2019 Annual Conference
Partners in Planning is the theme for the 2019 State Planning Conference for APA Louisiana. It will be held May 23-24 in Baton Rouge. Use the buttons below to find additional information, register, and plan your visit.
Schedule
Thursday starts early with the annual Chapter Business Meeting, followed by two lecture sessions before lunch. Afterward, we head over to the State Capitol to meet with our elected officials during legislative session. Putting what we learned earlier to work, we'll advocate for issues important to our communities and our profession. Afterwards, we gather at "The Loft" for a chapter social including a presentation of awards. Click Program to read the details.
Registration
We're offering simplified pricing for this year's conference, with a discount rate for students. Even a mobile workshop on Friday is included. The evening meal is on your own, allowing freedom to choose from downtown Baton Rouge's many restaurants.
Hotel Indigo will be our official hotel where we've reserved a block of rooms at a special rate. In the heart of downtown, its just a short walk to BRAC's (the Chamber of Commerce) new offices.
Venues
We're not constrained by a single conference facility this year! And all of the venues are within Baton Rouge's walkable downtown. (Shuttle service is provided for the Center for River Studies mobile workshop.) We've got information about each venue, and a map of the locations to help you find your way! A downloadable recommending parking locations is forthcoming.
Sponsors
With each of our chapter conferences, individual registration fees are kept low by the generous support of our sponsors. Wouldn't you like to sponsor a continental breakfast bar or a mobile workshop or part of an evening social? A range of sponsorship levels will ensure your name and logo are seen by all attendees to lecture and awards events, and also to visitors to this website. Click sponsor to learn how to and how much.
2019 Conference Host Committee
Our dedicated volunteers are listed alphabetically.
- Traci Birch, AICP, Capital Section Assistant Director
- Carrie Broussard, Capital Section Director
- Derek Chisholm, AICP, Chapter President
- Alan Clarke, Chapter Treasurer
- Sean Daly, Chapter Professional Development Officer
- Lauren Marschall, AICP, Capital Section Treasurer
- Laura Phillips, Capital Section member and volunteer
- Whitney Hoffman Sayal, AICP, Chapter Vice-President
- Adam Tatar, Capital Section member and volunteer
- James Taylor, AICP, Chapter Information Officer
Registration 2019
Conference Registration Information
Three options are offered for your conference registration process. You may pay online by credit card or download the registration form and mail it with a check to the address provided on the form. Out-of-town folks may need lodging at Hotel Indigo. We're asking that you go "all in" on this conference. There are no single-day registrations, although guests seeking to attend the Thursday evening social and awards ceremony may purchase a ticket solely for that event.
- Chapter Member Registration $125 ($150 after May 13th)
- Non-Member Registration $150 ($175 after May 13th)
- Student Member Registration $40 ($65 after May 13th)
- Additional Ticket for Award Event $40 ($50 after May 13th)
- Hotel room rate $119
DEADLINE: Monday, May 13th for regular conference rates published above. $25 penalty for registrations received after May 13th, 2019.
Register Online
The two-step process requires that you first complete the registration form on this page and then pay online by credit or debit card through the Chapter's SquareUp portal.
Mail-In
For those who need to pay by check, click below to obtain the printable conference registration form. Complete it and mail it with your check to the address provided on the form.
Lodging
We've reserved a block of rooms for our out-of-town attendees at Hotel Indigo in downtown Baton Rouge. King or double-bed rooms are available at the rate of $119.
Schedule 2019
Make plans to join us Thursday and Friday, May 23 - 24 in Baton Rouge for our annual state conference themed "Partners in Planning." In lieu of a full 3-day conference with multiple lecture tracks, this year's event will provide CMs including Law and Ethics, as well as focus on how we as professional planners can impact the introduction, enactment or modification of legislation. Below is an overview of the conference schedule.
| Thursday, May 23 | ||
| 8 - 9:15 am | Chapter Business Meeting | Baton Rouge Area Chamber, 564 Laurel Street |
| 9:30 - 10:30 am | Advocacy Session: National and State Discussion | led by Whitney Hoffman Sayal, AICP and Derek Chisholm, AICP, LEED GA, ENV SP |
| 10:30 - 12:00 noon | Ethics Session (1.5 CM ETHICS) | led by Sean Daly, AICP |
| 12:00 - 1:00 pm | Lunch and Advocacy Prep | |
| 1 - 4:00 pm | Advocacy at the Capitol | Louisiana State Capitol, Memorial Hall |
| 4 - 5:00 pm | Break | |
| 5 - 7:00 pm | Chapter Social & "Partners in Planning" Awards | "The Loft" at Cecelia Creole Bistro, 421 N 3rd Street |
| Dinner on your own | ||
| Friday, May 24 | ||
| 8 - 10 am | Law Session (1.5 CM LAW) |
Baton Rouge Area Chamber |
| 10 - 12 noon | Mobile Workshops (included) | LSU Center for River Studies or Downtown Walking Tours |
| 12 - 2:00 pm | Red Stick Social (paid by attendee) | Bowling and lunch at Baton Rouge's brand new entertainment venue in the Electric Depot, 1503 Government Street |
Speakers
Whitney Hoffman Sayal, AICP
Whitney serves as Vice President of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association and chair of the Legislative Committee. She is also the Development Project Director at the Baton Rouge Downtown Development District, serving in that position since 2012. Prior to her work at the DDD, she gained professional experience in the private, non-profit, and government sectors managing multiple types and scopes of projects, plans, and programs.
