1 DRAFT UPDATED  DECEMBER 8, 2000 AREA CONFERENCE GUIDE AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR 2002 CONFERENCE Part I. General Information and Background The purpose of this document is to provide guidance and direction for those interested in submitting proposals to host the AREA Conference in 2002.  It establishes a formal process for sponsors to submit proposals for future conferences.  We developed this document to help conference sponsors in planning and conducting the AREA Conference.   There are many things to consider when hosting a conference and  these specifications are not all inclusive and in no way should be considered as such.  The Board utilized the collective experiences from previous conferences in preparing this document.  These guidelines were intended  to make future conferences easier, still maintain our level of professionalism and even make the process fun.  If we omitted something or if an item needs to be changed, please present the Board with written comments. The Aquatic Resource Education Association (AREA) is a professional organization of natural resource educators involved in providing fishery and aquatic resource educational programs and services.  Association members are employed either by state or federal fish, wildlife and natural resource agencies, universities involved in resource education, the fishing tackle industry and other partners.  Funding for these programs often comes from the Sport Fish Restoration Trust fund, which the United States Fish and Wildlife Service administers. We organized and created AREA to foster, promote and encourage the following purposes: a. Increase AREA effectiveness through the promotion of continuous networking of local, state, federal, industry, fisheries and educational professionals involved in aquatic resource education programs by  1)identifying common goals; 2) addressing issues of common concern; and 3) developing professionalism and peer review. b. Provide decision makers and representatives at the national, regional and state level, and special interest groups and other publics, with expertise regarding aquatic education issues, strategies and methodologies. c. Provide an organized forum for issue identification, deliberation and resolution. d. Support aquatic resource management programs with appropriate information and education strategies.