2013 Proposals CLOSED

APRIL 22 – DEADLINE EXPIRED – with 51 proposals already in, any proposals sent in at this point will have to go on the B-LIST.  Truly sorry, because we respect all organic educational workshop ideas which people have taken the time to compile and send in – but we already have enough solid ideas to run next year’s workshop program.  This expanded program will be posted later this spring under WORKSHOPS once the 2013 dates are confirmed and the 40-workshop draft is reviewed.  

If still planning to send in a proposal, please send to: organix@georgian.net – we will simply keep it on file in case the established program has a cancellation.

Wth the last of the 50 anticipated workshop proposals now in, we’re going to expand this event, while running a new feature – a “Super Sunday.”  

Currently, the first rough written workshop draft sits on the manager’s desk and it looks very diversified and exciting !!  

This will be a 4-day program, Thursday through Sunday.  A hint at what could be new and different: ‘The Permaculture Forum” stream of 4 workshops… a first for this Conference.  Also, a brand-new stream – “To Build A Healthy Organic Community.”  Stay tuned.  The U of Guelph will be giving us our confirmed dates for 2013 in the next few days.

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FINAL DEADLINE expired ! MARCH 15, 2012

If still sending something in for the 2013 “B-List” here is the format.  If thinking way ahead to 2014, keep these ideas in mind when formulating your ideas this summer for the March 15, 2013 deadline.
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1. Name of workshop (or give a choice of 2 or 3 names) – keep it simple, creative & interesting
2. Suggested speaker (or speakers) – (A) is it a single person presenting, or is it (B) a 2-person talk or (C) actually a much larger panel.  If it’s a larger panel, who would you prefer to be the other proposed panelists? – we need those names because you must have an idea who they are and we want to see how you would construct such a panel – up to 3, 4, 5, 6 presenters !
3. Duration of program – 1.0-hour, 1.5-hour, 2.0-hour or longer, i.e. 3.0-hour.  Do you see this as a major seminar which could run as a ½-day or full-day program (note that we have very limited space for these large programs, so be very specific, but we will consider your idea).
4. Difficulty or challenge/involvement level of the subject you are proposing – e.g……. is it only for novices, or is it introductory, intermediate, advanced, expert, etc.
5. Description – try to describe your presentation in 25-50 words (100 maximum).  Provide the 5W’s – who-what-where-why-when….. and how?  Have we ever done this workshop in the past?
6. Target – (remember that anyone can attend Guelph workshops even if the person is not directly in farming).  Is your target ‘certified organic growers,’ or consumers, market gardeners, crop researchers, media, student interns, 10-acre landholders, 1000-acre transitional growers, permaculture advocates, highrise dwellers, or who?  Is the target “general” – appealing to all?
7. Is your proposal within a larger “theme of workshops“…. if so, think ahead and give 2 or 3 ‘proposed titles’ of some of these other imagined workshops which might fit into that theme.
8. Please provide any other comments on why your proposed workshop is necessary, significant, important or that it provides a new focus or will generate new interest at the Conference.  Please: your proposal must be short + clear vs. vague or rambling.  We just got a fabulous 4-workshop proposal on the same theme, written on less than one page.  Excellent.
9. Final note: as an objective policy, our workshops don’t generally support promotions for products, businesses, specific methodologies or belief systems without offering opposing or other views.  If the Guelph Conf. Committee likes your idea but feels it is too specific to your personal business enterprise, we may counter-propose a panel containing you + differing views.

The Conference gets literally hundreds of workshop ideas every year.  Most of what we receive are undeveloped snippets without any structure or strategy behind them.  This makes it difficult for the Conference organizers to give the workshop a solid title or to even try slotting it into a coherent 2-workshop, 3-workshop or even 4-workshop theme.  Thus, if you can propose a catchy title, a solid speaker and a popular topic, this is more likely to be chosen.  Please respond as soon as possible because right after the January, 2012 event (which is now), we will be in ‘workshop selection mode’ for the 2013 workshop program.  That’s our schedule on this well-worn path – so don’t be disappointed.   FINALLY, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FULL MAILING ADDRESS, POSTAL CODE, PHONE/FAX, E-MAIL, etc..so we can contact you.

Latest proposal date: March 15, 2012 – mail to Box 116, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z4 – or E-Mail a good, readable document via PDF.

Tomás/Conference Manager ••  (705) 444-0923  ••  organix@georgian.net  ••  or FAX TO: (705) 444-0380