Sean Daly, AICP
Sean Daly serves as Professional Development Officer for the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association and is current Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers Louisiana Section Transportation and Development Institute. In his day job, he is a senior planner at Iteris, Inc. and has almost 20 years of transportation planning experience in private consulting and at state and federal positions. He earned his Master of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania.
Niki Pace, J.D.
Niki Pace currently serves as Sustainability Coordinator at Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program. She earned a Juris Doctorate in law and Master of Laws in environmental and natural resources from Lewis and Clark Law School. She has over ten years of experience in law relating to environmental issues as an attorney, law clerk, and professor and is also a certified floodplain manager.
Beaux Jones, J.D.
Beaux Jones is the General Counsel of the Water Institute of the Gulf. Prior to joining the Institute, Jones served as the environmental section chief for the Louisiana Department of Justice, where he represented the State of Louisiana and its agencies in a wide variety of matters ranging from environmental and coastal law to criminal and appellate law. He most recently worked as an environmental and coastal lawyer for the law firm Baldwin Haspel Burke & Mayer in New Orleans.
Program Description
Thursday - Day 1
Starting location: Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The annual Chapter business meeting will lead off our conference on Thursday morning. Then, following guidelines developed by the American Planning Association, we will continue with a workshop providing a framework and tools for interacting with our legislators, providing both a state and national perspective. An Ethics session will be held. After lunch, we'll visit the Louisiana State Capitol where we're arranging to have a table set up, and hope to speak to many of our legislators who will be in session. CM credits will be available for the lecture sessions.
That evening, we'll enjoy an informal social at "The Loft" at Cecelia Creole Bistro including a presentation of awards recognizing our partners in planning. Specifically, this year our awards will be targeted to persons outside of APA-LA - such as legislators, elected officials, journalists, or allied professions - whose accomplishments we wish to recognize and whose successes we'd like to replicate in other communities.
Friday - Day 2
Starting location: Baton Rouge Area Chamber
A topical lecture session covering Law training requirements will be offered. You'll also have the choice of mobile workshops (included in your registration fee) - including the Center for River Studies at The Water Campus (yes, this features the big Mississippi River model); or a walking tour of new developments and public space improvements in downtown Baton Rouge.
Afterwards, we're hoping to gather mid-day Friday at Red Stick Social, the entertainment venue in Baton Rouge's brand new "Electric Depot" redevelopment project on Government Street for lunch (on your own), bowling, and fun.
For those traveling from out of town, lodging will be at Hotel Indigo where we're reserving a block of rooms.
Sponsor 2019
Greetings from the American Planning Association - Louisiana Chapter (APA-LA)
We are excited to host this year’s annual state planning conference, themed “Partners in Planning,” held on May 23 and 24, 2019 in our capital city, Baton Rouge. The 2019 conference will be focused on legislative advocacy, networking, educational, and business outreach opportunities. Invitees will include our 400+ professional membership of urban planners and those with similar career paths in real estate development, economic development, land development law, and public policy.
What can you expect from our conference? Thought-provoking professional development sessions on law and ethics, mobile workshops, legislative advocacy training, and a visit to the Capitol during the legislative session to talk about important planning issues with lawmakers. Social and networking opportunities include two breakfasts, a lunch, and cocktails and appetizers at the evening Chapter Social and Partners in Planning Awards.
This year’s focus is on legislative advocacy and reaching out beyond the ranks of the membership. Attendees will be given training in legislative advocacy and an opportunity to speak with decision makers during the legislative session. The focus of this year’s awards program is similarly outward-facing. Planning projects were awarded last October in Shreveport and will be again at the 2020 conference. This year, the Chapter is awarding allies and individuals that advance sustainable planning and inspired design in Louisiana.
Our ethics speaker will be Sean Daly, APA-LA Professional Development Officer, who is a senior transportation planner at Iteris, Inc. Since 2016 Sean has presented four planning ethics sessions in Louisiana, focused on applying the AICP Code of Ethics in planner’s every day practice. Niki Pace will present at the law session. With over ten years of experience in law relating to environmental issues as an attorney, law clerk, and professor, Niki currently serves as Sustainability Coordinator at Louisiana Sea Grant Law & Policy Program.
