Annual Conference
The Metropolitan State University of Denver student chapter of AAAE is pleased to attend the 91st Annual Conference & Exposition on June 16-19, 2019 in Boston, MA. Any student interested in exploring the airport industry is encouraged to join our chapter in attending this four-day conference.
Below I’ve included some details for those who are interested in going on this trip.
Steps to attending this conference for all students
1. Go to AAAE.org and create an official account with AAAE.
2. Once you’ve made an account, you must now register to become an official Academic Member with AAAE. This membership will cost $40/year, billed annually, and you are not required to renew every year.
a. You will be asked for a copy of your class schedule and Government Issued ID to verify your academic status
3. Please wait 24-36 hours for your AAAE Academic Membership to be verified by the AAAE committee in Washington, D.C. You will receive an email once approved.
4. Once you’re verified, you may go to aaae.org/annual and register for this conference by clicking the ‘register’ button at the top of the page.
5. Make sure you register as an Academic Member Attendee to get the discounted registration rate of $305.00.
6. Once registered, please forward the confirmation email to Brandon Murphy at Bmurph30@msudenver.edu
Now comes the fun part…deciding how you’re going to pay for the rest of the trip.
Students of MSU Denver have 2 options when it comes to paying for hotels, flights, transportation, and food:
1. Pay out of pocket. It’s your money, spend big or travel on a budget!
2. Utilize the MSU Denver office of Student Activities Travel Funding grant program. Note that this option is NOT available to students graduating May 2018, and students who have accepted travel funding from the university in the last year.
If you chose option 1, then it is up to you to book your own flights, hotel stays, and you are responsible for all other costs associated with this trip.
If you chose option 2, continue reading below!
The MSU Denver Department of Student Activities (SA) provides travel funding for students who are looking to travel to an event related to their field of study. In order to receive this funding, students must provide a 15-minute PowerPoint Presentation to the SA that explains the groups plans, budgets, and intentions with attending this event. The presentation is conducted in front of several SA personal, who will grade the quality of your presentation. This grade is what SA uses to determine the amount of funding granted.
SA allows students to apply for funding as individuals, or groups.
APPLYING AS AN INDIVIDUAL Applying as an individual means you are eligible to receive up to $625 from SA to be used for your trip to Boston. The only catch is you will have to conduct the 15-minute presentation to SA solo.
APPLYING AS A PAIR Students have the option to apply for funding as a pair. If you apply as a pair, you and your partner will both be responsible for a 15-minute presentation. If approved, you and your buddy will receive $1,250 to share between you two for costs incurred for the trip.
APPLYING AS A GROUP Students in groups of 3 or more are eligible to receive up to $1,875 to be shared amongst the group. The entire group will be responsible for conducting a 15-minute presentation to SA.
Students are free to choose their method of applying—whether it be individual, pair, or group funding. Historically, hotel stays have been the most intensive cost for students traveling to the AAAE Annual. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use all SA funding for hotels, and then use the remaining amount (if any) for ground transportation or other trip-related costs.
FAQs
What kinds of things can I use my SA granted travel funds for?
Any costs that are incurred relating to travelling to the conference can be covered with SA granted funds. However, your spending intentions are discussed in detail during the 15-minute presentation, so you are prohibited from spending any SA granted funds on items not already discussed and approved with SA. At the end of the conference, SA will require a receipt for every transaction. Every penny MUST be accounted for.
What do I do if I want to apply for funding with a group, but don’t personally know anyone who might want to join me?
As students begin to sign up for student funding, I (Brandon) will place individuals into funding groups.
How are SA granted travel funds given to students?
Students never actually see any physical cash when accepting funds. Instead, a closely monitored MasterCard is loaned and used for expenses. It is virtually impossible to use student funds for any costs not already approved by SA.
If everyone in my funding group is at least 21 years of age, can I/we use SA granted travel funds for alcohol purchases?
No. Purchasing alcohol with SA granted travel funds is strictly against the MSU Denver Code of Conduct and will result in administrative consequences upon return.