“[R]evolution,” the upcoming Eastern Communication Association (ECA) convention, will be held from Wednesday, March 30, to Sunday, April 3, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Baltimore.
According to the ECA website, www.ecasite.org, the Eastern Communication Association is a “professional organization of scholars, teachers, and students of Communication studies.” It is a service-oriented organization “with a history of achievement in research, criticism, communication theory, and excellence in teaching.” Established in 1910, it remains the oldest professional communication association in the country.
The convention has two parts: one for faculty and professionals to share research, and one for undergraduate student research. Faculty from the business communication program at Stevenson, including Dr. Leeanne Bell McManus, Chip Rouse, Stephanie Verni, Chris Noya, Dr. Heather Harris, and Dr. Deric Greene, will be presenting papers at the convention, and helping to serve as the local hosts of the event.
Sixteen business communication majors in the Advanced Event Planning class, and 15 students in the 47 House club will be working at the convention that may host as many as 800 attendees over the five days. The student helpers will be attending to the registration table, putting up signs, directing attendees, promoting events on social media, and performing other logistical tasks. Students will work almost 10-hour days from March 30 to April 3. In addition to their tasks, they will have the opportunity to see exhibits and displays, attend panels, and learn what students and professors from other colleges and universities are researching.
[R]evolution also has an awards component, short courses, exhibits, and special events. Bell McManus, associate professor of business communication at Stevenson, spoke about one particular special event of interest to convention attendees: “We’re going to try and work with Light City Baltimore, which is a light festival downtown. We’re going to try to do some tours, so people get to walk through the city and see what we have to offer in the harbor.”
More information is available at ecasite.org.