This is the Vendor Registration page for the Fourth Conference on Laboratory Instruction Beyond the First Year (BFY4). The conference will be held at California State University Chico in Chico, CA, on the three days (Wednesday, July 12, 2023 through Friday, July, 14, 2023) immediately preceding the 2023 Summer National Meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).
The goal of the BFY4 Conference is to expose attendees to a broad range of contemporary instructional lab experiments appropriate for sophomore-, junior- and senior-level college physics courses, while also serving as an opportunity to discuss a range of curricular models that allow for enhancement of the undergraduate physics major. This goal will be met through a combination of hands-on small-group workshops, plenary talks, panel discussions, poster sessions as well as informal conversations.
Registration is limited to 150 non-vendor attendees, and is expected to reach capacity before the registration deadline.
Workshops
Your participation as a vendor will be quite different from your experiences at other conferences. Instead of the usual trade show, you will be an integral part of the conference itself. Over the course of two days, we have blocked off a total of 8 hours where all participants will participate in 40-minute-long, hands-on, small group workshops. As a participating vendor, you will have a chance to showcase your equipment by using it in an experiment that is or could be used in advanced laboratory instruction. You will work with 12 groups during the workshop time. We have a subcommittee set up to work with you, to address any questions you may have about this particular audience, and to provide examples of previous workshops and feedback on workshop ideas you might have. We can assure you that, unlike the casual traffic you see at a normal trade show or scientific conference, the participants attending your workshop will have a very focused interest in your products because of the way we schedule participants into particular workshops.
Sponsorship
All sponsors will have banners recognizing their contribution at sponsored events. Sponsors will also get acknowledgement in the printed conference materials, through social media, and also on the website with a direct link from the conference website to your company’s website.
Additional info about the conference rates and sponsorship options is available in the Letter to Vendors.
Lodging and Parking
On-campus dorm apartments
The conference has access to dormitory housing on the CSU Chico campus for the nights of Tuesday, July 11 through Friday, July 14. The latest checkout time is Saturday morning, July 15th.
The dorm housing includes a single room, linen package (sheets, blanket, pillow/pillow case and bath, hand, and face towels), hot breakfast in the dining hall. Bathrooms are shared.
Each room is $66 / night (including taxes). Reservation and payment for dorm housing must be done as part of the conference registration process. Only dorm reservations made by June 1 can be guaranteed, and dorm reservations may be canceled by June 1 with full refund.
Off-campus hotels
Hotel Diamond
Located two blocks (0.5 mi/800 m) from campus at 220 W 4th Street, Chico, CA.
Rooms start at $199.00 USD per night plus tax/fees. Breakfast is included. To reserve, call Hotel Diamond at 530-893-3100 and mention group block BFY4 2023 Conference or reserve online with promo code BFY.
Quality Inn
Located six blocks (0.8 mi/1.3 km) from campus at 715 Main Street, Chico, CA.
Rooms start at $135.00 USD per night plus tax/fees. Hot breakfast is included. To reserve, call Quality Inn at (530) 924-0894 and use promo code BFY4 or book your room online.
Local Hotel with Shuttle to Campus
Oxford Suites
Located at 2035 Business Lane, Chico, CA.
Rooms start at $90.00 USD per night plus tax/fees. Hot breakfast is included and there is a reception with appetizers and beer/wine each evening. To reserve, call Oxford Suites at (530) 899-9090 or reserve online: https://reservations.travelclick.com/106548?groupID=3788949.
There are additional hotel options in Chico on our website: https://rce.csuchico.edu/conferences/accommodations.
Parking
A permit for overnight parking on campus can be obtained during registration.
Meals
The conference provides coffee breaks, snack breaks, and the following meals for all participants including:
