1. Introduction
The basic objective of the IRG Annual Meeting is to provide an opportunity for IRG members, including those with limited financial resources, to meet and exchange ideas. Thus, costly banquets, receptions and excursions are not necessary and should be avoided unless they are totally funded by independent sponsorship. Every effort should be made by Local Organizing Committees to ensure that the full conference package is the most socially and economically attractive way of attending a meeting. Arrangements that make it financially preferable for delegates to opt out of the package deal in favour of ad hoc arrangements for food and accommodation should be avoided.
2. Application procedure
2.1 Potential hosts are advised to consult the IRG Secretariat informally before proceeding with a formal application.
2.2 An application to organize an IRG Annual Meeting would normally be expected to be made by a hosting committee consisting of representatives from research institutes, universities, industrial organizations, or government departments. The prospective host organizing committee will be asked to confirm to the IRG that necessary financial and other support is available and sufficient to meet the requirements given in this Guidance Document.
2.3 Applications to organize an IRG Annual Meeting are required to be made on an application form provided by the IRG Secretariat (see Appendix 1).
2.4 The application form should be sent to the IRG Secretariat by 1 May at least four years before the intended conference, accompanied by a formal letter of invitation.
2.5 Once a Local Organizing Committee has been constituted, a formal, signed Letter of
Agreement (see Appendix 2) to organize the Annual Meeting is required in accordance
with the provisions of this Guidance Document.
2.6 The host country will be required to give a written official assurance that attendees from all countries in the world will be admitted to attend the Meeting. It is therefore advisable to contact the responsible authority before a formal application is submitted.
3. Decision
3.1 Applications to organize an IRG Annual Meeting are first considered by the Executive Council and satisfactory proposals are then submitted to the IRG Plenary Meeting for final decision.
3.2 The decision is reported formally to the applicant by the IRG Secretariat as soon as the minutes of the Plenary Meeting are ratified. All decisions are final.
4. General organization
4.1 The host country is expected to establish a Local Organizing Committee as soon as possible after the IRG Secretariat has formally confirmed the Plenary decision to accept the invitation. It is then the duty of the Local Organizing Committee to co-operate closely with the IRG Secretariat to ensure a Meeting that fulfills the expectations and best interests of IRG members and other conference attendees.
4.2 The responsibilities for the conference arrangements are shared between the Local Organizing Committee and the IRG Secretariat, in principle in accordance with the table below.
Be aware that the list shown in the table the below is not comprehensive, but rather provides a list of the key areas that need to be addressed by the Local Organizing Committee and the IRG Secretariat.
| Local Organizing Committee* |
Select the venue (in agreement with the IRG Executive Council) |
Select appropriate accommodation |
Financing of the conference, including soliciting sponsorship |
Preparation of the invitation and registration package and website (in collaboration with the IRG Secretariat) |
Distribution of conference invitation via media |
Organize collection of accommodation registration forms (hotel(s) or Local Organizing Committee) |
Prepare the conference website |
Organize an exhibition for sponsors (optional) |
Design the Conference logo |
Prepare name badges |
Functions during the meeting: |
| Supply staff for registration desk, AV support, other services |
| * The Local Organizing Committee may hire a conference manager to assist with the arrangements. |
| IRG Secretariat |
| Preparation of the conference programme |
| Collection, preparation and distribution of conference documents |
| Collection of conference registration fees |
Invitations to the President’s reception |
4.3 The Local Organizing Committee is required to consult regularly with the IRG Secretariat, in order to meet the timelines laid out in the table below, particularly during the final 3-4 months before the Conference.
4.4 The Local Organizing Committee is required to have at least one key member attend the two meetings prior their meeting and to submit the required reports to the Executive Council detailing their progress as shown in the following timetable.
Task |
Time to Meeting (months) |
|||||
48 |
36 |
24 |
12 |
9 |
6 |
|
Submit application |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Initial acceptance by Plenary |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
LOC established |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Venue selected |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Logistical plan for venue |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Presentation to EC – 1st |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Preliminary budget to EC |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Evidence of financial support |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Hotel contract signed |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Presentation to Plenary – 1st |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Presentation to EC – 2nd |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Confirm hotel rates |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
AV plan |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
LOC website developed |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Companions programme |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Conference fees confirmed |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Final budget to EC |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Presentation to Plenary - 2nd |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
LOC website finalized |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
Pre-meeting update to EC |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
5. Financing and Fees
5.1 Conference registration fees are decided by the IRG Executive Council one year in advance of the Conference. They are collected by the IRG Secretariat and a portion, which is also decided by the Executive Council, is remitted to the Local Organizing Committee. Thus, the conference fee consists of two parts accordingly:
Conference fee (as presented in invitation) = Portion to IRG Secretariat + Portion to the Local Organizing Committee
5.2 The conference registration fees (i.e. the portion earmarked for the Local Organizing Committee) and other fees (companions programme, meal plans) that are collected by the IRG Secretariat will be transferred to the Local Organizing Committee in batches, as agreed between the Local Organizing Committee and IRG Secretariat, before and after the conference.
