Dear Fellow Chi Epsilon Chapters: September 17, 2018 The 31 st Annual Chi Epsilon Pacific District Conference will be held November 9 11, 2018 in Berkeley, California. The University of California, Berkeley chapter of Chi Epsilon is honored to host this year s conference. We would like to invite your chapter to join us for an exciting weekend of events. Conference registration will be via the conference web page at www.xepdaa.com. Please take the time to review this letter (and attachments) as it will inform you about what to expect this year and your chapter action items. Your chapter s attendance is crucial to the success of this conference and the Pacific District s continued strength. We need the participation of each chapter in order to bring new and innovative ideas to the table regarding fundraising, communication, and the improvement of Chi Epsilon as a whole. This conference will consist of many different aspects, including: Presentations by each Chapter in the District Meetings to share and discuss your chapter strengths and weaknesses Professional development sessions by industry practitioners Chapter competitions Professional Networking Event A formal conference banquet Determination of the 2018 Chi Epsilon Cup Champion Chapter Registration Each Chapter shall register to attend the conference. Register your Chapter online at http://www.xepdaa.com/conference/index.php and click the link, Chapter Registration Form. Chapter registration establishes a primary contact for your Chapter during the Conference and helps us estimate the number of people attending for planning purposes. Chapter registration is due by September 30, 2018. Some chapters will have yet to hold their first fall meeting by this date, thus we ask that your officers estimate your Chapter s potential number of attendees based on knowledge of your members participation and history of your chapter s past attendance to the conference. While chapters will not be held accountable to the number of estimated attendees submitted by September 30, we do ask that you give us a reasonable and realistic estimation of attendees for our planning purposes. Attendee Registration Attendee registration will close on October 14, 2018, at midnight. The registration fee for attending the Chi Epsilon district conference is $55.00 for each Chi Epsilon student member, initiate, advisor, and alumni. A group payment form is attached. Once your Chapter payment has been received, we will send a confirmation through email. Please visit the District website (www.xepdaa.com) to register each individual attendee. Click on the conference registration banner and links to access the individual registration form. The registration fee helps cover the various costs for each registrant. Registration fees must be received by the UCB Chapter by October 29, 2018 so that UCB can pay various conference costs in advance. September 17, 2018 Page 1
Conference Agenda and Events A draft of the conference agenda is attached. Throughout the conference, your chapter will participate by making presentations, displaying chapter projects, interacting in conference meetings and competing in events to determine the 2018 Chi Epsilon Pacific District Cup Champion. Additional information is attached and will be posted on the conference registration page. District Councilor, Charles Chadwell, and District Council Chair, Jeremy Clemmons, will contact each chapter president in the coming weeks to discuss your chapter s assigned committee topics. Attendance Attendance by a minimum of three of your current members is mandatory for all three days (starting with Friday night, November 9.) One of these three members must be your Fall 2018 Chapter President. Additional members, current initiates and alumni are also invited to attend all activities throughout the conference; The more attendees your chapter brings, the better. Please encourage your Chapter Advisor to attend as it will reward your chapter with additional points towards the Chi Epsilon Pacific District Cup. Accommodations Each chapter is responsible for its own travel and lodging accommodations and expenses. You are encouraged to reserve rooms as soon as possible to secure nearby hotels and cheaper rates. If staying in a hotel, we advise you to check-in on Friday, November 9 and check-out on Monday, November 12. Arrangements have been made with Bancroft Hotel and with Four Points by Sheraton. Details for each hotel are included below. We only have a limited number of room established at this rate, so we encourage you to book them as early as possible as it will be a first come, first serve basis. If you have trouble making reservations, please contact Katrina Yap (714) 392-5743 with the UCB Chapter. Bancroft Hotel: 2680 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, directly across the street from the south side of campus $139 per night (excluding taxes), must book by October 26, 2018 1 available parking spot per room for an additional $15 per night 10 rooms available with a queen bed for the nights of November 9, 10, and 11, some with an optional rollaway cot upon request To reserve rooms, call (510) 549-1000 and indicate that you are booking under the group block for the conference Cancellation: 48 hours prior to check in Four Points: 1603 Powell St, Emeryville, CA 94608, about a 20 minute drive from campus $139 per night (excluding taxes) with free parking, must book before 5:00 p.m. PST on October 11, 2018 15 rooms available for the night of Friday, November 9 o 5 rooms with a king bed o 10 rooms with two double beds 25 rooms with two double beds available for the nights of November 10 and 11 To reserve rooms with two beds, book online at https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/book/chiepsilonpacificdistrictconference To reserve rooms with a king bed for Friday night, call Daniel Oh (510) 547-8415 ext. 7161 Cancellation:48 hours prior to arrival Your chapter is not required to stay at Bancroft Hotel or Four Points but is highly encouraged due to the limited availability and price of rooms near campus. It is also recommended that your chapter consider travel time and proximity to campus, as the conference schedule has events that start early in the morning and others that run late in the evening. Chapters within the surrounding region should also consider staying in a nearby hotel as events on each evening run late. In addition, staying in nearby hotels with other chapters will provide an opportunity to socialize in the evenings. September 17, 2018 Page 2
