Annual Meeting 2021 Update

SfAA Meeting Working Group

Michael Paolisso
SfAA President Elect

Our 2021 Norfolk annual meeting is fast approaching. We are excited about the program and hosting an all-online meeting. This is an exciting experiment for all of us, and we have greatly benefited from the input and support of members. Your input has been very useful to the planning process, and we ask that you continue to partner with us as we move toward implementing the meeting. 

We have a robust program thanks to Mark Edberg and the Program Committee. The program includes eight workshops offered at the end of the week preceding the main meeting (March 18 and 19), and from Monday, March 22, through Saturday, March 27, a range of sessions on COVID-19, communities facing environmental concerns, risk and disaster issues, fisheries, sustainable communities, education, health and health care, immigration, anthropology of military institutions, gender-based violence, social justice, disabilities issues, African and other descendant communities, and much more, with multiple sponsored sessions from EPIC, PESO, COPAA, WAPA, SDS (Society for Disability Studies), CONAA (Council on Nursing and Anthropology), the Southern Anthropological Society, and others. Currently, there are 1003 meeting registrants, a total of 592 papers, in 141 organized sessions, and 60 volunteered paper sessions. The sessions add up to a full schedule from Monday through Saturday. There are also award sessions (2021 and some from 2020) and business meetings as usual. In addition, there are 36 posters and 2 videos. Volunteered papers have been organized into sessions that, while scheduled, are asynchronous/can be viewed at any time. Posters are also asynchronous, but with the opportunity for interaction with poster presenters. Of note, the regular meeting features a critical conversation session on the 2020 Census. All session blocks are 1 hour and 45 minutes, with an additional 45 minutes of meet-up time per block.

The Norfolk 2021 online annual meeting will be a new experience for many of our members. While most participants will have been predominantly working online throughout most of 2020, many will not have participated in a multi-day online conference. Additionally, the conferencing software, Whova, will be new to all of us. To help us ensure a successful meeting, one that minimizes technical disruptions and is secure, we will be providing training and support to participants, both before and during the meeting:

●      Webinars focused on increasing accessibility, pre-recording and submitting session materials, conducting live stream sessions, working with moderators, and setting up and using Whova, the online meeting platform;

●      One-on-one support and small group trainings before and during the meeting to help members develop basic competency in preparing their online sessions and using Whova and to solve immediate problems (e.g., “how do I log in?”); and

●      Tips through social media and website postings on preparing online sessions and using Whova.

The below table provides the dates and times for these support activities:

*Trainings will be recorded and uploaded to SfAA website for later viewing

**Member onboarding training will be provided one-on-one and for small groups as members request, this training will walk members through how to set up their attendee accounts and navigate Whova

Note: One-on-one and small group support/training will also be offered throughout February in order to help with specific presenter issues creating and uploading presentations or understanding Zoom and Whova capabilities

Let’s all work together to ensure a successful and productive online meeting!