Conferences Organization Manual – Section 4

4.0 ORGANIZING, PLANNING AND SCHEDULING THE CONFERENCE
Organizing, planning and scheduling are the cornerstone of related activities that support a successful conference. Lack of attention in one area will affect the other two and lead to difficulties at the conference.

4.1 ORGANIZING
The most critical step for the successful conduct of a conference is the organization of a competent Conference Committee approximately two to three years prior to the conference. Larger conferences might require even earlier formation of this committee. Its purpose is to supervise and direct the various working committees and subcommittees. It is recommended that, at a minimum, the working committees listed below be organized to serve under the guidance and direction of the Conference Committee; each functioning independently, but in close planning liaison with each other.

• Program Committee
• Publications Committee
• Publicity and Public Relations Committee
• Finance Committee
• Audit Committee (as required)
• Exhibits Committee (when needed)
• Local Arrangements Committee
• Registration Committee

A representative Organization Chart of a Conference Committee

4.1.1 Authorization
The sponsoring entities will appoint a General Chair of the conference, who will serve as chair of the Conference Committee. The General Chair must be a member of IEEE. In conferences of which IEEE is a joint sponsor, Chairs of the Conference Committees should be members of either IEEE or the co-sponsoring organization. Exceptions may be made only with the consent of the conference policy-making committee. The General Chair will appoint working committee chairs who will select the members of their respective committees. These chairs will be included in the membership of the Conference Committee. Names and addresses of these chairs should be reported to the sponsoring entity's governing body and to IEEE Conference Services. The General Chair may also appoint a Vice Chair, Secretary and other individuals to serve on the Conference Committee. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Computer Program Coordinator
• Hotel Arrangements Chair
• Treasurer
• Social Activities Chair
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Audio/Visual Coordinator

The General Chair has considerable latitude in the organization of his Committee. However, the model outlined has proven successful over the years, and deviations from this model should be carefully considered.

4.1.2 Selection Criteria for Chairs
Extreme care should be taken in selection of the members of the Conference Committee for several reasons. Members should be of sufficient stature within their organization, profession and IEEE to assure they can obtain cooperation and handle the job. All key appointees must have agreement from their employer when they accept conference responsibility. Management must be aware of, and agree to, the commitment being made.

The first criteria for selection is, of course, the individual talents (organizational, leadership, etc.) which are necessary to efficiently plan and run a successful conference. It is beneficial to have on the Committee, members who have held several offices within IEEE (such as within local Section or Chapter). They should also be competent managers, preferably with business experience and a well-rounded technical background. Ideally, appointments will be made from as many organizations as possible to give as broad a perspective as possible to the available talent and, in addition, draw from as wide a support base as possible. For the highly intensive committees the key qualities in the selection of a chair are energy, dedication, commitment, and attention to detail.

4.1.3 Co-Sponsorship Organization
A Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) is required when two or more organizational units agree to co-sponsor or technically co-sponsor a conference. These organizational unites may be all IEEE organizational units or IEEE and non-IEEE entities. An MOU sets forth the relationship and obligations of the involved parties. ( IEEE P&P 10.1.5)

At a minimum, an MOU shall describe the following:

• Name and purpose of the conference, dates and location
• Financial sponsorship of each organization. These arrangements are needed for both liability and surplus distribution purposes. ( IEEE P&P 10.1.9)
• Ownership of the Intellectual Property associated with a conference. This includes use of the conference name, slogan, copyright for publications, and/or logo ownership.
• Provisions for dissolving the relationship
• Assignment of conference management and other administrative responsibilities to the appropriate organizational units.
• General conference management accountabilities such as assignment of chairs, organizational chairs for conference committees, steering committee obligations, location of the conferences, associated exhibitions, etc.

All MOU's with a value of $25,000 or greater must be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for review and execution by the IEEE Procurement Department.

