Here are
some frequently asked questions and answers about Petfood Forum. If you don't
find the answer to your question, please contact dphillips@wattnet.net or kblandford-anderson@wattnet.net.
How are topics and speakers selected for
Petfood Forum? How can I be considered?
The
majority of speakers are selected via a call for papers, issued each June with
a due date of October 1. If you want to submit a paper, please watch this
online page as well as the online news page, Petfood Industry
magazine and our e-newsletters, Pet e-News and Nutrition News. The
call for papers will be issued multiple times until the October 1 deadline.
Once all
papers are received, an advisory group of petfood experts evaluates them for:
- Relevance of topic;
- Presence of new or
innovative information, concepts or research;
- Proposed speaker’s
experience or background with the topic;
- Lack of
commercialization or promotion—it is crucial that the paper/presentation does
not come across as a sales pitch, seeking to promote your organization or
product(s);
- Evidence of previous
speaking experience—more attention will be paid to this element than in
previous years.
Each
paper submitted is evaluated on its own merits against these criteria but also
in relation to other papers received—for example, it is highly unlikely two
papers on the same or a very similar subject would be selected for presentations—and
to how many sessions are scheduled for a given topic area. We seek to present a
balance of timely topics as well as ensure particular areas of high industry
importance and popularity are sufficiently covered (examples include
nutrition/ingredients and, currently, petfood safety).
After
selections for presentations are made from the papers submitted, if we still
have sessions to fill in a given topic area, the editorial staff of Petfood
Forum/Petfood Industry may directly
invite known experts on a given topic, past speakers or other industry
professionals to present. Recommendations are always welcome at dphillips@wattnet.net. (Please note that if you recommend yourself, you likely will
be asked to submit a paper.)
If your
paper is not selected, you will be invited to submit your topic for a poster
that will be on display throughout Petfood Forum. We will provide specific
guidelines as to text and graphics to provide; then we will create the poster and
send it to the submitter/researcher for review and approval.
After the
October 1 deadline, any papers submitted will be considered on a case-by-case
basis. They may still be evaluated; or it may simply be too late.
Why is
Petfood Forum being held at the Renaissance Schaumburg?
As the
petfood industry has continued to grow over the past 10-15 years, so has
Petfood Forum. After enjoying many years at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, we
outgrew the exhibition hall and began a thorough search for a new venue nearby.
We chose the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel because it includes
a large convention center our exhibitors could expand into, plus beautiful
meeting and meal rooms just a corridor away from the exhibit hall. The venue
came with strong recommendations from people who had organized or attended
previous events there. The hotel is also a non-union facility, which helps curb
exhibitor costs, and does not charge for parking (for people who drive to the
event). Plus, the area is home to 70+ dining and entertainment options.
To
receive the best rates—and, thus, keep exhibitors’ and attendees’ costs down as
much as possible—we contracted with the Renaissance Schaumburg for three years:
2011-2013. The facility has 500 hotel rooms. Our contract gives all those
rooms to Petfood Forum during the event, but we understand this means not
everyone can stay at the hotel. Therefore, we have contracted with another nearby
hotel and promise to have the best possible transportation between those
hotel(s) and the Renaissance.
I was unable to get a hotel room at the
Renaissance this year. How can I improve my chances of getting in there for
Petfood Forum 2012?
It is
never too early to make reservations; you can do so online or by calling +1.800.468.3571.
Be sure to mention you’re with Petfood Forum or Petfood Workshop to receive our
special rate.
The rate is good through March 3,
2012; however, for Petfood Forum 2011, all hotel rooms at the Renaissance were
reserved by about a month before the cut-off date. So if you really want to
stay at the Renaissance, please don’t wait until just before March 3, because
the hotel will likely be full already.
However, there is also a large block of rooms available at the Embassy Suites, just two blocks away. Free transportation will be available between the two hotels on a regular basis throughout each day and evening. To reserve a room at the Embassy
Suites-Schaumburg/Woodfield (1939 North Meacham Road, Schaumburg, Illinois
60173), call +1.847.241.5415 or reserve online.
Is there a less expensive way to get to the
Renaissance from the airport?
