IASSIST Annual Conference Program Planning Manual

Program Planning Manual

The purpose of this manual is to assist those who will be responsible for developing the program of future IASSIST Annual Conferences. While many things necessarily change from year to year, there is a surprising amount of continuity involving the decisions made and the deadlines set. It is hoped this manual can be continued as a living document, dynamically maintained by succeeding generations of conference program planners. The Local Arrangements Committee (or LAC) has a separate set of responsibilities . There will be occasions where information may be cross-referenced between both the Program Planning and Local Arrangements Manuals.

• Provenance of the Manual
• Purposes of the IASSIST Conference
• Structure, Content and Responsibility of and for the Manual
• Program Planning Committee Leadership and Structure
• Planning Timeline
• Choosing a Conference Title
• Finances Related to Plenary Speakers, Workshop Presenters, Honored Members, etc.
• Announcing the Call for Proposals (CFP) Including Papers, Sessions, Posters, Lightning Talks
• Conference Schedule Format and Organization of the Program
• Collection and Archiving of Conference Presentations

Provenance of the Manual

Submitted by jend on Fri, 2015-07-24 08:46

Author: Laura A. Guy, formerly of University of Wisconsin-Madison Contributors: Cindy Lew, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Alison Bayley, The University of Edinburgh

Revised by: Ann Green, Yale University Revised 23 December 1998
Major Revisions: Sections 1.3, 2.2.4, 3.1.1, 3.2.2, 3.3.1.2, 3.3.3, 6.2; Minor revisions other sections

Revised by: Jane Fry, Carleton University
Revised 9 June 2003
Major and Minor Revisions – all sections

Revised by: Ann Green and Julie Linden, Yale University
Revised 8 September 2004
Major revisions: Appendices (all older appendices removed)
Major revisions: reorganized sections; updated policies and procedures

Revised by: Linda Detterman and Mary Vardigan, ICPSR
Revised 30 June 2006 Revisions: Added 2006 examples in text and appendices; proofed and edited;
added Local Arrangements Sample Timetable to Section 5.6.1; added Appendix 16

Revised by: San Cannon, Federal Reserve Board, and Eleanor Read, Univ. of Tennessee
Revised 3 October 2008 and 8 April 2009
Revisions: Updated several appendices and text throughout

Revised by: Katherine McNeill, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Revised 30 June 2009
Revisions: Updated text throughout, major revisions to section 5.5, and added Appendixes 18 and 19

Revised by: Tuomas J. Alaterä, Finnish Social Science Data Archive
Revised 12 April, 2014, 15 August, 2014
Revisions: Revisions: Partially updated text throughout sections 1–5.6, workshop reimbursement policy removed from 3.4.1

Revised by: Program Planning Action Group (PPMAG) Jennifer Darragh (primary editor), Tuomas J. Alaterä, Katherine McNeill, Thomas Lindsay and Michele Hayslett. Including substantil input from 2017 Conference Program Co-Chairs (Guss, Hayslett) and committee members.
Revised: June 2015 - May 2017
Revisions: Separate program planning from local arrangements content for more focused manual. Move manual to online platform. Substantial revisions to all information.

Revised by: Anja Perry, GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Kevin Manuel, Toronto Metropolitan University, Jonathan Bohan, Cornell University, Meryl Brodsky, University of Texas Libraries
Revised 17 July 2023
Revisions: Added sections on the Paper Competition and the diversity review board, added to sections Plenaries, BoF, and Collecting and Archiving of Conference Presentations, corrected typos

Revised by: Bobray Bordelon, Princeton University, Ashley Jester, Lynda Kellam, University of Pennsylvania, Sophia Lafferty-Hess, Duke University.
Revised June-September 2024.
Revisions: Corrected typos; Updated terminology and technologies. Clarified divisions between Program and Local Arrangements. Mentoring session was completely revised. Eliminated Sorting Sessions Coordinator role since Program Chairs have been doing those duties. Moved approval of all formats with the exception of the workshops to the review committee. Clarified the diversity review process. Updated responsibilities of each role to reflect current practice. Clarified the timeline.