5.3 Hosts and Local Organizing Committees must accept that the income from attendees' Conference Registration fees levied by IRG will normally only cover a proportion of the total costs of running the Annual Meeting. A large part of the costs must therefore be raised by the Local Organizing Committee through Sponsorship from supporting organisations.
The Local Organizing Committee assumes financial liability for the Meeting.
5.4 The Local Organizing Committee is required to prepare and submit a budget for the conference to the IRG Executive Council in accordance with the timelines above. The budget should be presented in US Dollars or Euro and budget estimated for 200 and 300 attendees, respectively, or any other numbers agreed with the IRG Secretariat.
5.5 Persons from Local Organizing Committee sponsors (i.e. official IRG Annual Meeting sponsors listed in the Conference brochure by the Local Organizing Committee) may participate under the same conditions as regular IRG sponsors (see current list of fees).
5.6 Under extra ordinary circumstances special registration fees can apply for delegates from the host country. Such fees have to be agreed with the IRG Executive Council and IRG Secretariat before the invitation package is issued.
5.7 Fees may be waived for up to eight (8) conference attendees from the host country, appointed by the Local Organizing Committee, as well as “officials” invited for any special function at the Annual Meeting and staff involved directly in the organisation of the meeting. The IRG Secretariat must be notified in advance about these persons.
6. Venue
6.1 The Local Organizing Committee is responsible for selecting the venue in agreement with the IRG Executive Council.
6.2 The venue should be a single hotel/conference centre that can provide conference facilities as well as accommodation for all delegates. The conference venue itself can be separate from the accommodation provided transportation/access between them is regular, rapid and economical.
7. Minimum technical requirements
7.1 Normally an IRG Annual Meeting will be attended by 175-300 delegates and a conference hall of sufficient size to accommodate all potential attendees must at least be available for the opening session, and preferably throughout the meeting. In addition, at least one medium size room (70-100 people) and one or two smaller rooms (up to 50-60 people) must be provided. The final need for meeting rooms should be agreed with the IRG Secretariat.
7.2 A Committee room suitable for 18-20 persons must be provided for 2-3 days immediately prior to the start of the Meeting (exact timing to be agreed with the IRG Secretariat).
7.3 A clearly identifiable "congregating area" where attendees may meet for informal discussions. Ideally, coffee/tea/water should be served in this area and be available at appropriate times throughout the Meeting.
7.4 Poster display: A suitable space must be provided for presenting posters, preferably near the main conference room.
7.5 A room for practicing presentations is required. It should be equipped with at least one computer.
7.6 Equipment: computer projection equipment, overhead projector, a screen of sufficient size to be read from anywhere in the room, microphones and amplifying equipment and other usual conference equipment are essential; video facilities are not normally required. It is preferable for all tables in the large conference room to be equipped with a microphone in order to facilitate comments and contributions from the audience. If individual cordless microphones are employed, there must be a minimum of 4 available in the large conference room (minimum of 2 in the break-out rooms) at all times to allow questions from the audience.
7.7 Simultaneous translation may be arranged as an optional service for local attendees, but this must be entirely at the expense of the Local Organizing Committee.
8. Invitation and registration documents
8.1 It is the Local Organizing Committee’s responsibility to prepare and issue a comprehensive Conference website including the registration forms, the details of which must be agreed in advance with the IRG Secretariat before release through the IRG website. The minimum requirements for registration forms are shown in Appendices 3 and 4; registration for conference and accommodation is best provided on two separate forms.
8.2 Communication regarding the website shall be agreed with the IRG Secretariat. This may be by the Local Organizing Committee using e-mail addresses provided by the IRG Secretariat. Regular and frequent e-mail communication with members and sponsors is essential to generate interest in the meeting to ensure maximum attendance.
8.3 The conference website, including registration forms, should be available for dispatch by 15 November of the year prior to the conference. The deadline for return of registration forms and payment is normally 4-5 weeks before the Meeting to allow time for preparation and circulation of documents before the meeting.