IEEE Organizational Unit(s)/Conference Organizers will still negotiate their MOU based on their needs, provide their initial approval but shall not give final approval or "execute" these agreements. All agreements related to conferences are to be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for review by subject matter experts prior to final approval and execution. If necessary staff will provide feedback to organizers for further negotiations. When all negotiations are completed the agreement will be submitted to IEEE Procurement Department for execution. The executed agreement will be forwarded to the vendor/contractor and a memo will be sent to the originating IEEE Organization Unit(s)/Conference Organizers

MOU's with a value up to $25,000 may be executed locally, a copy must be sent to IEEE Conference Services for central record retention in the IEEE Procurement Department.

A sample of such a MOU between IEEE Organizational Units is shown in Section 16.

4.1.4 Conflict of Interest
It is the responsibility of all volunteer members of an IEEE activity to consider each item of business where they have a vote or decision of authority in order to determine if a conflict of interest exists.

The person in charge of the activity should be immediately notified should there be such a potential conflict of interest.

IEEE Policy requires the Conference Chair and Treasurer to fill out a Conflict of Interest Disclosure statement and forward to IEEE Conference Services.

4.2 PLANNING
Planning is best accomplished by dividing responsibilities among the various committees, as suggested here and in the other sections of this Guide. The various working committee chairs should provide the liaison through the Conference Committee, as well as by expeditious direct contact among themselves.

4.2.1 The Conference Committee
The Conference Committee through its General Chair is responsible to the sponsors for the organization and coordination of all other committees necessary to plan and administer the conference. It is incumbent upon the Conference Committee to send written notification to the appropriate IEEE organizational units at the very beginning of the planning stage. A copy of this letter should be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services.

The Conference Committee will hold meetings as necessary to ensure that satisfactory progress is being made and will report regularly to the sponsoring entity.

A key factor in setting the conference dates is the avoidance of conflicting conferences on similar topics. The IEEE Conference Database Search on the web is helpful.

4.2.1.1. Financial Responsibility
The Conference Committee will have the final responsibility of budget preparation for the conference and will determine if an advance loan of working capital will be necessary. Budgets and requests for loans will be submitted to the sponsoring organization(s) for review and approval. Budgets should be submitted to the appropriate IEEE Organizational Unit for final approval and then forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for IEEE review and approval.

Closing Conference Financials, ( IEEE P&P 10.1.11)
Conference loans, ( IEEE P&P 10.1.7) are to be repaid within one month after the conference. Conference bank accounts, ( IEEE P&P 10.1.8) are to be closed and the funds distributed as soon as possible after the conference. Within six months after the conference, the Conference Committee, through its General Chair, will render a Detailed Final Financial Report to the sponsors. The Conference Committee will be responsible for arranging for an independent professional audit and distribution of any surplus funds or physical assets (e.g., extra copies of conference proceedings) in accordance with documented pre-conference arrangements. Time periods may be extended in exceptional cases.

At end of the year in which the conference is held, the Conference Treasurer must report disbursements of $600 or more to individuals and/or unincorporated businesses for goods or services provided to the conference to the Accounts Payable Department at the IEEE Operations Center (See Section 9.6.1).

When repaying loans and distribution of surplus - Please identify checks by indicating the name and dates of the conference. If you wire these monies to IEEE, please contact IEEE Conference Services for instructions. Include the conference title, date of the wire, amount and the bank it is drawn on.

4.2.2 The Program Committe e (Details - Section 6.0)
The Program Committee, in cooperation with the governing bodies of the sponsors and the Conference Committee will determine the topic and arrange for the technical program of the conference.

The Program Chair is charged with the responsibility of developing a program of the greatest possible technical and educational value to the members of the sponsoring entities. This committee will contact all prospective authors and session organizers and will work with the General Chair of the conference in coordinating sessions with keynote sessions. The Program Chair is responsible for implementing all phases of the program, which include:

• Leadership in stimulating the program
• Solicitation, review and selection of conference presentations
• Organization of that portion of the program which carries out the themes and mini-themes as appropriate
• Preparation of the Call for Papers
• Procurement of written material as required for the Conference Proceedings, Advance Program, and Final Program
• Logistics of all sessions
• Conferring with authors, speakers, and session chairs at Speakers' Breakfast

This Committee will be responsible for arranging for appropriate authors kits and setting up maximum paper length, coordinated through the Publications Committee, and ensuring that paper submissions are suitable for publication. In addition to securing competent authors for various sessions, it will request the Local Arrangements Committee to make arrangements for all necessary facilities for presentations at the sessions.

