Membership Guides Event Site Selection Policy

Over the past 9 months, the AAPP Board has completed a thorough review of the association’s site selection processes and the event landscape. The Board has:

• Queried the membership via surveys and event evaluations,
• Met with AAPP’s site selection vendor partner,
• Learned about the event marketplace, and
• Benefitted from many individual member discussions as well as in-depth dialogue within the Board

Through this process, the Board gained valuable input, learned how significantly event site selection is heavily influenced by market forces, and realized the delicate balancing act involved in weighing available/bidding venues with overall value, convenience, and member experience to find the best option available.

Member Priorities

Overwhelmingly, members encouraged AAPP to continue to prioritize event sites that are affordable, convenient, and support a premier experience that fosters meaningful learning, networking, and community building. This prioritization was supported by numerous comments and data points highlighting the challenges of employer and personal budget restrictions as well as professional and personal schedule conflicts.

AAPP’s site selection policy has been updated to reflect this priority with major policy provisions including:

• Within the site selection process, AAPP staff will focus on cost effectiveness and accessibility of the event for the attendee balanced with AAPP’s ability to deliver a premier learning experience at the venue.
• When considering cost, AAPP will evaluate all factors impacting costs for the member and the association including registration fees, lodging rates, food and beverage on property and within walking distance, flight accessibility and cost, ground transportation, and other variables as pertinent.
• Member input into potential event sites will be solicited annually via surveys and activity evaluations and considered in the site selection process.
• Recognition that once event sites are contracted, AAPP is contractually and financially obligated to move forward with the conference venues except in very specific circumstances making the site inaccessible and as detailed by contract.

Regardless of the location, it is our goal to use any AAPP event as an opportunity to support the rights, safety, and wellbeing of all AAPP members and the patients we serve. Through our programming, meeting activities, and donations to local causes important to us, we will continue to demonstrate that we are who we are, psychiatric pharmacists working collectively, no matter our backgrounds, to increase access and quality of care for patients, no matter their backgrounds.