Who We Are
The American Planning Association is a professional membership organization for urban planners and those with similar career paths in real estate development, economic development, land development law, and public policy. Our mission is to promote the practice of community and regional planning in Louisiana by enhancing the effectiveness of planners in impacting public policy. The goals of the organization are three-fold: increase networking opportunities for those within the field, build political support for responsible planning principles in our communities, and promote excellence in the profession by means of spotlighting outstanding examples of developments, projects and policies.
The Louisiana Chapter and its regional Sections are made up of over 400 members, many from a variety of disciplines and organizations, including municipal planning offices, economic development agencies, planning commissions, private planning and development firms, land development attorneys, regional governments and agencies, transportation planners/engineers, water management agencies, architects, and landscape architects, among others.
Why Support Us?
Support for APA-LA helps to advance the planning profession and a better future for Louisiana. In 2019 and into the future, the Chapter plans to continue to advocate for the use of proven, successful tools in shaping urban development - like community-oriented development and streamlined government efficiency. By partnering with APA-LA, your brand will reach influential leaders and policy-makers across the state while demonstrating your commitment to quality development that supports a community purpose. Further, your sponsorship of the 2019 APA-LA Annual State Planning Conference will help us reach potential members and leaders in urban policy.
In closing, we invite you to participate in this year’s event as a Sponsor and support our organization and its mission to further smart, innovative planning in the State of Louisiana. To assist you with determining the sponsorship package that best suits your organization, please find enclosed a Sponsorship Guide and Form.
Please contact Derek Chisholm, APA-LA Chapter President, (president@louisianaplanning.com) if you require additional information regarding sponsorship or the impact of our organization. We hope to develop great partnerships with our sponsors as we continue in our mission of Making Great Communities Happen in Louisiana!
Sponsorship Guide
APA-LA welcomes and thanks our many returning partners and new sponsors! Being a sponsor of this year’s event demonstrates your organization’s commitment to the advancement of the planning profession and the future of Louisiana, while taking advantage of benefits specially designed to promote your company or organization! Please consider one of the sponsorship opportunities listed below. For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact Derek Chisholm at president@louisianaplanning.com or 225-907-1280. Thanks again for your continued support!
Our target date to receive sponsorship commitments is May 9, 2019.
Sponsorship Packet (PDF)
PLATINUM SPONSOR: $1,500 or more
- Two Complimentary Conference Registrations
- Lunch Sponsor with display signage (shared)
- Acknowledgement (verbal and onscreen) at APA-LA Conference
- Acknowledgement with your brand graphic on website: louisianaplanning.com
- Reserved table during ceremony at Chapter Social and Partners in Planning Awards
- Display space/vendor table at Chapter Social and Partners in Planning Awards
GOLD SPONSOR: $1,000
- One Complimentary Conference Registration
- Breakfast Sponsor with display signage (shared)
- Acknowledgement (verbal and onscreen) at APA-LA Conference
- Acknowledgement with your brand graphic on website: louisianaplanning.com
- Display space/vendor table at Chapter Social and Partners in Planning Awards
SILVER SPONSOR: $500
- One Complimentary Conference Registration
- Acknowledgement (onscreen) at APA-LA Conference
- Acknowledgement on website: louisianaplanning.com
BRONZE SPONSOR: $250
- Acknowledgement (onscreen) at APA-LA Conference
- Acknowledgement on website: louisianaplanning.com
Venues 2019
Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The generous conference room of the new offices of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber will host our annual chapter meeting and lecture sessions for the 2019 State Planning Conference.
Louisiana State Capitol
We've arranged to set up an APA Louisiana table in the Memorial Hall of our state capitol building. Here we'll represent our profession and enter House and Senate Chambers to observe our legislature in session.
"The Loft" at Cecelia
"The Loft" at Cecelia Creole Bistro offers a fantastic view overlooking the Mississippi River from downtown Baton Rouge. We'll enjoy socializing and then present "Partners in Planning" awards to notable elected officials, journalists and engineers.
LSU Center for River Studies
One mobile workshop option is to tour LSU's Center for River Studies in The Water Campus. Due to ongoing construction activity, we must arrive only by shuttle bus and the tour is limited to the first 50 applicants.
Downtown Walking Tour
A second mobile workshop option is to participate in a walking tour of downtown Baton Rouge. Led by the DDD's Whitney Hoffman Sayal, the tour will highlight projects restored utilizing Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits.
Red Stick Social
Stick around Friday afternoon for another social opportunity with your colleagues. Red Stick Social is BR's brand new bowling, live music, and entertainment venue in the Electric Depot, an old Entergy power facility renovated through the efforts of the East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority.
Getting Around
Mostly we anticipate walking as most destinations are within six or fewer blocks from each other. The exceptions are The Water Campus for which a private shuttle will be used, and the Electric Depot on Government Street which you may drive to following the Friday morning activities. CATS operates the Capital Park Shuttle (Route 16) which has a mostly north-south route up and down Third and Lafayette streets - linking North Boulevard Town Square to the "North Campus" of government offices on the shore of Capitol Lake, north of the State Capitol. The Capitol Park shuttle is FREE and operates on a 30 minute headway.