Smart Meetings sat down with SD Meetings and Events President, Erin Scholes, to discuss the work that goes on behind the scenes in supporting a conference that brings together science technology, education, art and math (STEAM) teachers and policy makers in California who share their best practices in encouraging the next generation of thinkers and creators.
The California STEAM Symposium is devoted to promoting math, art and sciences in prekindergarten through higher education supported by the California Department of Education and Californians Dedicated to Education. Schools don’t always have the funds to send as many teachers as they want to these events, so Erin Scholes and her team at SD Meetings and Events found a solution. They work closely with local CVBs to find affordable room rates and allow attendees to go out on their own to explore the city in the evenings, which in turn saves money for the conference by not having to provide an evening meal. In partnering with the same vendors over the years, the STEAM Symposium has been able to achieve consistent results.