The Program Committee will provide the necessary program information to the Publicity and Public Relations Committee for advance publicity purposes.

This committee works with the Registration Committee to provide the data on speakers and sessions chairs that may be helpful to the registration process.

Some functions listed above may not be relevant to small meetings with limited scope or those involving a limited number of invited speakers only.

4.2.3 The Publications Committee (Details - Section 7.0)
In the absence of specific guidelines from the sponsor(s) concerning the conference publication, the Publications Committee will develop recommendations for the Conference Committee. The Publications Committee will recommend whether the publication should consist of complete papers (separate or bound) or only contain an abstract/digest of each paper.

If a bound volume of papers has been specified, the Publications Committee will see that the papers are printed in the proper form and bound with an appropriate cover as economically as possible. The bound volume will be known as a Conference Proceedings or Digest. The committee, in cooperation with the Program Committee, will establish the schedule for review, selection, editing and publication of papers and collection of IEEE Copyright forms. The Publications Committee will recommend whether the publication should consist of complete papers (separate or collected) or only contain an abstract/digest of each paper.

If a collection of complete papers (in print and/or electronic media) has been specified, the Publications Committee will see that the collection is produced in the proper form (as indicated by IEEE publishing guidelines) and is produced as economically as possible. The collection will be known as a Conference Proceedings or Digest. The committee, in cooperation with the Program Committee, will establish the schedule for review, selection, editing and publication of papers, coordinate the collection of IEEE Copyright Forms, and provide authors with information regarding their responsibilities when submitting papers. The Publications Committee will be responsible for submitting the Conference Publication Form and IEEE Copyright Forms to TAB Products - Conference Publications to obtain the IEEE catalog number, ISBN, and Library of Congress numbers for the Proceedings or Digest.

The cost of IEEE conference publications normally will be borne entirely by the conference. The sponsor(s) may sometimes share directly in publishing individual conference papers in regular issues or a supplemental publication.

4.2.4 The Publicity and Public Relations Committee (Details - Section 8.0)
The primary purpose of the Publicity and Public Relations Committee is to publicize the conference in a way that promotes optimum attendance. Emphasis should be placed on the program of the conference. The Committee will work closely with the International, Local Arrangements, Publications, Exhibits, and Program Committees. Steps to be taken for this purpose include:

• Use of previous attendance lists.
• Use of selected mailing lists that are available from IEEE Conference Services, which will give the conference the optimum technical and geographical coverage by direct mail promotion.
• Promotion of the conference through appropriate IEEE and non-IEEE publications and other news media.
• Advertising in suitable media.
• Placement of advertising material at other conferences.

4.2.5 The Finance Committee (Details - Section 9.0)
The Chair of the Finance Committee (who will usually serve as the Conference Treasurer) will be responsible for carrying out the financial policies that have been approved by the Conference Committee to ensure that the conference will operate within the approved budget. Conference officers and personnel hired to process registration at the conference must be bonded from the time funds are first available until the books are closed. This bonding is contingent upon submittal and IEEE approval of the conference budget and the required IEEE Request for Conference Insurance form.

Note: Under no circumstances should you have your bank information posted anywhere on the conference website. If you accept wire transfers have the attendee contact a committee member for instructions.

The Treasurer will be a member of and act for the Conference Committee by coordinating the budget estimates of the working committees, preparing a realistic and practical conference budget and submitting it through the Conference Committee to the sponsoring IEEE Organizational Unit for approval. Budgets are then submitted to IEEE Conference Services accompanied by written approval of the sponsor(s).

Conference Bank Accounts - IEEE's Concentration Banking program is strongly recommended for all conferences where an IEEE organizational unit has a financial responsibility. Contact IEEE Conference Services for additional information.