For Petfood
Forum 2011, we arranged with several taxi, shuttle and limo companies to
provide special rates to and from O’Hare and Midway airports. To receive these
rates, you needed to reserve your transportation in advance. This information
was communicated on our website, via confirmation information and emails from
our reservation service, via separate emails and also was mailed along with the
conference badges.
For
Petfood Forum 2012, we are investigating similar arrangements—so please watch
for that information on this online page, any confirmation information received
when you register for the event and other email and print communications.
What are transportation options between the Renaissance
and other hotels, along with area restaurants and attractions?
The
Renaissance has a free shuttle, as do most other area hotels. We realize this
may not be sufficient, especially during peak times such as when many Petfood
Forum participants are leaving for dinner. So, for 2012, we are investigating hiring
a shuttle service to transport participants to and from the Renaissance to area
hotels, restaurants and attractions.
Will Petfood Forum ever be in downtown
Chicago?
As our
contract with the Renaissance Schaumburg is coming up for renewal or expiration
(after Petfood Forum 2013), we will again conduct a thorough investigation of potential
venues for Petfood Forum, including possibly returning to the Renaissance.
Some
Petfood Forum participants have urged us to consider downtown Chicago. We will
include it in our next review of possible venues, but keep in mind that
probably the only facility large enough would be McCormick Place. Holding
Petfood Forum there would very likely necessitate higher fees for all
participants, because the rent and costs of union labor are traditionally quite
high.
In
addition, Petfood Forum participants would need to be spread out among even
more hotels than in Schaumburg because McCormick Place does not include its own
hotel rooms. (There is a Hyatt Regency attached to it, but officially it’s a
separate entity and is unlikely to rent out all its rooms to one event.) Plus,
hotel room rates in the city would likely be high, and travel time to and from
the hotels and McCormick Place or from the convention center to area
restaurants would be long because of distances and city traffic.
Will Petfood Forum ever be in a location
other than the Chicago area?
As our
contract with the Renaissance Schaumburg is coming up for renewal or expiration
(after Petfood Forum 2013), we will again conduct a thorough investigation of
potential venues for Petfood Forum, including possibly returning to the
Renaissance.
That
review might include considering locations other than Chicago. To date, Petfood
Forum has been held in the Chicago area for several reasons:
- It is centrally
located within the US, which helps not only US participants traveling to the
event but also those attending from outside the US; they typically can fly into
the area, then get to wherever else they might need to go within the country
with relative ease and at lower expense.
- Chicago has two
airports, including O’Hare International, which means a choice of flights and
airfares for participants flying to the event;
- Because our parent
company is located in northern Illinois (Rockford, about 100 miles west of
Chicago and even closer to Schaumburg), the logistics and costs of planning and
hosting Petfood Forum in the area are much lower. If we held the event in
another state, our costs and yours would likely increase. Holding Petfood Forum
in a suburb of Chicago also helps keep down costs (see “Will Petfood Forum ever
be in downtown Chicago?”)
Can I receive continuing education units by
attending Petfood Forum and/or Petfood Workshop?
Currently,
Petfood Forum and Petfood Workshop are awarded CEUs by the American Registry of
Professional Animal Scientists. Members of ARPAS can obtain their CEU credit by
visiting www.arpas.org.
For 2012,
we are investigating other CEU accrediting bodies, including possibly ones
outside the US.
As an exhibitor, I usually cannot leave my
booth to attend conference sessions. Is there a way to address this?
For
Petfood Forum 2012, we will likely modify the schedule to allow more times for
sessions to happen when the exhibit hall is not open. Also, we will allow for
more time when the exhibit hall is open but no sessions are going on, so attendees
can visit the exhibits more often.
Last year I registered for Petfood Forum but
was then unable to attend. Can I receive a refund?
For
registration cancellations received before the early bird registration date
(February 1 for 2012), we will refund registration fees minus a cancellation
fee. After the early bird registration date, we will issue a credit toward
future events (in the US or elsewhere, such as Petfood Forum Asia).
Substitution
of personnel for registered participants is always allowed, even on site at the
event.