4/5/24 NOTE: MECA 2024 is a go! Join some of our 421 active members from 63 institutions as we 'Summer in Central' in Pella, Iowa.
MECA
M I D W E S T E L L U C I A N C L I E N T A S S O C I A T I O N
C O N F E R E N C E
Thursday and Friday | August 1-2, 2024 | Central College
Join us to share, collaborate, explore and plan with other higher education professionals around the use of Ellucian's software products.
MECA allows sponsors to network with higher education professional from across the midwest. Join us and be a part of a great learning experience!
S P O N S O R
A T T E N D E E
Event Registration Information
o v e r v i e w
MECA
2024
Welcome to MECA, a regional professional development conference for users of Ellucian's software solutions. MECA is a conference designed to help bring together professionals in higher education from across the Midwest to present, learn, and discuss the technology issues facing our campuses - today and in the future. We strive to collect a broad collection of volunteer and vendor-led content so that any functional area on your campus can find value in our event but we also work to keep our event and session sizes small enough where you can truly connect and network with your peers who are facing the same daily challenges. Each year, we work to arrange 40-45 total sessions in 8 different tracks. And MECA has a new home and place on the calendar in 2024! MECA 2024 will be held at Central College in Pella, Iowa on August 1st and 2nd.
F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S
Have a suggestion for a future speaker? Drop us a message through our contact box below and let us know!
S E S S I O N S I N F O
In 2024, MECA will offer 8 different conference tracks, providing a broad range of learning opportunities for all areas of colleges and universities using Ellucian’s software solutions.
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CIO Forum/IT Management - Colleague
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Enrollment and Financial Aid - Colleague
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Financials - Colleague
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Human Resources and Payroll - Colleague
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Registrar and Academic Records - Colleague
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Reporting and Data Governance - Colleague
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Technical Track - Colleague
For detailed descriptions of the sessions we offered last year, take a look at our session listing.
C I O F O R U M
Join IT leaders from around the Midwest as they explore and discuss their vision for the future of their technology solutions. Attend, network and interact to get the information you need to plan your campus’ next technology innovations.
MECA 2024 Schedule
Thursday, August 1st and Friday, August 2nd (4/5/24 NOTE: Schedule details below have NOT yet been updated for 2024.)
T H U R S D A Y
8:00AM
Vendor registration at the Graham Conference Center
through 11:00am
10:00AM
Attendee registration at the Roe Center 1st Floor
through 12:00pm
through 1:30pm
12:00PM
Lunch, Welcome and Keynote Panel in the Graham Banquet Hall
1:30PM
Conference Sessions in the Roe Center
through 2:20pm
2:20PM
Break in the the Roe Center main foyer
through 3:10pm
3:10PM
Conference Sessions in the Roe Center
through 5:00pm
5:00 PM
Open cash bar in Graham Conference Center open hall
through 6:00pm
F R I D A Y
7:30AM
Breakfast in the Urban Campus Community Room
through 8:30am
8:30AM
through 9:20am
Conference Sessions in the Roe Center
9:20AM
through 10:00am
Break in the Urban Campus Foyer, Sponsor Area
11:00am
through 12:00pm
Capstone Presentation in the Urban Campus Community Room
Closing Remarks, Door Prizes and Box Lunch
12:00PM
through 12:30pm
MECA 2023
S P O N S O R S
A big thank you to all of our sponsors. Without their support, involvement, and enthusiasm we could not accomplish our goal of helping you connect with the other institutions, professionals, products and practices you need to lead your institutions.
R E V I V I N G P A R T n e r
R E V I V I N G S P O N S O R S
C O N F E R E N C E A D V O C A T E S
MECA is the 2017 Ellucian Ellumination Community Award Winner
"Awarded to an individual who creates best practices by collaborating with peers across the higher education community to identify new solutions to common challenges." Presented to Kelley Bradder, CIO of Simpson College at eLive 2017 for reviving the Midwest regional conference (MR-DUG) as the MECA Conference.
Our
Speakers
TBD
TBD
Closing Capstone: TDB
TBD
Location
ABOUT CENTRAL COLLEGE:
FULL ADDRESS:
Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year college known for its academic rigor, engaged citizenship and character formation, experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), athletics and service. The Central experience is rooted in exploration and self-discovery and enhanced by life in an academic community of 1,100 students. Founded in 1853, the college participates in NCAA Division III athletics and is a member of the American Rivers Conference. Central is an active part of the Greater Des Moines region and just minutes from Lake Red Rock, Iowa’s largest lake.
Central’s home of Pella, Iowa, is a thriving community of more than 10,000. Pella impressively appears in Oprah’s 2021 60 Charming American Towns You Haven’t Heard of But Should Visit ASAP. The community is famous for its annual Tulip Time Festival, its Dutch pastries and its fully functional 1850s-style windmill. In fact, Pella has it all! Pella is located just minutes from Red Rock Lake, Iowa’s largest lake, and is the corporate headquarters of several international companies, including Vermeer Corporation, Pella Corporation, Precision, Inc., and Lely North America.
Niche.com named Pella one of the Best Places to Raise a Family in Iowa and one of the Best Places to Live in Iowa in 2021.
Central College
812 University St
Pella, IA 50219
Map to Event Site
A I R P O R T
Quad Cities International Airport is located 10 miles southeast of Eastern Iowa Community College's Urban Campus building. The airport supports 9 nonstop hubs and destinations, with hundreds of domestic and international connections. Click here to visit the Quad Cities International Airport website. Eastern Iowa Community College is also a morning's drive from the Cedar Rapids Regional Airport (1 hour, 15 minutes), Peoria Airport (1 hour, 30 minutes), Des Moines International Airport (2 hours, 45 minutes), or Chicago O'Hare International Airport (2 hours, 45 minutes).
H O T E L s
The MECA Conference partners with hotels from the local area to ensure a comfortable stay for all conference attendees. This year, MECA has partnered with Doubletree Downtown Davenport, Hilton Garden Inn Bettendorf and the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Bettendorf hotels.
Davenport
DOUBLETREE DOWNTOWN
Nestled in downtown Davenport, DoubleTree Downtown hotel is within walking distance of museums, theaters, restaurants, and more. A five-minute walk from Figge Art Museum, RiverCenter Convention Center, and Riverfront Trail.
Price: $146 + tax. Click HERE to use the EICC/MECA conference rate. If you prefer to call the hotel, the EICC/MECA conference rate code is EST. (Conference rate expires 8/14.)
Contact
Have any questions or concerns regarding the conference, vendor information/registration, or anything else?
Contact us by filling out the form to the right with your name and email, as well as a short message and we will be happy to answer any and all questions!