If there is a need for a local bank account it is to be established in the name of the IEEE and the conference. (e.g., "The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, Inc, 2001 IEEE Conference on Plasma Sciences"), by the Treasurer. This account shall be in the name of IEEE and the conference and not in the name of an individual. For US bank accounts, the required IEEE IRS Identification Number for the bank account is given in paragraph 9.1.1.2.

The Treasurer will also be responsible for reviewing final performance against budget, drafting the post-conference financial reports, protecting the assets of the conference, repaying all loans and distributing surplus money and physical assets on behalf of the Conference Committee in accordance with agreements approved prior to the conference. Please identify checks by indicating the name and dates of the conference.

4.2.6 The Audit Committee (Details - Section 10.0)
IEEE conferences whose budget (revenue or expense) exceeds $100,000 USD must be audited. The Conference Chair may have the conference financial reports audited by an independent professional outside source, or may ask IEEE Operations Audit Department, (OA), to arrange for the audit. At its option, IEEE's external auditor may select four or five of the largest conferences for review. Conferences with revenues/expenses of less than $100,000 USD will be audited on a rotational basis under the OA arrangement. In cases where small conferences are not selected by OA for audit in a given year, the Conference Chair should appoint an Audit Committee to review the conference financials before submitting the final report.

In all cases where the conference audit is completed by a source other than that provided by OA, a copy of the subject audit report should be submitted with the final report to IEEE Conference Services for review by OA.

4.2.7 The Exhibits Committee (Details - Section 11.0)
Exhibitions held in connection with IEEE sponsored conferences must be clearly oriented along scientific, educational, literary and technical lines. The Chair of the Exhibits Committee should be thoroughly conversant with the breadth of the technical field from which exhibits will be solicited, and the exhibits should be an integrated part of the conference program.

The IEEE is defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a not-for-profit 501c(3) organization. As such, the IRS has established regulations which permit sales and order taking at IEEE sponsored exhibitions without subjecting it to tax on unrelated business income. Therefore, IEEE will permit its conferences and exhibitions to allow sales and order taking. For regions 7-10, other local taxing authorities may apply.

For Regions 1-6, technical expositions designed for "scientific, educational and literary" purposes, as defined by Section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, may be organized by IEEE Organizational Units only when held in conjunction with meetings, conferences or symposia with substantial programs and with prior approval from the sponsoring Organizational Unit. In order to comply with IRS constraints, the exhibition should not be referred to as a "show" or a "trade show".

The Chair of the Exhibits Committee is responsible for contracting and arranging (with the Local Arrangements Chair) for exhibit space and other requirements.

Samples available in Section 16:
IEEE Hotel Contract - Meetings With Exhibits
Exhibit Space Application Contract

4.2.8 The Local Arrangements Committee (Details - Section 12.0)
The primary purpose of the Local Arrangements Committee is to carry out the plans outlined by the Conference Committee and to assist the other working committees in handling specific responsibilities for meeting facilities, hotel reservations, local publicity, printing (coordinated through the publications subcommittee), hospitality, inspection trips, transportation, social activities and local finances.

The Local Arrangements Chair may appoint various subcommittees to assist in effectively coordinating the implementation of conference plans at the local level. Subcommittees may be appointed to carry out responsibilities in the following areas:

• Meeting facilities and liaison
• Signage and audio-visual arrangements
• Hotel reservations
• Inspection trips and tours
• Hospitality and guest activities.
• Communications
• Registration (for small meetings)

For smaller conferences the registration process is sometimes included within the responsibility of the Local Arrangement Committee.

4.2.9 The Registration Committee (Details - Section 13.0)
The Registration Committee must develop and implement plans for the conference registration (both advance and on-site) procedures and logistics. Since the registration procedures are one of the first, and most lasting, impressions of the conference, it is imperative that the registration process be efficient and friendly. Reviewing the registration system and procedures at prior conferences is a must for successful registration process. Coordination with all other members of the Conference Committee is required; good interpersonal skills are also a basic requirement of the Registration Chair and Committee members.