Transportation and Parking Each chapter is responsible for its own travel accommodations to the conference. Traditionally, most chapters travel via automobile, including Southern California chapters. To minimize costs, we recommend you carpool as a chapter. Chapters from Southern California may elect to fly and will need to coordinate transportation to/from the hotel, conference event locations, and airport. The nearest airport is Oakland International Airport. Events will be held in various locations on the UC Berkeley campus. Additional location details will be provided as the conference dates approach. Please be aware that public parking on the UCB campus and in the surrounding area can be hard to find. If you plan on driving, we recommend that you purchase a parking permit ($15/day), which comes with a reserved parking spot. Overnight parking is not allowed. If you already have a UC campus parking pass on your vehicle, it will be valid, but will not include a reserved spot. If your chapter needs parking permits, please fill out the parking permit section of the attached form. We will be purchasing special events parking permits for the chapters as a package, which are different from the permits available to individuals. If you choose not to purchase a permit through us, more information and tips about parking can be found at https://pt.berkeley.edu/parking/visitor-parking. Please notify us how many parking permits your chapter is requesting by October 14, 2018 so we can purchase them in advance and guarantee your reserved parking. Parking permit fees will be due with your chapter registration fees on October 29, 2018. Dining We will be providing dinner to for up to five of your attendees on Friday evening. All paid attendees will be provided breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and the Sunday banquet dinner. For all meals not provided by the conference (primarily Saturday dinner), there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of campus. 2018 Pacific District Cup For the ninth consecutive conference, the Pacific District Council will award the Chi Epsilon Pacific District Cup to one of the fourteen chapters. The current reigning champion from PDC30 is the University of Hawaii, Manoa chapter. The winner of the cup will be recognized as the prominent chapter within the District for 2018. The competition is rated by points awarded across several conference events as well as adherence to National requirements. The following criteria will reward your chapter with points toward the cup: You have a minimum of three members at conference. (Additional points are awarded for larger attendance by chapters, as well as having your faculty advisor and alumni present) Your chapter attendee s registration and payments are both received by their respective deadlines Your chapter banner and banner stand (constructed in the last 5 years) are present at Conference Your chapter presents its chapter report at Conference Your chapter submits a scholarship nominee We will send out a draft scoring system that will be utilized to determine the winner. If there is a tie, the District Council will select the winner based on overall chapter participation during the conference. September 17, 2018 Page 3
Action Items In conclusion, you and your chapter will need to perform the following action items in the next few months: 1. Register your Chapter on the website. (Due September 30) 2. Register your attending members on the website (minimum of 3 members, no maximum). (Due October 14) 3. Send your attendee registration fees to the UCB Chapter. (to be received by October 29) 4. Reserve your Chapter s hotel rooms. (See above deadlines and policies.) 5. Begin making appropriate travel arrangements. 6. Prepare for the committee meeting in conjunction with other chapters. (Start Now) 7. Prepare your Chapter report presentation and develop your marketing video. (Start Now) 8. Find (and possibly repair) your chapter banner stand from last year (Start Now) 9. Visit the website periodically for additional updates. 10. Raise funds to aid with Conference costs. Please contact us with any questions you may have. Thank you for your time and we hope your chapter will honor us with your presence. Sincerely, UC Berkeley XE PDC Planning Committee ucb.pdc@gmail.com https://xe.berkeley.edu/ September 17, 2018 Page 4
Chapter Registration Form (Please complete and return this form with your registration payment.) Chapter Name Total Number of Attendees Attendees (list all the payment covers) Number of Parking Permits Total of Registration Fees: Return this form along with a check for $55 per attendee, payable to Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society : Julia Konopasek Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 750 Davis Hall University of California, Berkeley 94720-1710 Registration Fees must be received by October 29, 2018 so allow time for snail mail. Do not wait to bring your form and check with you to conference. It s too late!! September 17, 2018 Page 5
Friday 5:30 Chapter Check-in + Dinner 6:00 Council Welcome: Lead Officers XE Cup Competition #1 - Pics Schedule of Events (Draft) XE Cup Competition #2 - Scavenger Hunt 6:30 Committee Meetings - Introductions/Icebreaker 7:00 Committee Event 7:45 Committee Meetings - Session No. 1 8:30 Adjourn Saturday 7:45 Chapter Banner Stand Setup 8:00 Breakfast Chapter Presidents Breakfast Meeting w/ Council 8:30 General Assembly Why Are We Here Chapter Reports - 7 at 5 minutes each 9:45 Committee Meetings - Session No. 2 Tour 10:45 Break 11:00 General Assembly #2 Chapter Reports - 7 at 5 minutes each 11:45 Lunch Advisor Meeting Lunch 12:00 Professional Development Speaker Session A (w/ lunch) 1:00 General Assembly #3 XE Cup Competition #3 - Quiz 1:45 Group Photo 2:30 Committee Meetings - Session No. 3 Professional Development Speaker Session B 3:30 Simpson Strong Tie Competition 4:30 XE Cup Competition #4 6:30 Adjourn Prepare Committee Presentation at Hotel Notes Saturday Dinner On Your Own September 17, 2018 Page 6
Sunday (Professional Dress Mandatory for Entire Day) 9:30 Breakfast 10:00 General Assembly #4 XE Cup Competition #5 XE Business 11:00 Break 11:15 Committee Meetings - Session No. 4 (Leads Only) 11:15 Professional Development Speaker Session C 12:30 Lunch 1:30 General Assembly #5 Committee Reports (3 @ 20 min max) XE Cup Competition #6 - reports 2:30 XE Cup Competition #7 3:15 Conference Business Wrap-Up 3:30 Travel (walk) to MLK Set Up Banner Stands at MLK 4:00 Industry Outreach Networking Event 5:30 Conference Banquet 7:15 Conference Awards & Competition Winners 8:00 Adjourn September 17, 2018 Page 7