recent NASPS meetings. NASPS strives to ensure meetings are geographically balanced to ensure access to meetings for all members at least every 3 years.
- Approximate timing:
- NASPS expects the meeting to occur sometime between October-November 2024 but is flexible on the exact dates. Due to the importance of the AFS annual meeting to our members, NASPS recommends that the meeting occur several weeks after the AFS meeting to minimize scheduling conflicts.
- Venue:
- Describe the venue and include details on the capacity, where concurrent sessions will occur (2 rooms required, at least 75 people per room), where socials will be held, and other logistics related to hosting.
- Workshop venues:
- Describe details around venue space for workshops. Wet lab space may be required for workshops related to sexing, tagging, and other methods.
- Suggested symposium theme(s):
- Please suggest topic areas relevant to emerging Sturgeon and Paddlefish research and recovery. NASPS will also poll members on this topic once the meeting location is set.
- Fundraising opportunities:
- Include possible ideas for raffles, auctions, potential vendors, and potential local sponsors. Any ideas that can offset the costs of the meeting (e.g. a sponsor for a social) for members are greatly appreciated.
- Approximate meeting costs:
- Please include rough costs on venue, accommodation rates, and meals. Preference is to provide an all-inclusive registration rate that includes the majority of meals and a closing banquet. Estimated costs should be broken out with as much detail as possible. Below is an example of important categories with costs from the 2018 and 2022 meetings provided as an example.
| Item | 2024 Estimate | 2018 Columbia costs | 2022 Folsom costs |
| Registration | |||
| Members | $350 (n=47) | $440 (n=36) | |
| Non-members | $420 (n=52) | $540 (n=22) | |
| Students | $300 (n=23) | $350 (n=19) | |
| Workshops | |||
| Habitat Assessment | $50 (n=15) | ||
| Population Dynamics | $50 (n=9) | ||
| Telemetry | $50 (n=18) | Covered by Innovasea | |
| Green sturgeon recovery | Free | ||
| Venue Costs | $33,442 total | $30,487.08 total | |
| Accommodations | $99/night | $95/night | |
| Food | |||
| Breakfast | $13.95/plate | ||
| Lunch | $18.95/plate | ||
| Breaks | $6-8/person | ||
| Breakfast, Lunch, Breaks Package | $49.95 | ||
| Dinner | Buffet $28/plate | $44/plate | |
| Student BBQ | $719 | ||
| Drinks at socials | $1,079 for host bar | $2,325 for host bar |
- Travel Logistics:
- Please include nearest airport(s), driving requirements, and other applicable logistics related to the proposed location.