8.4 Conference registration and attendance forms shall be returnable by web submittal to the IRG Secretariat. Accommodation registration forms may be returned to an address decided by the Local Organizing Committee, but preferably by direct web submittal to the Conference hotel or other hotels offered by the Local Organizing Committee.
9. Accommodation Registration
9.1 The Local Organizing Committee is responsible for initial reservation and later confirmation of sufficient hotel rooms. Promotional material, information, maps etc. concerning the venue and guidance on transport to reach the Conference venue must be provided as part of the registration process through the conference website.
9.2 The IRG Secretariat’s responsibility is limited to posting/transmitting reservation forms to the Local Organizing Committee. The Local Organizing Committee is strongly advised to enter into clearly agreed arrangements with the conference hotel regarding costs and specifications for rooms, meal plans, equipment facilities and staffing, as well as mutual responsibilities for attendees' accommodation bookings. Local Organizing Committees are advised to consider taking out liability insurance to cover possible cancellation charges or other unanticipated expenses.
9.3 It is recommended that a complete, single-option accommodation package be provided for attendees to include meals, rooms, conference rooms and meeting facilities (if necessary). A choice of low-budget alternatives for students should also be provided.
9.4 An accommodation (hotel) reservation form must be provided on the conference website. All completed hotel reservation forms will be submitted from the website either to the Local Organizing Committee or directly to the conference hotel(s).
9.5 Local Organizing Committees are advised to give consideration to needs for late registration accommodation and to be careful about penalty charges if such "reserve rooms" are not used.
It must be stated in the registration form that attendees are personally responsible for their hotel charges. Neither IRG nor the IRG Secretariat will accept any financial responsibility for hotel reservations, cancellations, non-attendance or non-payment of bills.
9.6 Local Organizing Committee should be aware that attendees may choose web based access to book either alternate room rates outside the room blocking by the Local Organizing Committee, or other hotels in the vicinity of the Meeting. Be aware that such bookings may negatively impact any financial commitments based on a committed room blocking for the Meeting.
10. Conference Programme
10.1 It is the responsibility of the IRG Secretariat and not the Local Organizing Committee to prepare and distribute the conference programme.
10.2 The Local Organizing Committee is responsible for Organizing and funding all social activities in connection with the Meeting. These are normally expected to include a welcome reception, a conference dinner and an afternoon excursion (maximum one half day): Extra fees may be charged for attendance at these functions, but it is recommended that the costs be included in the registration fees and sponsorship contributions. A programme for accompanying persons is usually organized by the Local Organizing Committee and extra charges can be levied to cover the costs for these programmes. Local Organizing Committees should remember that the purpose of the half day excursion is to promote social exchange between attendees and should attempt to identify a single site for the excursion.
11. Conference papers and documentation
11.1 The IRG Secretariat (not the Local Organizing Committee) is responsible for collecting and distributing all technical papers (CD-ROM) before and after the Meeting.
11.2 The IRG Secretariat will prepare a preliminary list of attendees based on registration records and any information from the Local Organizing Committee for issue at the Meeting; a final list will be provided after the Meeting in the report from the Plenary Meeting.
11.3 The IRG Secretariat is responsible, in consultation with the Local Organizing Committee for Organizing and announcing details of the locations and time schedules for paper presentations.
12. Attendee services
12.1 Clear and explicit information on the mechanisms and costs for getting to the hotel(s) and conference venue from airports, railway stations and by road should be provided to all attendees as part of the conference website (clause 8).
12.2 The Local Organizing Committee is responsible for preparing name badges for the registrants. It is essential that the delegates names are in large enough print (see Appendix 5) to be easily read from a distance of one (1) meter.
12.3 The Local Organizing Committee should arrange for a staffed registration desk to be available during the Meeting so that attendees can confirm their attendance and receive any last minute conference information.
12.4 A large message board should be provided near the registration desk; small programme boards should be posted outside the large conference room and each of the smaller break-out rooms.
12.5 The Local Organizing Committee should arrange for assistance to be available at intervals during the week, preferably for at least one hour every day (Mon-Thu) to help delegates reconfirm travel arrangements.
12.6 Organizers are advised to appoint an Audio-Visual chairperson to assist speakers in the use of the audiovisual equipment throughout the Meeting. At least three computer projection systems should be available for Power point presentations and staff should be available to deal with any technical problems during the sessions.
13. Pre- and Post- Conference Tours
13.1 There is no formal requirement or expectation that conference organizers will arrange Pre- or Post- Conference Tours. Such arrangements are at the discretion of the Local Organizing Committees. The popularity of such tours has proved highly dependent on price and programme. Such tours must be self-funded by those participating and are not considered to be part of the IRG Annual Meeting itself.