Solar Eclipse Planning Workshop, Oct. 21-22, 2022, Rochester, NY

Poster by Tyler Nordgren — Artwork by Tyler Nordgren, Space Art Travel Bureau

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force will host a solar eclipse planning workshop Friday-Saturday, October 21-22, 2022, at the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC), 657 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14607; visit RMSC's dedicated eclipse website. Workshop theme: “Preparing Your Community for the Coming Solar Eclipses.”

Registration is now open! Deadline: Tuesday, October 18, 2022. See below for instructions on how to register.

Format

The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and remote/virtual attendees. Plenary sessions on topics of general interest will be accessible in real time to off-site attendees via Zoom. Our plan for parallel discussion sessions on specific topics is to record them for later viewing as technology and staff time permit.

Content

We’re organizing the workshop around three broad topics:

What to tell and how to tell it:
- Key messages & managing expectations, communication strategies, marketing milestones, how to speak in soundbites, how to communicate eclipse science, media outreach, use of social media, using art to communicate science, storytelling.
Getting down to the business of preparing your community:
- Health & safety, emergency management, managing traffic, planning events, building partnerships & teams, roles and responsibilities of team members, working with governments, tools/resources for eclipse planners.
Meeting the different needs of different audiences:
- Museums & planetariums, colleges & universities, primary/secondary schools, libraries, scouts/4-H/etc., big cities, small towns & rural areas, especially large venues, underserved communities/populations, border issues.

See the program/schedule below for details.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is for everyone involved (or wanting to become involved) in preparing their community for the October 2023 and/or April 2024 North American solar eclipses, whether on or off the eclipse path(s). We are especially eager to have attendees who worked to prepare their community for the August 2017 “Great American” eclipse and have lessons learned and best practices to share with others who are going through this for the first time.

Past workshops have attracted amateur and professional astronomers; formal and informal educators; local, state, and national government officials; representatives from the tourism and hospitality industries; professionals in health, safety, transportation, and emergency management; local, state, and national park rangers; artists, filmmakers, and event planners; and many others who recognize the challenges and opportunities presented by solar eclipses.

Whether you’re already working on plans for the coming eclipses or haven’t yet begun, this workshop will provide you with practical, actionable advice and information to help ensure successful and inspiring engagement with the coming eclipses.

Coronavirus Policy

The AAS Board of Trustees requires that all in-person workshop attendees be up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. Download and read the full AAS coronavirus policy (PDF).

Registration Fees

In-person registration costs $150. Among other things, this fee covers breakfast and lunch both days, refreshments during coffee breaks both days, one drink at a cocktail hour on Friday (cash bar available for additional drinks), and attendance at “RMSC After Dark” on Friday evening.
Virtual registration costs $25; this fee helps offset the costs of equipment and bandwidth.

How to Register

We have a two-step registration process:

Step 1: Verify vaccination status (in-person registrants only)
Step 2: Register for the workshop (in-person and virtual registrants)

Note that it can take up to two business days for the vaccine verification (step 1) to be processed before you can register (step 2). Since the in-person registration deadline is Tuesday, October 18th, you should begin step 1 by Friday, October 14th, if you plan to attend in person. In step 2, when asked to enter your CrowdPass verification code, enter the six-digit number sent to you in step 1 (in-person registrants) or the all-uppercase word VIRTUAL (virtual registrants). See our registration page for more detailed instructions on both steps. (In-person registrants: Beware that the email from CrowdPass with your verification code may end up in your spam/junk folder, so if you don't find that email in your in-box within two business days of completing step 1, check your spam/junk folder.)

Registration deadline: Tuesday, October 18, 2022. Space is limited, so register as early as you can.

Where to Stay

Our colleagues at the Rochester Museum & Science Center have arranged for a block of discounted rooms ($169/night) at the Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa (a Doubletree by Hilton property), 550 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14607. The Strathallan is a 5-minute walk from the RMSC.

You have two ways to book a room at the Strathallan at the special rate:

Book your room online.
Call +1 585-461-5010 and mention the AAS Eclipse Workshop.

Additional discounted rooms (from $157/night) are available at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown. Book one of the following ways to get the special rate:

Book your room online.
Call +1 585-232-5000 and mention the discount code 0110175.

Other hotels within walking distance of the museum include the Courtyard by Marriott Rochester Downtown and Hyatt Regency Rochester. You can find additional lodging options at Visit Rochester.

Contributed Presentations

Registered attendees are invited to submit contributed presentations in the form of PDF posters. These will be made available online for attendees to download and read. A small number of in-person attendees may be invited to print their posters for display on bulletin boards at the workshop.

PowerPoint, Keynote, or other presentation software is a great way to create such a poster, though you could work in Word or anything else you find suitable. Whatever program you use, save or export your presentation as a PDF. Use settings optimized for display on a screen (as opposed to, say, publication-quality printing) to minimize the file size.

Once you’ve created your poster, use our poster submission form to send it to us. You may submit more than one poster if you wish. Deadline: Tuesday, October 18th, at 2 pm PDT / 5 pm EDT (because we need time to upload all the posters into our online collection).

Submit a Poster

Exhibitor/Vendor Information

We can accommodate a small number of eclipse-related exhibitors and/or vendors who wish to display their resources and perhaps sell their merchandise at the workshop. The cost is $500, which includes in-person registration for one person. If interested, please fill out the Exhibitor/Vendor Application (Google form).

Program/Schedule

Subject to change; more details (e.g., names and affiliations of presenters) will be added soon. All times are Eastern Daylight Time = UTC – 4 hours.

Day 1: Friday, October 21, 2022

07:30 am to 09:00 am — Light Breakfast

09:00 am to 09:15 am — Welcome & Introductions

09:15 am to 10:30 am — Plenary Session (in-person & on Zoom)

Overview of the Workshop, Lessons Learned from the 2017 “Great American” Eclipse, On and Off the Path

10:30 am to 11:00 am — Bio Break

11:00 am to 12:00 pm — Plenary Session (in-person & on Zoom)

Practical Advice for Eclipse Planners: Who Are the Stakeholders & What Are Their Primary Needs?

12:00 pm to 01:00 pm — Lunch Break

01:00 pm to 02:00 pm — Plenary Session (in-person & on Zoom)

Resources for Eclipse Planners: What’s Available & Where to Find It

02:00 pm to 03:00 pm — Breakout Discussion Sessions (in-person only)

Anticipated Topics: Large-Scale Events, Smaller Events, Engaging Local/State/National Government, Engaging Stakeholders/Building a Team, More Resources.

03:00 pm to 03:30 pm — Coffee Break

03:30 pm to 04:30 pm — Plenary Session (in-person & on Zoom)

Eclipse Messaging: What to Say & How to Say It

04:30 pm to 5:00 pm — Day 1 Closing Remarks (in-person & on Zoom)

05:00 pm to 07:00 pm — Reception & Cocktails, Sponsored by Optimax (in-person only)

07:00 pm to 10:00 pm — RMSC After Dark (in-person only)

Day 2: Saturday, October 22, 2022