2008 Magnolia Award for Excellence in Affordable HousingFinalists’ Frequently Asked QuestionsAs a finalist, do people in my organization need to register for the conference?Yes.Do we have to pay to attend?Finalists each receive two (2) complimentary registrations. The Finalists’ Webpage includes a link to the registration form. Please forward information for the two (2) complimentary registrations to Ms. Sherrie Cade at scade@dca.state.ga.us.What if we want to bring more than two people?If you have additional people who will be attending the conference, please register them early. Registration for the conference is $80 prior to November 4. The conference fee increases to $90 through November 17 and goes up to $100 for late registrations. You may register additional attendees using the same link on the Finalists’ Webpage as you will use for the complimentary registrations. People who are registering themselves should go to the conference website at www.magnoliaawards.org. The conference web site also includes a printable registration form. Can I register people to only attend the luncheon at a reduced rate?No. DCA does not provide an option of a luncheon only registration at a reduced rate. The cost of staging this conference and the limited capacity of the ballroom prohibits our offering this as an option. The registration form asks a question, “Will you be representing a Finalist?” What is that about?Anyone involved in your project/activity who specifies on their registration form that they are representing a finalist will have a “Finalist” ribbon attached to their name badge. This can include more than just the two people who are receiving the complimentary registrations. Can our entire group sit together at the Awards luncheon?The Awards luncheon generally features open seating. A few tables are reserved for conference donors and speakers. Representatives of each finalist will also be seated at the reserved tables, to help the awards program move smoothly and quickly. How many people can we have sitting at the reserved tables and going on-stage to receive the award?Each finalist may designate up to four (4) people to be seated at the reserved tables. These are the people who would go on-stage if your project/activity were to win a Magnolia Award. The reserved table guest list form should be faxed to Malisa Thompson at 404-679-0669. Will I know before the conference if we have won the Magnolia Award?No. The Magnolia Award recipients are announced at the Awards Luncheon. During the Awards Luncheon, the finalists’ projects/activities are described and pictures of the projects are shown on a movie screen. The presenters for the category are introduced. The presenters come on stage and are handed an envelope (a la The Academy Awards) announcing the Magnolia Award recipient. If our project wins the Magnolia Award, will we get to say something when we come on stage to accept the award?Yes, however, we ask that you limit remarks to 2 minutes. What if we don’t win the Magnolia Award?Selection as a finalist is a great accomplishment. Your project/activity is clearly a Georgia housing success story to have been chosen as a finalist in any of the categories. The finalists that do not receive a Magnolia Award will receive a “Special Achievement” Award. The Special Achievement awards will be presented after the Awards Luncheon due to time constraints. Will the awards be publicized?Yes. DCA will issue a press release on Friday, November 21st, announcing all of the awards. What about photographs for a press release?DCA will have a professional photographer at the conference. Following the Awards Luncheon, the photographer will be available to take press release photographs of your group with DCA Commissioner Beatty and Assistant Commissioner Chubb. The press release photograph will be emailed to you on Friday, November 21st for your use in newsletters or your organization’s own press release. These photographs are optional. To help us get an idea of how many organizations would like to have press release photographs, please indicate on the photograph request form if your group is planning to stay for a few minutes after the conference for photographs. What are we expected to do during the concurrent sessions?The Housing Conference is built around presentations by all of Magnolia Awards finalists, as a way to showcase the “best practices” in affordable housing in Georgia. During the morning of the conference, there are six concurrent sessions ― one for each of the Magnolia Award categories. The finalists in each of the categories will give 20 minute presentations on their project/activity. In the past, most of the finalists have chosen to give PowerPoint presentations on their projects. This has been a very effective presentation strategy, but it is certainly not the only option. Other finalists have used video tape, detailed hand outs and story boards to convey the who, what, why, and how of their projects. Do I need to bring my own equipment for the presentation?No. Audio visual equipment will be provided at each of the concurrent sessions. An AV request form is part of the Finalists’ Webpage. How does DCA handle the finalists’ PowerPoint presentations?If you are using PowerPoint for your presentation, we need for you to mail a CD containing your PowerPoint presentation by October 31, 2008. Providing the presentation to us in advance will allow us to have it loaded onto a DCA laptop and make sure it is working properly before the day of the conference. You should also bring a backup copy of your presentation on a USB Flash Drive or CD. CDs should be mailed to: Beth Spears What about handouts?We encourage the finalists to bring handouts. You should plan on bringing about 75 copies of your handouts. What do you need me to do?A finalist’s check list is provided on the Finalists’ Webpage. That checklist provides information on each item to be completed, deadline dates, and status. |