Revised by: Jane Fry, Carleton University, as the Program Cttee worked its way through it for IASSIST 2025.
Revised: September 2024-May 2025.
Revisions were minor ones that were noticed as this Manual was followed.

Purposes of the IASSIST Conference

It is clear that, despite the growth of the Internet, e-mail and listservs, the annual conference still offers us the best way to communicate with each other, to share ideas, and to seek feedback from our peers. Both formally, through the delivery of papers and the presentation of poster-sessions, and informally through the one-on-one or small group conversations, birds of a feather gatherings, and interest groups, a surprising amount of professional support and advice is given. The networking that takes place during break periods and in the evenings is just as important as the organized sessions, plenaries, workshops and roundtables. The conference provides a way to conduct professional training and to upgrade skills through workshops. It allows us to promote data librarianship and archiving as well as innovations in social science technology, and to plan the future of our profession via roundtables and other working groups. The conference gives the opportunity to take advantage of the expertise of the members of the Association, as well as bring new people into IASSIST. It is the only time of the year when both the Administrative Committee and the general membership are able to meet and vote on important issues. The formal presentation of papers at the conference promotes scholarly writing by the membership and offers the opportunity to publish in the Association’s quarterly journal.

Structure, Content and Responsibility of and for the Manual

This manual purports to give advice and hand along “conventional wisdom.” The intention is to move from the general to the specific, singling out areas of high importance. The reader is encouraged to use the linked table of contents to hone in on areas in which they need guidance. The content for this particular manual is for conference program planning specifically. The stewardship of this manual will always fall under the current/immediate past program planning committee chairs who will serve as editors. Areas/issues that relate to local arrangements will be cross referenced with the local arrangements manual. The current/immediate past local arrangements committee is also encouraged to offer feedback and suggest any necessary changes to the current manual stewards.

Program Planning Committee Leadership and Structure

The Program Committee (PC) can take a number of different forms. It can be quite small, say five or six people, double that size, or even larger. What all have in common is the position of Program Co-Chairs (2 to 3). The Co-Chairs are a pivotal position that decide who will serve on the PC and what their roles will be. Prior to the current IASSIST annual conference, the IASSIST President appoints the Co-Chairs for the next conference. This ensures that the chairs have adequate time to develop a solid program. The Chairs are a major influence on the intellectual content of the conference, and it is the Chairs who assume ultimate responsibility for deciding on a conference title as well as general thematic structure.

It is strongly encouraged that the Chairs create a multi-national committee that includes members from the United States, Canada, and outside the North American continent. The individual members of the PC generally serve as catalysts for the creation of conference workshops, plenaries, and sessions by suggesting ideas, finding likely speakers, and often acting as session organizers or chairs.

The PC Co-chairs may charge an individual to coordinate different conference components and activities (current roles described in detail below). The PC at-large can be tasked to provide assistance at any step during the planning process. PC Co-chairs are encouraged to make good use of their committees.

It is essential that the PC work along with the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) to ensure proper venue size for sessions, plenaries, workshops, posters and social events.

• PC Co-Chair Duties
• Poster Session Coordinator Duties
• Workshop Coordinator Duties
• Plenary Session Coordinator Duties
• Submission Review and Sorting Coordinator Duties
• Concurrent Sessions Coordinator Duties
• Birds of a Feather Coordinator Duties
• Mentoring Committee Coordinator
• Paper Competition Coordinator Duties
• Lightning Talks Coordinator Duties

PC Co-Chair Duties

The Conference Program Committee (PC) typically has up to three co-chairs. The attempt has been made to have the co-chairs be 1 from the US, 1 from Canada, and 1 from Europe, but this is not required. The co-chairs responsibility is to come up with the theme and title of the conference, ensure all coordinator roles are filled (workshops, posters, lightning talks, Birds of a Feather, etc.), to regularly have open discussions with the local arrangements committee to ensure that everything is on schedule, and inform one another of potential issues. The PC Chairs share responsibility for visas with the IASSIST President/ Vice-President and Fellows Chairs.

Refer to the Timeline section for a higher level list of all activities and proposed deadlines.

Visas

Who is potentially eligible for an IASSIST visa letter?