4.3 SCHEDULING
Timely planning and timely actions result in a successful conference. These planning steps start approximately 24 to 36 months before the conference date. A Typical Planning Schedule for an IEEE Conference, lists actions which lead to such a successful conference. Certain items, such as insurance and financial filings, are IEEE requirements and are identified in the table. The forms referred to in the schedule are described or referenced in later appropriate sections of this guide. Selection of a meeting site must be made to suit specific conference needs. For more detailed information on the process for site selection, please contact IEEE Conference Services.

The Typical Planning Schedule is useful as a working document, using the right hand column for actual dates.

4.3.1 Conference Filing Information
As soon as feasible - but no later than 18 months before the conference - an IEEE Meeting Information Schedule Form should be submitted to IEEE Conference Services. The form and instructions are in Section 16. Early submission of conference information provides for appropriate listing and publication in the web Conference Database Search. This listing gives early publicity to the professional community and aids in avoiding date/subject conflicts with other conferences. The filing for IEEE Insurance Form should also be done at this time.

4.3.2 Insurance Forms
All IEEE meetings should be insured against liability. It is mandatory that the Request for Conference Insurance form be submitted together with a listing of the Conference Committee members to obtain this coverage. It is strongly recommended that these forms be submitted with the IEEE Meeting Information Schedule. Any questions on insurance may be referred to IEEE Conference Services. (Forms are in Section 16)

4.3.3 Business Interruption Insurance
The blanket insurance policy that applies to all IEEE sponsored conferences does not include coverage for business interruption insurance (e.g. cancellation due to weather, war, natural disasters, etc.). The premium for this insurance is relatively high, but it might be worth considering if the conference being planned has high fixed costs or contractual obligations (e.g., exhibitions) that would result in a serious financial loss in the event the conference is not held. Contact IEEE Insurance Department for information and pricing.

4.3.4 Contract Review and Execution
All contracts with a contract value of $25,000 or greater must be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for review and execution by the IEEE Procurement Department.

IEEE Organizational Unit(s)/Conference Organizers will still negotiate their contracts based on their needs, provide their initial approval but shall not give final approval or "execute" these contracts. All contracts related to conferences are to be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for review by subject matter experts prior to final approval and execution. If necessary staff will provide feedback to organizers for further negotiating. When all negotiations are completed the contract will be submitted to IEEE Procurement Department for execution. The executed contract will be forwarded to the vendor/contractor and a memo will be sent to the originating IEEE Organization Unit(s)/Conference Organizers

Contracts with a value up to $25,000 may be executed locally, a copy must be sent to IEEE Conference Services for central record retention in the IEEE Procurement Department.

4.4 SMALL CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
A small conference may combine several of the special committees into one or have one-person committees. Such conferences may not need section 5 to 15 of this manual in their entirety.

4.5 CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT PROVIDERS CONTRACTS
Some conferences contract outside professional service providers to manage all or parts of the conference. Conference service providers are many and provide various types of services. Price ranges vary widely depending on the size and type of conference and the professional level of the services desired. Services can be acquired for a flat fee or a fee may be based on the number of conference registrants. Conference organizers must be sure that they are receiving the services wanted and needed for the fee(s) being paid. IEEE does not endorse any service providers but IEEE Conference Services can assist in making the sure that the contracts conform to IEEE policies. If the contract value exceeds $25k USD it must be forwarded to IEEE Conference Services for review and execution. (Paragraph 4.3.4)

Conference Management Services Organizations generally provide management support in these areas:

• Site Selection
• General Management Services
• Financial Administration
• Paper Entry Management
• Registration
• Promotion
• Publications
• Manage Exhibit Program
• Hotel Reservations
• Travel Services

When hiring a Freelance/Independent Contractor in Regions 1-6 to work for the conference (not through an agency), the conference is required to get the individuals social security number and home address. After the individual has completed their assignment and has been paid, the conference should supply the Controller's Office in Piscataway, New Jersey with a listing showing Social Security Number, Name, Address and Amount Paid for each individual by December 31. The Controller's Office is responsible for issuing the 1099 Form to each individual and for the reporting to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. All payments must be reported in the year the payee received payment. Similar requirements may apply in Regions 7-10. (See paragraph 9.6.1. and the IEEE Organizational Unit Worker Classification & IRS Reporting Form in Section 16).

