Annual Conference FAQ | Great Plains IDEA

Administrators, faculty, staff, and campus coordinators from member universities are invited to this annual conference. 

Over time we have learned that Sunday through Wednesday is a pattern that works well for our members.  Some years there is less programming on Sunday.  Other years there is less on Wednesday.  Each conference's start and end times fluctuate a little based on program availability, the conference theme, and the goals of the Boards and Cabinet.

Twelve months prior to the conference, the management team creates a master calendar that includes the following:

• All member universities' spring breaks
• Conference dates and locations that may prevent faculty, specific programs, functional team members, or board members from attending
• Holidays like Easter and Passover

Twelve months prior to the conference, the management team puts out a request for proposals (RFP).  The RFP is sent to the convention and visitors bureaus in each city we would like to consider for our conference.  For the 2023 conference, we submitted RFPs to Kansas City, KS; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE; Lincoln, NE; and Des Moines, IA.

We received 14 proposals.  After some additional research and back-and-forth with a few of the properties, including a trip to Nebraska to visit properties in both Lincoln and Omaha, we selected the Kansas City Marriott on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO.  

Important factors we consider when selecting the right property, listed in priority order:

• 13 or more breakout rooms to accommodate our many academic program meetings, department chairs, and campus coordinators
• Complimentary wireless internet in the meeting and guest rooms
• Competitive sleeping room rates and a variety of room types
• Discounted or complimentary meeting rooms
• Complimentary or discounted parking for overnight guests and temporary parking
• In-house audiovisual company with discounted pricing
• Discounted food & beverage
• Personalized webpage for online reservations
• Walkability to nearby restaurants and shops

Your support in staying at the Great Plains IDEA contracted hotel helps keep the conference costs down, which directly affects your registration fees. Great Plains IDEA contracts for the best possible room rates for this conference and is required to guarantee a predetermined number of sleeping rooms. If the alliance does not meet the contracted room block, the hotel can charge an attrition fee, which will result in higher registration fees at future conferences. Therefore, we encourage you to book your room through our block at the conference hotel.

Your registration fee covers rental fees for audio-visual equipment, speaker fees, and operational costs.  Generally, your registration fee also covers the following:

• Monday -- Lunch, beverage breaks, late-afternoon reception, and workshop presenters
• Tuesday -- Continental breakfast, luncheon, and beverage breaks
• Wednesday -- Continental breakfast and lunch

Yes.  One-day registration will again be available in 2023. Visit the registration page to see the rates.

Contact the management team at alliance@k-state.edu.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
If you must cancel your registration, please do so as soon as possible by sending an email to Kathryn Harth at kharth@ksu.edu with the subject line “Great Plains IDEA Annual Conference”.  Substitutions are encouraged.  A full refund, minus a $25 administrative fee, will be made if notice of cancellation is received by the registration office by the approved deadline. After the deadline, due to guarantees we must provide, refunds are not available.  Registrants who do not cancel their registration in writing by the deadline, are responsible for paying the registration fee even if they do not attend the meeting and have not paid the registration fee.

Contact Kathryn Harth at kharth@ksu.edu.