• IASSIST Administrative Committee Members and others in an official capacity
• Fellows
• Presenters who supply the following documents:
  • Proof of employment or of study (Letter from HR department or academic chair or some official from one’s organization; possible name on website)
  • Personal statement (why important; how will it benefit your career; what happens if no visa)

Not eligible:

• Guests of applicant
• Attendees not presenting nor in another official capacity

Visa requirements:

• Canada
• European Union
• UK
• USA

Who supplies IASSIST letters? The following 2 categories are handled separately from presenters.

• Fellow Chair(s) for Fellows
• President or Vice-President of IASSIST for AC members

Who can supply the IASSIST letter if the host institution is not handling the visa process?

• Program Committee Chairs will supply letters for eligible presenters.

Theme

Facilitate the committee choosing a conference theme, taking past (and especially recent) themes into account. Refer to the timeline for when the theme needs to be finalized, but this should be one of the first tasks of the committee, over the summer following the previous year’s conference.

Plenaries

Use the larger planning committee, as well as the LAC, to brainstorm ideas for plenary speakers. This is helpful to do over the fall of the year prior to the conference. Identify a Plenary Coordinator (this can be one of the co-chairs) as this is an important role. The plenary speakers usually come from the region and the LAC can help recruit them. Speakers should be finalized before notifications go out to session speakers. Recent past conferences have generally had two plenary speakers. While three plenary speakers were often present in the past, a reduction to two allowed for more opportunities for other activities. Program co-chairs get to choose the number in consultation with the LAC.

Coordinator Roles

Recruit and coordinate other coordinators for workshops, lightning talks, posters, sessions, paper competition, review, and plenary speakers (optional). Determine means for the conference committee to connect (Google Group, Slack channel, etc.).

OpenConf Software Set-Up

Set up the OpenConf software, following the example of the previous year. The previous year’s co-chairs can provide a setup file (the format of this file is .oc) to load with all the previous year’s settings. The immediate previous year’s PC co-chairs will provide the incoming co-chairs a demonstration on how to use OpenConf.

• Modify all content to reflect this year’s info.

• Build submission form in OpenConf. This requires coordination with the LAC/website team because the OpenConf form will have links to the website. Test the form before launching.

• Add note to OpenConf submission form in large font or all CAPS, IF YOU DON’T GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL FOR YOUR SUBMISSION, PLEASE CONTACT programme@lists.iassistdata.org.

Meet Regularly with the LAC

Stay in regular touch with the LAC. Set up a schedule to meet (ideally) bi-weekly with the co-chairs and the LAC. Coordinators of various aspects of the program (Posters, Workshops, Paper Competition, etc.) can be included as their part becomes prominent, or at least provide regular reports by email. Including coordinators in some planning meetings allows for a fuller overview of the process.

Call for Proposals (CFP)

Coordinate distribution of the CFP. Invite members of the larger conference planning committee and Administrative Committee to claim various lists to which to post. Use these same lists to post notices at various strategic moments, e.g., when the program is posted, when registration opens and when the early bird registration deadline approaches.

• In the CFP, discourage people from proposing multiple sessions. It’s difficult to schedule sessions when presenters are in multiple spots, and it prevents other participants from speaking, potentially barring them from obtaining travel funds to attend.

• Before sending the CFP ask the Local Arrangements Committee to check travel arrangements for the destination city. Bear in mind complicated or lengthy travel may make it difficult to formulate the program on Friday. Speakers often don’t want to be scheduled in the last session if their travel plans mean they have to leave early. Decide whether to collect speakers’ preference of day/session along with their proposals.

• programme@lists.iassistdata.org will be used as a point of contact with the Program Co-Chairs and committee at large.

Begin Abstract Review and Draft Conference Schedule

• Set up a reviewing form and make review assignments to the reviewing group in OpenConf.

• Compile review scores and comments in a spreadsheet based on the rubric criteria. This criteria can be found in OpenConf from the previous year.

• When declining sessions, try to choose low-scoring ones as defined by the rubric criteria.

• Create a new spreadsheet with all the sessions sorted into preliminary session blocks, along with recommendations for format switches and rejections.

• List which sessions have changed from one format to another, e.g. from a panel proposal to an individual session or from an individual session to a poster session. Check with submitters for approval of the new format.

Notify Presenters

• Collaborate with poster, lightning talk and workshop chairs to shift sessions to other formats if warranted before sending out notifications. Presenters who are asked to change their format should be asked if that is okay with them before other notifications go out.

• Send out notifications, both acceptances and rejections as well as notices for sessions whose format has to be changed or to add another speaker to the proposed session. It is best to track the notifications and confirmations in a spreadsheet and then enter them into OpenConf later for the program.

Create Schedule

• Build a basic shell with input from LAC about room availability, which may dictate how many tracks you can have, i.e., how many concurrent sessions you can run. An online program like Padlet.com can be useful to arrange and rearrange sessions.
• Fit sessions into the schedule.
• Once you have a draft of the schedule, enter it into OpenConf–it will flag concurrent sessions with the same speakers. This helps alleviate accidental double-booking.
• With LAC, make room assignments. Several options (and depends on local circumstances).
• Try to assign based on which sessions you think will have the largest attendance relative to room sizes. When there are sessions on “hot topic” issues, you can assume these will be popular.
• If one room is further away from the others, try to identify which of the concurrents is the least like the others, which would indicate that its attendees would be less likely to room-switch in the middle of the session.
• If the rooms are mostly the same size, assign rooms according to where they already fall on the program. Having a whole column in the program (as in, all “1” concurrent sessions) be in the same room can be a logical and easy to navigate arrangement.

Tips

• The IASSIST Secretary will create a Google folder for all things related to the program.
• Templates exist for many common tasks.
• Previous lists exist for common sponsors and places to publicize. Lists are included in the Planning Committee Folder.
• Include the AC for helping publicize. Many lists require membership. For some groups you may want to slightly customize the message. As an example for GOVDOC-L talk about how relates to government documents; for BUSLIB-L how relates to business data.
• New lists can be created by requests by the List Administrator.
• There is a Program Committee email list.
• Use Google Documents and place them in the Program Committee Folder so that all on the PC can edit.

Poster Session Coordinator Duties

The Poster Session Coordinator has the following duties:

• Work with LAC to figure out how many posters will fit in the space and what the set-up will be (poster boards, booths, etc.). The sooner you can figure out the maximum poster size, the better.

• Some presenters will want to mail their posters ahead of time. Coordinate with LAC to figure out whether this is possible and how people should do it.

• Be available before and during the poster session to help set up and troubleshoot any issues.

• Disseminate information on how to include electronic poster files (PDF preferred) in the conference archive.

Workshop Coordinator Duties

The Workshop Coordinator has the following duties:

• Work with PC co-chairs on the Workshops submission form. Include the form with the larger submission form in OpenConf.

• Workshops proposals require several additional fields (learning objectives, prerequisites, workshop lengths, workshop setting, hardware/software requirements).

• Work with LAC on how many classrooms are available and space in each. This will be one factor in how many can be accommodated.

• Decide which workshop proposals to accept and reject. Criteria used in the past: fit with conference theme, appropriateness for audience, mix of topics, availability of required software, etc.

• Send out acceptances and rejections for Workshops via OpenConf.

• Work with LAC on classroom and lab space and hardware/software provision.

• Handle all communication with Workshop providers.

• Create and disseminate a Workshop evaluation electronically.

• Be available on the day of the Workshops to help troubleshoot any issues and remind providers to ask attendees to fill out the Workshop evaluation.

Plenary Session Coordinator Duties

To identify and choose plenary speakers.

A program co-chair may assume these duties, or recruit a separate coordinator. The program co-chairs should work with LAC as they tend to know of local experts who would be relevant, engaging Plenary speakers.

Please note that there are specific guidelines related to financial compensation regarding Plenary Speakers.

In August/September of the year prior to the conference…

The first order of business is to solicit potential speakers using an email message (sample linked). In this message you provide information about the conference and the organization, and any relevant financial information.

By late January:

• Request a photo, their brief bio (one paragraph), and a short paragraph about the topic of their talk. It is helpful to give them word limits for both bits of text, and to specify the deadline by which you need them. Check with LAC about setting the deadline: it’s helpful for them to have this information prior to registration opening.
• Explain their time limits. It may be different on different days. The opening session will almost always have a welcome from someone at the host institution as well as the IASSIST president, and perhaps housekeeping announcements about room assignments that may not have made it into the program or room changes–altogether perhaps ten minutes. So speakers will usually have about 45-50 minutes to speak if they leave ten minutes for questions, assuming the plenary is scheduled for 75 minutes.

Email the speakers in late March/early April:

• Reiterate how much time they have.

• Ask if they have any special requirements for A/V.

• Ensure that the speaker(s) knows what we will offer them vis-a-vis honorarium/travel expenses/nothing. If there is an honorarium or paid travel expenses make sure LAC provides necessary tax forms and information regarding the process for receipt of funds or reimbursements.

Email speakers a week or two before the conference to let them know where to meet on-site and any relevant reminders regarding finances (if applicable). Also provide them with your phone number in the event they have any issues getting to the venue. Advise that they may want to send any slides to you in advance so you can have them preloaded before they arrive.

On the day of the conference be sure to meet with the speakers and make sure they have all that they need (tech, water, location of restrooms, etc.) and get them set up for their presentation. Also act as their concierge for the day should they wish to stay on and attend other sessions (where to go, how to read the program, etc.).

After the conference be sure to write a personal thank you note (handwritten if possible) to all speakers. It would be ideal if this note were signed by the PC co-chairs as well as the plenary coordinator (bring stationary to conference).

Submission Review and Sorting Coordinator Duties

The Program Committee Co-Chairs (PC Co-Chairs) will recruit a team of Reviewers (at least 5 people) and a team of Sorters (one appointed Coordinator and at least 2 others; should, if possible, also serve as Reviewers). It is important that continuity is maintained over the years in these roles.

Call for Papers and Submissions:

Determine with the PC Co-Chairs what topics are to be included in the Call for Papers and the submission form. This will be important for Sorting later.

With the PC Co-chairs, review and revise the online submission form to be sure all necessary information about proposals will be submitted.

The online submission form should clearly state that people should limit the number of proposals in which they would take part. We are seeing an increase in the number of people included in more than 3 proposals (some up to 5) and it makes it difficult for reviewing, sorting, and scheduling.

Review proposals:

The Program Chairs will contact reviewers and set a timeline for the blind review of all individual proposals, papers, session proposals, lightning talks, and posters. Workshop reviews are done by the workshop coordinators. However, the Reviewers will make comments about placing a proposal into another type of presentation (poster, lightning talk, or possibly a plenary panel or presentation).

Once the online review system is in place, each reviewer will read and rank proposals (Likert scale is used, may be up to 7 for scoring if that granularity is needed), adding comments and additional topics that will help with sorting. When the review has been completed, the Program Chairs will review the proposals with low rankings and make a preliminary elimination of proposals that do not meet program criteria.

All information is confidential.

The PC Co-chairs will provide a preliminary schedule for the conference program so that when the Sorters put sessions together they will know how many sessions and of what length will be available.

Sorting:

After review has been completed, the PC Co-Chairs will provide the Sorting team with a spreadsheet of all proposals they have moved forward into the development of the program sessions.

The Sorting team will put proposals into topic driven sessions and send (1) a spreadsheet of sessions and (2) a list of session titles, number of presenters, and notes to the PC Co-Chairs. This usually takes 3-4 working weeks. It is a demanding process and needs to be done by people who can set aside time to fully read all proposals, interact with the team and resolve sorting problems all during this time period. The team usually has 2-3 online planning sessions a week.

The Sorting team will recommend proposals that are to be moved into Poster, Lightning Talk, or Birds of Feather slots.

The PC Co-Chairs will place the sessions into the schedule, maintaining pre-defined “tracks” (e.g., Data Management, Technical Development, Public Services etc.) and avoid scheduling somebody for 2 sessions at once. The Sorting team may make recommendations about the timing of sessions.

The Sorting team will not contact presenters; the PC Co-chairs will manage contacts and discussions with presenters regarding the need for more information about content, presenters, and potential changes in the type of presentation.

The Paper Competition Chair will review papers that have been accepted for the conference; these paper presentations will be included in the program as individual presentations.

Diversity review board:

In 2023, the Administrative Committee approved the creation of a diversity review process for the current and future IASSIST conferences. IASSIST is committed to an inclusive conference and seeks to ensure that proposals are reviewed without discrimination or bias. If a proposal is rejected, the submitter may appeal that rejection as being done for discriminatory reasons using the Diversity Review Process. If an appeal is submitted under the Diversity Review Process, the appealed proposal will be sent to the Program Committee Chairs who will consult with the Executive Board. The Program Committee reserves the right to admit proposals it determines were rejected for biased or discriminatory reasons. All activities are subject to the IASSIST Code of Conduct.

Concurrent Sessions Coordinator Duties

The Concurrent Sessions Coordinator has the following duties:

Seek volunteers for session chairs. Create and provide a spreadsheet (sample linked) that lists all sessions.

Send an invitation first to the planning committee and then to the full IASSIST list to volunteer to chair a session. Identify a few people to serve as backups in case others have to drop out. Give everyone the URL for the session chair sign up spreadsheet (created by Conference Co-Chairs). If separate sheets are used for each day of the conference, be sure to mention that. Tell them to sign up with their name and email address and be sure to pay attention for any notes that list special circumstances or other issues such as:

• Sessions where a panel and presentation are combined. In instances like this, the time cannot just be split 50/50. The presentation is allotted 20-25 minutes, the panel gets the remaining time.
• More presentations in a session than normal (e.g. more than three). The chair needs to be aware that they have to manage the time for each presentation very carefully.
• Presenters in the paper track are noted. One winner will be chosen who will receive a free future registration for the conference and their paper will be published in IASSIST Quarterly, but ALL papers are eligible to be submitted to IQ. Those authors should be especially encouraged to submit.
• Address any other notes/special circumstances listed during their session with the respective presenter/authors (e.g. audio needed, slides in advance for visual or hearing impaired, etc.).

No later than five to six weeks before the conference, be in touch with all session chairs to inform them of their duties, outlined in the Sample Letter. Note that this copy is marked up so you are aware what you need to change.

Session chairs need to: Communicate A/V requirements and relay that information to the LAC. Act as a liaison between speakers and the LAC for any tech needs/issues or other accommodations.

Both before and after the conference encourage your session’s speakers a) to formally write up their presentation as a paper to submit to the IQ (paper competition entrants are already doing this), and b) submit their presentations for the conference archive. Encourage speakers to upload prior to the conference, but they will have a window of time after if they did not get the chance to do so.

By three weeks prior to the conference, Session Chairs should have:

• Checked their time allotment and determined how much time each project has to present. Remember to include time for speaker introductions and questions.
• Emailed their presenters with relevant advance information, including the location of the room they are using, confirm AV, and their time allotment and a strong recommendation to practice in order to stay within their time limit.

By one week prior ot the conference, Session Chairs should:

• Verify speakers’ needs and communicate any special needs to the coordinator or LAC.
• Gather speakers’ brief bios and confirm their affiliations.
• Remind speakers about uploading presentations to the conference archive.
• Remind speakers to bring a back-up electronic copy AND a print copy of their presentation (should technology fail). Recommend selecting open formats or compatible formats.
• Prepare discussion questions.
• Decide on whether questions will be taken during or at the end of the session.

By the opening reception, Session Chairs should have tried to meet with their speakers.

By the day of their session, Session Chairs should:

• Introduce themselves to their speakers.
• Locate their session room.
• Introduce themselves to the room monitor (typically from the host institution to help with AV and other issues). Note not always available but should know who their local IT help is.
• Arrive 20 minutes early and load any presentations that could not be sent ahead of time.

By two weeks post conference, Session Chairs should:

• Upload or ensure that all of their presenters uploaded their presentation files into the conference archive.

Birds of a Feather Coordinator Duties

The Birds of a Feather (BoF) Coordinator has the following duties:

Work with Program Committee Co-Chairs (PC Co-Chairs) and LAC to determine:

• How BoF session proposals will be collected. Given that BoF tends to be more spontaneous than planned, the opportunity to propose a BoF session will be mentioned in the call, but actual proposals will not be collected through the submission form.

• When the BoF session will be held. In the middle of the day, for example right after the Business Lunch, it turned out to be successful!

• Where the BoF session will be held with room layout (space will determine number of BoF proposals included).

• BoF submissions can be collected pre-conference through a Google Forms (or other survey-based tool as appropriate). The Program Co-Chairs and/or LAC can send to those registered via email so that it doesn’t have to go to the larger list. Duplicate topic proposals count as votes for that topic.

• How BoF sessions will be displayed and proposed at the conference (sign-up sheets, white board, chalk board, poster board, etc.) and voted upon (hash marks, stickers, check marks, etc.), and where the display will be hosted (near registration desk, other common area, etc.).

About three weeks before the conference, send out the per-conference proposal submission form.

Coordinator arrival may determine how topics are displayed (the more time one has, the more creative one may elect to be). Pre-proposed topics need to be listed on the display including the number of votes resulting from duplicate/multiple submissions. The display should be posted no later than Wednesday morning.

Listing new topics and voting must close by end-of-day the day before the session occurs to allow all votes to be tallied, and room assignments to be made. Provide final list with room assignments to Program Co-Chairs to include in Open Conf. Depending on timing of session, it may be possible to also announce the sessions at the Business Lunch or during housekeeping prior to a Plenary.

Mentoring Committee Coordinator

The Mentoring Committee Coordinator has the following duties:

• About one month to a few weeks prior to the conference, send a call for mentor volunteers via the IASSIST Listserv. Mentors are “experienced,” as in they have been IASSIST members for more than one year and have attended more than one conference.
• Obtain a list of registrants and check for those who are a) new attendees and b) not members. Email this group with a call to request an IASSIST conference mentor.
• Depending on the number of mentees, email individual IASSIST members who did not sign up at mentors to see if they will be willing to serve (this could be members who served as mentees in the past but did not sign up this time). There are typically more mentees that sign up than mentors in the initial call.
• In the call, a (Google) form should be used to capture mentor/mentee names and and little bit more about themselves.
• Use a Google Doc to pair mentor/mentees. Try to match people that work in similar institutions and have similar duties if possible. Keep in mind language/cultural differences and do your best to be accommodating.
• Notify each mentor/mentee with their match via email. (See here for an example).
• Remember to bring some name tags for mentor/mentees to use to help self-identify at the opening reception.
• After the conference be sure to send an email to thank all participants for being a part of this program, and to urge mentees to join IASSIST and become active with various committees and interest groups.

Paper Competition Coordinator Duties

The paper competition is open to IASSIST members who are writing or have written a paper in the year since the last IASSIST conference. The paper may be published or unpublished. It must be of interest to IASSIST members, and it must be written in English with formatted references. The winner receives a free entry to next year’s IASSIST conference. The paper competition is run by a volunteer coordinator.

Responsibilities:

• Find several volunteers (3-7) to serve as Reviewers (Feb/March)
  • IQ editors usually serve as reviewers
  • It’s ideal if volunteers from different regions can participate
  • The competition can be conducted over email
  • Send the Reviewers the review spreadsheet and ask if they would like to make changes
• Communicate with the Program committee about the status of the competition
  • Receive the Paper Submitters’ emails & proposals (March)
  • Confirm Submission deadline (end of March/Mid-April)
  • Inform when the review is complete (2 weeks before the conference)
• Communicate deadline with Submitters
  • Send email informing Submitters that you must receive the papers approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the conference (end of March/Mid-April)
  • Send a reminder email to Submitters approximately 2 weeks before the papers are due (8 weeks before the conference)
  • Some Submitters will likely ask for an extension. Decide whether to allow this. Confer with the Reviewers about this.
• Receive the papers (end of March/April)
  • Create a google drive and store the review sheet there
  • Store the papers on that same Google Drive
  • You may “blind” the review by renaming the papers if the Reviewers would like to do it this way
  • Inform Submitters their papers have been received (upon receipt)
• Inform the Reviewers that the papers have been received and send link to the Google Drive (end of March/April)
  • Each reviewer reads every paper and rates them on the review sheet
  • Each reviewer sends the review sheet (usually named with the reviewer’s name) to the coordinator (2 weeks before the conference)
• Receive the Reviewers’ spreadsheets (2 weeks before conference)
  • Average the reviews together for each paper
  • Determine the winner based on the score
  • Confirm the results with Reviewers and ask if they agree or if there are questions/concerns
• Announce the winner at the end of the IASSIST Conference!