IEEE Conference Management Services, (CMS) can provide management support to the Conference Committee. The services offered are cost competitive with commercial meeting management organizations, but have the advantage of providing reliable and competent personnel skilled in running IEEE meetings. Because the centralized staff organization provides these services to all IEEE Organizational Units, they have detailed knowledge of the past performance of vendors and, are in an excellent position to obtain the best possible deals on paper entry, registration, publicity, printing and distribution of programs and proceedings, hotels, airlines, car rentals, and tours. Since IEEE trained personnel are skilled in the operation of the standard IEEE computer programs to handle registration and paper tracking, these services can be handled swiftly and efficiently.

All services are offered for activities in all regions. Of course, Conference Committees are free to choose just the services they require, and shall make all basic policy decisions regarding their meetings.

For further information on the services offered, and to obtain free information on the availability and rates for your meeting sent e-mail to mcminfo@ieee.org

4.6 CONFERENCES HELD IN REGIONS 7-10
As a transnational society, over 30 percent of the IEEE membership resides outside the United States. As a service to this important segment of our membership, IEEE encourages its organizational units to consider holding meetings in Regions 7-10. In addition to serving present members, meetings outside of the United States provide the opportunity for the IEEE to attract new members.

The experience of meetings held regularly in Regions 7-10 is generally favorable. Since the customs and regulations of countries may vary considerably from those of the United States, it is prudent to plan these meetings carefully, with adequate support from the members resident in the area of the meeting. A checklist of items which organizers of meetings in Regions 7-10 should be alerted to is as follows:

• Essential to obtain the cooperation/support of the local national society
• Allow for longer lead time in planning for the conference
• Early and careful budget planning is essential to success
• Awareness of visa requirements
• Customs

  1) Be sure that the conference material being brought into the host country is not restricted
  2) Consider a drop shipment of mail for local mailing

• Awareness of taxes, for example the "value added tax" VAT. (Section 9.6)
• Have contracts involving large amounts of money be reviewed by an attorney in the host country where the contract is written, as legal systems and laws governing contracts differ. (Paragraph 4.3.4)
• Knowledge of financial issues such as getting money out of a country, exchange rates, etc.

IEEE is strongly encouraging the enhanced participation in the sponsorship/co-sponsorship/technical co-sponsorship of technical meetings in Regions 7-10. In order to assist organizational units who may wish to consider such meetings, we provide the information in Appendix A that details the experiences in holding such meetings and a checklist that help minimizes the risks and improve the quality of the meeting.

4.7 COOPERATION OF TECHNICAL/PROFESSIONAL & GEOGRAPHIC ENTITIES IN CONFERENCES
Successful conferences are based on the strong cooperation of more than one IEEE Organizational Unit(s). For example, the cooperation of both technical/professional, and geographic entities is crucial to the success of IEEE technical conferences. Similar cooperation is essential for the organization of Educational or Standards meetings with a Section or a Chapter. If all IEEE Organizational Unit(s) are involved in the organization of the conference as early as possible - preferably before any arrangements have been made - it may be able to ensure that activities are run smoothly and that volunteers are available to assist in running the conference. It is required that such involvement precedes the selection of the conference location for the conference to receive IEEE approvals.

4.7.1 Preliminary Conference Proposal
A preliminary conference proposal prepared (well in advance of the Conference) by an IEEE entity and presented to the sponsoring entity may include the following:

• An analysis of the amount of corporate/organizational support available in the local area
• A statement of intent concerning financial participation
• A statement of the advantages of conducting the Conference in the specific location
• A statement of the professional interest in the local area

CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION CHART

TYPICAL PLANNING SCHEDULE FOR IEEE CONFERENCES

APPENDIX - A
REGIONS 7-10 TRANSNATIONAL TECHNICAL MEETING

1.0 SURVEY
The following is a compilation of responses to a survey sent by the Conferences Committee through the IEEE Conference Service Office. The survey was sent in April 1992 to IEEE Societies and Council. Comments were made on problems and concerns. Recommendations are made as a result. The use of "conference" is meant to cover all technical meetings including conferences, symposia, and workshops. Only information related to experiences such as risks, concerns and factors critical for success are reported here. You may obtain information of actual meetings and the countries in which they were held directly from the IEEE Conference Services Department, as well as contacting organizational units who are holding such meetings as listed in the IEEE Conference Database Search.

