www.ucls.org 18 Utah Council of Land Surveyors Annual Conference Planning and Organization The Utah Council of Land Surveyors (UCLS) is the voice of the professional surveying community in Utah. The UCLS has a strong membership who are proud of our profession and love to be involved in many aspects of the surveying profession. One of these aspects is being the UCLS Conference Chair. Planning the annual conference can be challenging, but very rewarding as well. You will begin early by scheduling an event center and selecting/organizing your main presenter(s) and theme for the conference. There are many aspects of planning this conference, so by working with other committees and using other resources, the conference planning will be simple. Most of the work happens as the conference date approaches, but if you work on the conference a little here and a little there all year, it will make the time spent easier. The conference is generally held at the Dixie Convention Center in St. George, Utah, the week of the President’s Day holiday. The days and times of the conference are generally from one o’clock Wednesday through Friday late afternoon. The purpose of planning and organizing this conference, according to Rule 22, Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors Act Rule §§ R156-22-304, a licensed professional land surveyor shall complete qualified professional education that is directly related to the ethics, business, and technical content aimed at maintaining, improving, or expanding the skills and knowledge relevant to the land surveying and have an identifiable clear statement of purpose and defined objective. Training must also be relevant to the practice and be presented in a competent, well-organized, and sequential manner. It will need to be prepared and presented by those qualified by education, training, and experience. Timeline February during the conference: Schedule the Dixie Convention Center for next year’s conference while at the Dixie Center. February andMarch: This is the time to research speakers and develop a preliminary theme for the conference. The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) speaker’s list is a great resource. Here you will be able to read each speaker’s bio, topics, and contact information. February through July: Lay out a rough draft of the conference schedule. The Dixie Center will be looking to have a contract signed. Please read through the contract to understand what the Dixie Center is expecting. This will provide timelines for vendors and the administrative secretary to enter the building and set up for the conference, among other information. August: If you choose to send out a “Call for Presentations” to the membership, this is when you want to do that. These are usually other members of the UCLS but can also be other professionals you choose to invite as a presenter, e.g., title company representative, land use attorney, etc. This affords a broader opportunity for people to share their personal versions and aspirations for the organization. Other great resources are the State Ombudsman, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Automated Geographic Reference Center (AGRC), United States Geological Survey (USGS), International Right of Way Association (IRWA), Utah Geographic Information Council (UGIC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration By Todd Jacobsen, PLS
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