Cost benefit analysis of attending the ASLA 2011 Meeting for first-year MLA students

D~

By all means… attend!  You’ll come away with a greater sense of what is going on in the profession, from lectures, tours, walking the streets of San Diego, and face-time with people young and older from all over.  There will be acres of displays in the Expo where you can test products, pick up literature, and speak with reps.  I look forward to seeing old friends, meeting new folks, and catching up on my school’s doings at the alumni reception.   It’s also a unique opportunity to hear from leading practitioners speak on a remarkable variety of topics.  There will be student displays, a bookstore dedicated to LA-related titles, a display of artwork to be auctioned to benefit LAF, and a lot of social activities.  

We always come back inspired, with fresh ideas, tons of photographs, and a renewed sense of the importance of the profession.  Hope to see you there!

D,

Your post suggests a tight budget.  If this is the case and you must travel a long distance, I would say it’s probably not a good expenditure.  Also, the ASLA conference is large, and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.  You would get better (and cheaper) exposure to the “real world” and have better networking opportunities by attending local continuing education seminars nearby (look to the local chapter for schedules).  The groups are smaller, and everyone is a little less guarded. 

Your page is private and your address is China?  If so, some of the above may be relevant and some may not be.

All in all, I think your instincts are correct– it is good to get exposure to the LA’s who are “in the field”– their attitudes and perspectives can be very different from academics. 

If you are close, like, VERY close as not to need a hotel, and you get the steeply discounted student rate, by all means go. You can learn a great deal about the profession as well as some of the “nuance” of design by seeing may of the presentations. It can also serve as great inspriration for your studio projects (gives you a leg up on your classmates). You can see the who’s who in LA, make contacts, and maybe explore which part of the profession you want to specialize in.

Adding in a hotel plus food (and if you pay full member price) it is UBER expensive, to the tune of $1000 minimum. Then it is not worth it for a student. Even if yo uhave to spend $300 or so for a hotel plus food and travel, it is not really worth it for a student.

As Terry stated, the Expo alone is worth going to. ASLA used to offer an Expo-only pass, and a few years ago, it was free or like $25. It will take you the better part of 2 days to see the Expo the first time.

D,

I would recommend going to the conference if you can swing it financially. Over the years I have made some really great contacts at the conference and also been inspired by some of the lectures. As a first year MLA student…it could be a great way to see the breadth of work this field has to offer. However, if money is really an issue, and you had to pick one conference to go to this year…I would suggest waiting until LABash!

LABash is a conference put on by LA Students for LA Students. This year it is going to be at Florida International University in Miami. Here is the link to their group on Land8: http://land8lounge.com/group/fiulabash2012

Good luck!

Maybe you can get an alum or the school to chip in.  I used saved up miles and crashed a friend’s couch or two attending these things, which made it worth it for me.   It might be a good investment if you see a lineup of lectures and seminars you want to see.  It almost compresses a year’s worth of a lecture series into a weekend.  The opportunity to meet professionals and pick their brain is not to be underestimated.  That being said, more local conferences/ASLA events would be more budget friendly and depending on where you are, there are plenty of those.

remember to submit for student awards in the future – if you get one ASLA helps offset the cost of attendance.