Summit Bulletin - October 6, 2009

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2009 Workplace Summit News

Welcome to the Workplace Summit!

       A participant of the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit registers on October 6.

Hopefully you were able to meet some of the nearly 2,000 people taking part in the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit during registration or one of the Leadership Seminars.
 
If not, please take the opportunity to introduce yourself to someone new.  After all, the Summit experience is made special through the relationships created by the people we meet.
 
Now that you've had a chance to settle into your hotel rooms and become acquainted with the surrounding area, we'd love to see you at tonight's welcome reception, where we'll officially be kicking off the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit. See you there!

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter [11] and join the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit Facebook fan page [12], where you can
stay up-to-date, explore daily photos posted by staff and participants, and interact with others.

Welcome Reception:

Don't miss the Summit's opening welcome celebration tonight

Tuesday, October 6
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Room: Fiesta Ballroom

Join us at the 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit welcome reception [15] on Tuesday, where you'll be able to reconnect with old friends and make new ones as we start the conference. Open to all registered Summit participants.

Summit Programming:
 
Wednesday launches regular Summit programming, with innovative discussions

Wednesday is our first full-day of 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit programming, starting with our inspirational Opening Plenary, followed by featured panels, workshops, luncheons and receptions.
 
Opening Plenary
 
Please join us for the Summit's Opening Plenary, set for 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. in Coronado Ballroom.

Plenary speakers

 
Kevin Brockman
Kevin Brockman is the executive vice president of global communications for Disney-ABC Television Group.
 
Leslie Jordan
Leslie Jordan is widely recognized for his role in "Sordid Lives" and his Emmy Award appearances on "Will & Grace."
 
Kayla Shell
Kayla Shell, president of Out & Equal's board of directors, is the legal director of Dell's large enterprise sales division.


Kenji Yoshino
Kenji Yoshino is the inaugural Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at the New York University School of Law.
 
Luncheons
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Human resources luncheon with Michael Guest
Sponsored by IBM
Room: Monterey 1-3

Build valuable connections at this annual program targeted specifically to human resources professionals. Lunch is included with your ticket, available at registration.
 
Women's leadership luncheon with Laura Liswood and Rayona Sharpnack
Sponsored by Ernst & Young
Room: Coronado H
Join the fourth-annual lunchtime program focused on women in the workplace, including inspirational and informative special guests. Lunch is included with your ticket, available at registration.
 
Cu4lnch: Generations X, Y and Millennium networking luncheon with Megan Wallent
Room: Yucatan 1-3
Megan Wallent, a general manager at Microsoft, will share her experiences and insights on leadership. Lunch is included with your ticket, available at registration.

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Book signings

Several well-known authors are joining at the 2009 Workplace Summit. Please visit them in the exhibit hall.

Leslie Jordan
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Leslie Jordan is widely recognized for his role in "Sordid Lives" and his Emmy Award appearances on "Will & Grace."

Brian McNaught
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Since 1974, Brian McNaught has drawn on his personal experiences and his skills as a sexuality educator to help audiences understand what it's like to grow up gay and to deal with the common, daily challenges faced by LGBT people at work, at home, in their churches and in their neighborhoods around the world.

Kenji Yoshino
2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Kenji Yoshino is the inaugural Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at the New York University School of Law.

Rayona Sharpnack
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Rayona Sharpnack is the founder of the Institute for Women's Leadership, an organization renowned for its groundbreaking work throughout the United States, Australia and Canada.

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Receptions
4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
 
People of color reception
Room: Cancun and Ventanas West
Out & Equal's People of Color Advisory Committee will host a casual networking reception that celebrates cultural differences.
 
Transgender reception
Room: Acapulco and Ventanas West
Join Out & Equal's Transgender Advisory Committee and other special guests at this casual reception.
 
Regional affiliate reception
Room: Monterey 2-3
Don't miss the networking reception organized by leaders of Out & Equal's 17 regional affiliates. Hosted by Out & Equal Tampa Bay.

Out & Equal Night Out
 
Join us for Out & Equal's Night Out, featuring movies and karaoke. We'll have a series of short films and movies:

Movies
Room: Coronado A-B
8:00 to Midnight
 
Karaoke
Room: Durango 1-2
8:00 to 10:00 PM
(cash bar)
 

Night Out Movie schedule

 
Boycrazy
8:00 PM
A classic tale of boy meets boy neatly packed into a lighthearted musical that includes all the usual characters and landscapes of the urban gay life.
 
Private Life
8:30 PM
A story about what it takes to have a private life in 1800's England.
 
In My shoes
9:00 PM
In a time when LGBT families are debated and attacked in the media, courts and Congress, from school houses to state houses across the country, five young people give you a chance to walk in their shoes, to hear their own views on marriage, making change, and what it means to be a family. This documentary was directed by Jen Gilomen and produced by the COLAGE Youth Leadership and Action Program over a 10-month activism training program in San Francisco, CA .
 
Straightlaced
With Academy Award-winning director Debra Chasnoff
9:45 PM
"Straightlaced" is a series of candid interviews with more than 50 teens from diverse backgrounds. With a fearless look at a highly charged subject, "Straightlaced" unearths how popular pressures around gender and sexuality are confining American teens. Their stories reflect a diversity of experiences, demonstrating how gender role expectations and homophobia are interwoven, and illustrating the different ways these expectations connect with culture, race and class. From girls confronting media messages about culture and body image to boys who are sexually active just to prove they aren't gay, this fascinating array of students opens up with brave, intimate honesty about the toll that deeply held stereotypes and rigid gender policing have on all our lives. "Straightlaced" includes the perspectives of teens who self-identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning and represent all points of the gender spectrum.
 
It's My life-a South Asian Queer Story in America
With director Sarav Chithambaram
11:00 PM
This is the first documentary to create a dialogue between the gay and straight South Asian community, including Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Srilankan and others, in the United States . The documentary is an attempt to create a positive visibility of the South Asian LGBT community, and expose many of the issues faced by them culturally.

  Tomorrow's Schedule

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Breakfast & Opening Plenary
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Session 1
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Ticketed Luncheons
12:30 PM -  2:00 PM

Session 2
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Networking Receptions
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Out & Equal Night Out
8:00 PM - Midnight

Summit toolkit:

Everything you will need to know as you begin your 2009 Summit experience

We want to assure your 2009 Out & Equal Workplace Summit experience is the best, and we've organized a toolkit [16] to help you maximize your experience.

Learn about the Summit by reading past e-communications [17] or downloading the program book [13], where, in addition to in-depth programming details, you can find maps for Disney's Coronado Springs Resort and the surrounding area.

What you need to know

Maps
If you need help navigating your way around on your first day, please take a look at our maps [16].

Registration
Upon registering, you will be given your 2009 Workplace Summit  name badge and participant bag, which will include your program book.

Badges
Your name badge serves as your entrance into plenaries, workshops, panels and the exhibit hall. It must be worn at all times and must be visible. If your badge is not visible, conference staff or monitors may ask to see it before allowing you into conference events.

Dress code
Casual office wear is appropriate for much of the Out & Equal Workplace Summit. Many attendees wear shirts with their company logos and we invite you to show your team spirit. We also have Out & Equal merchandise available at our store in the exhibit hall.

Email and business services
Gold-level sponsor Dell will provide cyber stations with free Internet access on a first-come, first-served basis during Summit hours. Disney's Coronado Springs Resort will also offer fee-based wireless Internet throughout the convention center and hotel.

• Wireless Internet access is available for an additional fee
• High-speed Internet access is available for an additional fee

Business center
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is especially friendly to business travelers due to its extensive meeting facilities. The large business center provides computer, Internet, copy, fax, notary and other related services. Some services require an additional fee.

Cell phones and electronics
Out & Equal recognizes that Summit participants may need to take work-related or family calls while they are taking part in the week's events, but we ask that you silence your cell phones and other communications devices during workshops, plenaries and other educational forums. If you must take a call, please exit the room before answering it.

Exhibit hall information
This year's exhibit hall will feature numerous businesses dedicated to workplace equality. Visit their booths for more information. The exhibit hall is open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

Photography
Out & Equal respects that some Summit participants value their privacy and do not wish to have their photographs taken. Partici- pants with a black dot on their credential have asked not to be photographed during the Summit. Please respect their requests. Please be aware that unless you clearly express your desire not to be photographed and avoid cameras when they appear, your image may appear in press coverage or be used for Out & Equal promotional material.

Contact Out & Equal staff
There are hundreds of Summit volunteers available throughout the event to answer your questions. If a volunteer is unable to answer your questions, please call 415-694-6500.

2009 Summit Sponsors

Thank you!

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates™ is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Out & Equal champions safe and equitable workplaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender (LGBT) people. The organization advocates building and
strengthening successful organizations that value all employees, customers, and
communities. See our website [18].