Thinking about welcoming IASSIST to your institution?
On this page you will find information on bidding to host an IASSIST Conference and organizing Conference program and local arrangements.
Scroll down for Conference Manuals - guides for those who are responsible of conference program planning or local arrangements.
The following guidelines have been prepared by the IASSIST Administrative Committee to assist those considering proposals to host an IASSIST Conference.
The IASSIST Conference is held annually and is hosted by IASSIST members, drawing upon some level of organisational support from their institution. The IASSIST conferences should be aimed to break-even in financial terms, but in practice, most conferences return a small surplus.
In the past, the country of location has followed a four-year cycle: USA, Europe, USA, Canada. Following approaches from other IASSIST Regions, the Administrative Committee decided that it was willing to consider departing from this four-year cycle, beginning with the IASSIST Conference for the year 2000. The conference archive provides further details.
The IASSIST Administrative Committee intends that expressions of interest (EoI) to host the annual IASSIST Conference should be made to the current IASSIST President in time to be considered by the Administrative Meeting approximately two years before the conference for which the application is being made. The detailed bids to host the the conference are accepted by a vote by the Administrative Committee 14-16 months before the conference.
See the Guidance on Bids to Host IASSIST Conferences (PDF)
A proposal to host should cover each of the following elements:
Infrastructure available to support local arrangements for the conference:
Technical (physical)
- to support various formats of workshops/presentations
- to support conference planning/participation by organisation
- to support online registration and payments
Accommodation
- Beds
- Conference rooms
Human resources available
- Organisational / administrative
- Financial
- Technical support / conference website maintenance
Financial factors
The proposal must include a preliminary budget summary with categories for local arrangements (conference site fees, food and events, technical support fees, etc.)
The proposal might also address issues such as:
Likelihood of attendance and conference programme participation
- local
- international
Financial support from local, regional or international organisations.
Factors taken into consideration in evaluating conference proposals
- The cost of travel and accommodation for delegates, length of travel, attractiveness as a travel destination, exchange rates, etc.
- The balance of planning budget and estimated fees, need for support by IASSIST (financial and organisational)
- Likelihood of expansion of membership following a conference
- Strategic (IASSIST Regional development, relevant local connections, organisational goals) and organisational values
Conference Manuals
An updated version of the Annual Conference Program Planning Manual is available to assist those who will be responsible for developing the program of future IASSIST Conferences.
The Local Arrangments Committee will have their own manual, but for the time being should consult the older Conference Manual below. There are also occasions where information may be cross-referenced between both the Program Planning and Local Arrangements Manuals.
Note: Conference organisers use and should update IASSIST conference manual on an annual basis.
The editable version should be passed along by the previous year’s organisers to the current year’s organisers.
Conference Planning Handbook includes answers for most common questions, and guidelines or tips that can be adapted to annual conference setting.