The result of the survey indicate the following Countries and Regions as the site of IEEE technical meetings held in the past:

REGION 7 -- Canada

REGION 8 -- Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malawi, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland), Yugoslavia.

REGION 9 -- Mexico, Brazil

REGION 10 -- China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan

In many cases the involvement in such meetings were either co-sponsored or technically co-sponsored.

2.0 SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCES

2.1 Regions 7-10 Transnational Conferences are not new. Many Societies hold annual or alternating year conferences, which in general have been quite successful.

2.2. Countries in which the conferences were held are most often industrial, developed countries with support from the government, local industries and/or local Societies or IEEE Regions (Regions 7-10).

2.3 English is almost always the spoken language used and is always, as far as can be seen, used in the Proceedings. The exceptions have been Portuguese in Brazil, German in Germany, and Russian in Russia. The comments were made that interpreters were sometimes desired. The language barrier with the organizing committee and most often with the hotel staff was cited as a problem.

2.4 The size of the meetings ranged from Workshops with around 50 attendees to many Conferences of the 300 to 500 size and then some quite successful meetings of over 1000 attendees.

2.5 Almost always the societies noted that they felt that the meetings were technically successful. Good technical exchange was indicated.

Risk -- No show of authors if adverse financial, political, or world situations existed.

2.6 Almost all de-emphasized any loses. Most did result in a relatively small loss. This seemed natural since the budget was set at a break even level. Very few (one or two) has sizable loses. Some (five or six) experienced surpluses in the area of $30k to $70k. The larger meetings in Japan, Canada and Mexico were the ones with the larger surpluses. Several Societies established travel grants and some also provided non-returned seed money (Grants). In countries such as China there was solid government support; in Germany and Brazil and by necessity in Japan there was industrial support. In many conferences, the societies were involved only on a technical program and publicity basis.

Risks:

potential of low attendance.
difficulty to react to a changing environment (difference between surplus or loss).
poor budget planning.
poor interaction among organizing committee members.

3.0 SPECIFIC COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 CONFERENCE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT

Develop the budget carefully with a realistic estimate of a loss/surplus. Take into consideration possible fluctuations in exchange rates.

3.2 CONTINUOUS ATTENTION TO BUDGET

Periodically, the conference committee should review the budget for possible impact from exchange rate fluctuations.

3.3 CREDIT CARDS

Use credit cards to eliminate problems with exchange rates.

3.4 REGISTRATION

• Use credit cards or accept only checks against a single country's currency and banks (e.g. US).
• If at all possible, use US currency as a reference.
• Avoid purchase orders or wire transfers.
• Pre registration can be done in the host country or in both the host country and the US. (This depends on the committee and the availability of local support). Having the US pre-registration in the US in US$ has the advantage that only one currency exchange fee is paid on the US pre-registrations, rather than each registrant paying a fee separately.
• Maintain close communications between committee members who reside in the different countries.
• Since transfer of money can be difficult, use funds collected locally to pay local bills, whenever possible.

3.5 TRANSFERRING CONFERENCE SURPLUSES

• Investigate during the planning phase if transfer of a surplus will be a problem.
• Be aware of the fact that in contrast with regions 1-6, most countries either do not have non-profit corporations or do not provide non-profit corporation with tax breaks.
• Check all regulations that are special to the country. Contact IEEE Tax Compliance Department for advice, +1 732 562 5334 or 5351.
• Do no resort to illegal means of managing the conference or handling monies.

