Members will gather in person for the 173rd Annual ISMA Convention in 2022, the Board of Trustees decided Nov. 7. As in recent years, the event will be at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville on Sept. 9 to 11. The Board approved of an expanded version of the ISMA Pulse digital tool that will be used to collect pre-convention feedback on resolutions. Also, a resolution adopted this year made the resolution deadline 30 days earlier than before. 

In the 2021 post-convention survey, 75% of respondents gave the virtual event an overall rating of excellent or good; staff interactions before and during convention earned a rating of 95% to 98%. However, at the Board’s Nov. 7 meeting, Executive Vice President Julie Reed, JD, noted that the general expectation had always been to return to an in-person convention once COVID-19 vaccines became widely available and Indiana’s COVID-19 positivity rate had declined. In addition, the financial cost and staff hours required to produce a fully hybrid convention would be prohibitive.

At the same time, this year’s survey respondents appreciated being able to give input on resolutions using ISMA Pulse. Before convention, 83% of respondents opened ISMA Pulse to review the resolutions, and 48% left feedback using Pulse. Seventy-seven percent found the preliminary reference committee reports helpful, and 80% supported using ISMA Pulse in the future. ISMA is exploring options for 2022 that would make ISMA Pulse more interactive, such as by enabling members to see others’ responses to resolutions. 

Finally, a resolution adopted this year moved the deadline to submit future resolutions  from 60 days before convention to 90 days before – making next year’s deadline Sunday, June 12.