Birds of a Feather (BOFs)

What is a BOF?

BOFs, an acronym for "Birds of a Feather", are informal sessions arranged by attendees who have specific topics that often are not covered in the scheduled technical sessions. You can either initiate and chair a session or participate by signing up. Read on, to find out what options are available.

Plan your BOF before you arrive in Portland by e-mailing Bonnie Alexander at alexander@macalester.edu. This year we are introducing additional opportunities for BOF sessions. In addition to the traditional Thursday/Friday evening 5:00 - 6:00 pm BOFs and the Thursday lunchtime table topics, there will be BOF spaces available during the Friday boxed lunch and the technical sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There will be one room available for BOFs during the technical sessions with a sign up sheet next to the registration desk to reserve a time.

On the spot BOFs can be started by going to the registration desk and getting a sign up sheet. Put in time, topic and your name, and we'll assign you a room. If you want it during the technical sessions, sign up for the time slot you want on that room's reservation sheet. (Also at the registration desk.) Put your sheet on the BOF bulletin board. You should plan your BOF with enough time so that people can browse the board and find out about your topic. If no one is using the BOF room you can grab it anytime you've got an impromptu group who wants to talk about a particular topic.

Here is a summary of the BOF schedule:

Thursday, October 18, 2001

10:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Technical sessions.
One room available for BOFs.

Noon - 1:30 pm.
Pre-arranged BOF topics on the lunch tables.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm.
Pre-arranged and impromptu topics. Check out the bulletin board.
Many rooms available.

Friday, October 19, 2001

10:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Technical sessions.
One room available for BOFs

Noon - 1:30 pm.
Sign up on the BOF bulletin board in registration area.
Take your lunch with you to the main dining salon, or one of the session rooms. Please clean up after yourself since the session rooms will be used again immediately after lunch and the hotel staff won't have time to get back in and clean up between your lunch and the next session.

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm.
Check out the bulletin board.
Many rooms available.

Saturday, October 20, 2001

9:00 am-10:30 am.
Last chance for one more BOF.

Updated on April 5, 2001