3.6 PRINTING

• Conference Proceedings can be printed in Regions 1-6 or in the country where the conference is held.
• If the Proceedings are printed outside the country in which the conference is held, the shipping may incur Custom expenses. This should be determined and included in the conference budget.
• Verify that there are no restrictions on information transfer if the Proceedings will be shipped across country borders.
• Consider using bulk mailing with local distribution using local contacts in the host country to reduce mailing costs. If this mode of distribution is elected, allow for extra time (at least 3 weeks) due to possible shipping delays.

3.7 COST OF MANAGEMENT FIRMS

• Be aware that local firms may be very expensive. However, they may provide a great value if there is weak local support. The use of a local firm for a large conference may be essential if there is no local IEEE support.
• Work with the IEEE Section in the Region and have them as a co-sponsor, thus minimizing the need for a local management firm.
• Work with other IEEE Societies that have the information base; consider using experienced societies as a co-sponsor.
• Work with local societies; they may charge a fee but it may be well worth it.

3.8 HOTELS

Be advised that

• Hotel accommodations and conference facilities present the most difficult problem.
• Hotels are costly, they provide no free meeting space, and local hotel taxes are outrageous.
• Meeting space in old hotels is small; parking is difficult.
• All services cost money and need to be included in the budgeting process.
• Hotel staff members are not always fluent in English.
• Electrical connections and specifications are often different than in the US.
• Audio visual services and equipment may be expensive.
• Local contacts and support are a big help in all of these matters.

3.9 TAXES

• Make certain that you are knowledgeable about the country's tax situation.
• Budget for local taxes on every service. These can be very high (e.g. 15% VAT in England).
• Be aware of high local taxes on hotels and meals.
• Investigate the possibility of a tax on conference registration and/or conference surplus.
• Contact IEEE Tax Compliance Department for advice, +1 732 562 5334 or 5351.

3.10 LOCAL PARTICIPATION

• It is essential that local IEEE members participate in planning and running the conference.

3.11 COUNTRY AND GOVERNMENT INTEREST

• Seek local government and industrial support for the conference.
• A company's support is often considered essential to the success of conferences held in Japan.
• China has provided government support in planning and handling conference logistics.

3.12 HOW TO START

• Start with a small technical meeting to learn the special problems of holding a meeting in regions 7-10.

3.13 GENERAL ITEMS

• Keep in mind that a meeting which is traditionally held in Regions 1-6 might experience a 50% drop in attendance when held in regions 7-10.
• Make use of contacts in the host country.
• Contracts with hotels or Conference Management Firms can be quite different from US contracts and should be reviewed by a professional or an experienced person.

4.0 ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

These recommendations are intended not just for Meeting Organizers but also to IEEE, TAB, and Society/Council AdComs, in order to promote conferences in Regions 7-10.

4.1 Establish a contact in the IEEE Conference Services Office for technical meetings in Regions 7-10.

4.2 Arrangement for local cooperation in the host country is suggested. And it is agreed that Technical Co-Sponsor form is much better than Cooperation.

4.3 Develop a list of volunteers and contacts in other Societies that could provide support or a knowledge base.

4.4 Make the increase or transnational conferences in Regions 7-10 an IEEE objective.

4.5 Provide a list of contacts in Regions 7-10 and a list of societies that might be used for co-sponsorship. Update yearly.

4.6 Track and report on Regions 7-10 technical meetings. Provide a report for committees. Record contacts, success, problems, and general comments.

4.7 Encourage technical success over financial, but emphasize the need for a well-thought out budget with contingencies at least 10%.

4.8 Develop a Regions 7-10 guidelines with suggestions, contacts, risks and also encouragements.

4.9 Encourage selected less developed countries for tutorials and technical meetings using grants. For example, establish TAB grants to open up particular emerging countries for meetings. Investigate funding through charitable organizations.

4.10 Encourage IEEE Societies and Councils to expand number of Regions 7-10 transnational meetings and to strengthen Regions 1-6 participation in Regions 7-10 meetings.

4.11 Early and very careful budget development and tracking is one of the key critical factors in the success of such conferences.