How to Build a Successful SeminarSuccessful seminar planning begins two to three months before the proposed seminar date.Following these steps will help to ensure good planning.1. Decide on a Seminar Theme.Seminars with a theme tend to draw more participants than a potpourri of topics.Themes might be Negotiating the PermitProcess, Biological Nutrient Remoal, !merging Technologies, or "ase Studies inPlant Start#up.$. Find Qualified Speakers.Two great places to start loo%ing for spea%ers are the preious &ear's annual conference program and a hidden database on the P() web page.To find the hidden database, go to http*++www.rmwea.org and clic% on the lin%s for ,"ommittees- and ,P()-.Scroll down on the P() page to the section titled ,Seminar )rgani.er Forms-."lic%ing on the title will bring up a searchable database of preious spea%ers and their presentation titles.(hile we don't want to see erbatim repeats of the same paper oer and oer again, the database will gie &ou a good idea of who might be willing to gie a tal% in a particular topic area.Remember:Balance!/et spea%ers from a ariet& of sources.R0(!1 is not the adertising branch of a particular engineering firm or municipalit&.2f at all possible, eer& spea%er at a seminar should hae a different sponsoring organi.ation.1dditionall&, it is best to hae a mi3ture of engineers, operators, endors, students, etc.(e all learn from one another because of our different perspecties.!ach seminar should gie at least 4.5 training units or a total of 5 hours of contacttime.2f each spea%er is allowed a 64 minute time slot, plus 7 minutes for changeoer, then &ou will need about 8 spea%ers and topics.1 64 minute time slot is enough time for a spea%er to thoroughl& coer their topic without boring the audience.9. Find a lace to Hold the Seminar.Target locations for seminars will be assigned b& the "hair and :ice#"hair.1 P() goal is to offer as much training aspossible outside of the ;ener area in order to reach more of our constituents./reat, ine3pensie places to hold seminars are communit& colleges.1nother option might be to hae a utilit& host the seminar in their Town (1HS proide a morning snac% brea% and lunch at our seminars.1fternoon coffee and sodas should also be proided. P() has done man& seminars and we hae e3amples of forms, agendas, training unit certificates, etc.