Conferences Organization Manual - Section 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION
There are a large number of meetings held each year under the auspices of the IEEE of sufficient magnitude to entail a significant organizational effort. For the purpose of this manual, the term "meetings" refer to conferences, symposia, workshops, tutorials, but does not include administrative or committee meetings, seminars with a few speakers, or meetings not requiring registration fees. The word conference is used interchangeably with the word meeting to refer generically to meetings. This effort is typically undertaken by a Conference Organizing, or Steering Committee, under the purview of a Society, a Council, a Region, a Section, a Chapter, or another IEEE Organizational Unit. Many of these conferences, especially the larger ones, are annual events of long standing, with certain routines, traditions, and organizations. Others are one-time, or infrequent affairs, with little or no organizational history to build on. In either case, virtually every conference committee is composed of new people, inexperienced in the business of running a conference, and eager for information, guidelines, and tips on running a conference smoothly and successfully. This manual has long been a most useful handbook providing just such assistance to conference planners, with special emphasis on the IEEE's conference planning services, and administrative policies and requirements.

Conferences requiring the degree of planning addressed by this manual may range from under 100 to a rather sizable number of attendees. This range in size, as well as the variety of styles and traditions developed by the established conferences, precludes one set of guidelines from having universal applicability. Nevertheless, all meetings share the common objective of providing a forum for the communication of advancements in the field of the conference, both through formal paper presentations and informal discussions. Many provide social programs and awards ceremonies within the conference structure, and some include industrial exhibitions as an integral part of the conference. This manual takes as its objective a generic conference of moderate-to-large size, which would include all of these elements. It provides the framework to include all of the elements of conference planning and administration, leaving it up to the individual committee to select and adapt as it sees fit.

Section 2 describes the various types of conference involvement recognized by the IEEE and discusses the special circumstances pertaining to those conferences. We must note that many conferences are joint efforts between two or more organizations, including other national and international societies. Section 3 provides the definition of the variety of meetings and their publications. In Section 4 we present a big picture view of the generic conference: its events, the time line, and the organization of the Conference Committee. This section also provides a concise manual for organizing a small conference, so that not all the detailed functions described in later sections need to be followed in detail. Site selection for the larger conferences is usually done 3 to 5 years in advance, often before the complete Conference Committee is formed. This information is covered in Section 5. Sections 6 through 14 go into the tasks and responsibilities of each of the Conference Committee's sub-committees in detail. We have attempted to make each section a stand-alone manual, such that the relevant sub-committee will have all the tools it needs in one place. After the conference is over, and the participants have departed, there are bills to be paid, reports to file, etc. Section 15 outlines the post-conference responsibilities.

All IEEE conferences must abide by the rules and regulations of the body. This manual reflects the latest as set forth in the IEEE Bylaws and the IEEE Policies and Procedures, (P&P). Nevertheless, the Conference Chair should review the latest versions for reference. This manual, IEEE P&P, required IEEE Forms as well as additional tools for conference organizers are available on the IEEE Conference Organizers web page.

1.1 PURPOSE OF A CONFERENCE
The purpose of the conference should be clearly defined. The objectives should be based on the needs of those attending. Technical excellence, applicability, relevance and timeliness should characterize all presentations. Typical purposes for conducting a conference are:

To provide a meeting that will further the progress of all IEEE Organizational Units, including Societies, Councils, Regions, Sections, and Chapters, and thereby, better serve the interest of all IEEE members and the community at large
To provide a meeting that will stimulate growth and advance the state of knowledge in the field of electrical and electronics engineering covered by the conference
To provide a forum for free discussion of new ideas, research, development and applications, including techniques and methods to stimulate and inspire pioneering work
To acquire or stimulate high quality papers for publication in IEEE and other appropriate publications, such as Conference Proceedings
To provide an atmosphere to enhance the interpersonal rapport of a large number of engineers interested in specialized and loosely related fields
To provide an exhibition of current hardware and/or software as a part of the first four purposes above
To provide opportunities for students and young engineers to meet their experienced peers and to stimulate them to join IEEE activities

No list of purposes can ever be considered complete. As other purposes - consistent with the above seven - come to mind, write them down and define them as guidance for others on your Conference Committee.

1.2 TRANSNATIONAL PARTICIPATION
IEEE is committed to enhancing transnational participation in IEEE Meetings. Transnational participation in IEEE Meetings can be enhanced by increasing efforts to attract Regions 7-10 participants to Regions 1-6 Meetings and by expanding the number of conferences and other Meetings held in Regions 7-10. The IEEE Conferences Committee (formerly MSC) has formulated recommendations and guidelines to help organizers of conferences, symposia, and workshops. These recommendations along with a collection of data and discussion of potential concerns are contained in two Sections of this manual.

The objective of Section 14 is to increase the participation by Regions 7-10 members at Regions 1-6 Meetings via a set of recommendations and the appointment of a Transnational Committee as part of the Conference Committee.

Section 4.6 addresses the issue of Regions 7-10 Transnational Meetings. It primarily highlights the issues and provides an appendix that makes specific recommendations for consideration by the conference organizers.