The ACBS Conference Strategy Committee is responsible for meeting the organization’s research and training objectives as they relate to ACBS's World Conference. The Conference Strategy Committee recommends future ACBS World Conference locations, evaluates venue proposals, and chooses future conference sites, with final approval reserved by the ACBS Board. The committee members are tasked with thematic determinations, plenary speaker recruitment, conference structure determination (timing, length, etc.), and other related conference decisions. The committee members act as a resource for the conference program chairs.
An important part of the Conference Strategy Committee’s job is determining the Pre-Conference Workshops. Each year, the Conference Strategy Committee spends about 4 months soliciting, evaluating, and selecting the 10 Pre-Conference Workshops to be held at the annual World Conference. The obligation is to balance - (1) diversity, (2) training level from basic to advanced, to cutting edge, (3) variety of models - ACT, RFT, CFT, FAP, DBT, etc., (4) client groups - adults, children, adolescents, organizations, health, etc., (5) organizational strategy and support for CBS vision, (6) mentoring new people, (7) past opportunities to present, (8) quality level, and (9) financial viability.
The committee is comprised of permanent members and rotating members. Each rotating member serves a 2 year term on the committee. The ACBS Board President, President-Elect, and the Program Chairs for the next two World Conferences serve as rotating committee members.
2019 ACBS Conference Strategy Committee permanent members:
Manuela O’Connell, Committee Chair
Sonja Batten
Aisling Leonard Curtin
Andrew Gloster
Louise Hayes, ACBS Board President
Steve Hayes
Louise McHugh, World Conference 17 Program Chair
Miguel Rodriguez Valverde
Robyn Walser
Rotating members:
David Gillanders, World Conference 17 Program Chair
Matt Bonne, World Conference 18 Program Chair
Jennifer Gregg, World Conference 18 Program Chair
Dennis Tirch, ACBS Board President-Elect