What does it take to make a convention succeed?

991 locals, seven months of planning, three hotels and one huge ballroom

April 7, 2005

PICTURED: Retiring Director of Information Technology Mike Maloy with Vice President Maria Neira; Maloy received a standing ovation from LPC attendees.

It takes much more than a village to put on the statewide union's convention in typical years. In election years (like 2005), it takes a metropolis the size of ... New York City.

For Mike Maloy, retiring director of Information Technology, it's all part of the job in his 23rd and last RA.

"We develop custom computer software for the sole purpose of registering delegates and conducting NYSUT's elections," he said.

To get to New York, IT staffers load up five padded boxes the size of (and nicknamed) "coffins" filled with laptops, credentials, power plugs and more. IT uses more than 50 computers to run the convention behind the scenes.

PICTURED: NYSUT staff plan the RA; from left, Sharon Smith, Helen Vickery and Tony Bifaro.

At the RA, IT staff sets up and trouble-shoots computers for other NYSUT departments. This includes the New York Teacher staff putting out daily RA Reporters; the Legislative Department's computer fax letters from delegates to lawmakers; the convention management office; and the Internet Zone, a computer area which is used by delegates to stay in touch with their locals, as well as tabulating results of balloting. Each day of the session, IT compiles a report on attendance and delegate status.

"The compressed time of the RA is the biggest challenge," said Maloy.

PICTURED: Tony DeSanctis of Information Technology delivers phones to convention offices.

If it looks like clockwork from the floor, that's because planning for the unexpected is key. "RA preparation actually starts five years ahead, booking the right space for all the convention activities and elections," said Tony Bifaro, who coordinates the convention. "Once we negotiate that contract, then we work with all the various departments at the hotel, catering, guest space, office space."

A year in advance, planners start to put the program together.

"We have meetings after meetings planning a convention that will work for the delegates," Bifaro said. "That's what it's all about."

When tough decisions are made, he uses this guidance from NYSUT President Tom Hobart. "The bottom line is to preserve the integrity of the democracy of the union."

When delegates reply affirmatively to attend the RA, they choose which sessions and committee meetings they want to attend, and IT has to track this information for room capacity.

IT staff are assigned to assist the convention committee and credentials and elections committee. Department leaders work closely with committee Chairman Jeff Zahler and Credentials Chairman Bob Astrowsky.

Then IT creates badges for all attendees - 3,086 delegates and alternates reported as of early April. All visitors have to be verified by IT; non-member visitors must be matched with a delegate.

Whether delegates, alternates, visitors and guests get to the convention by train, plane or automobile, someone from NYSUT's travel and conference services has been consulted. At the RA, staffers work to make sure delegates get what they need for the business of the convention.

That business generates a lot of paper flowing through the NYSUT Print Shop.

"Two weeks prior to the RA, we assembled a team and stuffed a combined 54,000 pieces of literature into the 3,000-plus kits that we give out at the RA," said Dale Zipkin, manager of the NYSUT Print Shop.

To deal with the demands of the convention itself, the print shop leases four high-speed printers and prints about 200,000 copies of RA information.

Two 48-foot tractor-trailers transport NYSUT equipment and RA materials.