Lightning Talks Coordinator Duties

The Lightning Talks Coordinator has the following duties:

• Handle all communication with lightning talk presenters.

• Collect bios of all presenters for session introductions. Request any special accommodations (the most common is going earlier in session due to travel), etc.

• Communicate how to load presentation files before the conference.

• Chair the session the day of, introducing each presenter, and troubleshooting any issues (there are almost always minor technical issues, but just stay calm and keep the show going!).

Planning Timeline

Recommended Deadlines

Assuming that the conference is held at the end of May/early June.

Regular session, paper, posters and lightning talk submissions - Due Late Nov/Early Dec.

Workshop submissions (may be timed with regular submissions) - Due Late Nov/Early Dec.

Fellows Applications and Notifications - solicit applications around time of Call for Proposals (CFP) (early Oct.), notify acceptance by late March (ideally before applicant has to confirm attendance)

Notification of submission/proposal acceptance by March 1

Confirmation of acceptance and changes to program - Mid-march (confirm) and Mid-April (program)

Paper Submission (Competitive) - by end of March

Conference planning year

July

• Review the timeline in the Program Planning Manual

• Use the existing programme listserv and PC Google drives for communication. Establish the email account for submitters to communicate with the PC.

• Begin planning for PC work and how the group will operate in shaping the program

• Communicate with past chairs regarding revision of conference manual.

• DDecide upon the conference theme and design logo in collaboration with LAC.

August

• Co-chairs draft and share with LAC for comment Call for Proposals (Papers, Sessions, Posters, Lightning Talks, Workshops) (CFP).
• Ensure you are set-up to use the OpenConf set-up. Contact the executive board to arrange payment.
• Obtain the shell of the previous year’s conference to use as a template in the Google Drive.
• Brainstorm with LAC potential plenary speakers.

September

• Present theme and logo to Administrative Committee for comment and approval by acclamation.
• Revise CFP based on feedback
• Solicit volunteers from Administrative Committee to send out call for proposals to various email lists
• Finalize CFP
• Build and test submission form in OpenConf
• Think about deadlines for Fellows applications, papers deadline, general submissions, sorting, notifications, etc.
• Reach out to potential plenary speakers.
• Send out an announcement to IASSIST and other relevant lists a Hold the Date announcement with theme, location, images. Call for proposals. - Late September

October

• Send out Call for Proposals to IASSIST-L (co-chairs) and other lists (volunteers) - very early Oct.
• Create plan for delegating work among committee members
• Solicit and decide upon volunteers for particular PC roles
• Set deadline for November 1 (and if needed extension no later than November 15)

November

• As submissions come in, clarify with speakers any uncertainties or further information needed.
• Close submissions.
• Report on number of proposals submitted in AC Meetings (see calendar)

December

• Begin proposal evaluations by early December
• Submission review completed by mid December
• Evaluate workshop submissions and consult with PC chairs for decisions.
• Work with LAC to determine workshop space and arrangements

January

• Firm up all acceptances by early January. Send out notifications by mid-January.
• Require acceptances by two weeks after the offer goes out.
• Program Committee begins building a preliminary schedule. Figure out sub-themes.
• Send any appeals to the Diversity Review Process.

February

• Early February. Send out listings of topics, plenaries, and registration link to list servs to get people interested. This does not need to have times yet but should give enough so that someone considering registering knows what the offerings are. Include information about the host site to create excitement about the conference and location.
• Gather info. needed for communicating with chairs and presenters
• Plan and finalize schedule
• Registration should open in early February.

March

• Put the final program online by the beginning of March. Send out an announcement regarding registration and program by volunteers to lists.
• Rearrange session arrangement as needed based on conflicts.
• Make schedule in OpenConf and update records in proposal database using the updated Excel file - rolling
• Build spreadsheet for session chair signup.

April

• By early April, workshop and poster coordinators send out communication regarding specs.
• Send out reminder promotional email.
• Recruit session chairs
• Send Letter 1 to session chairs/speakers five to six weeks pre-conference, outlining expectations, confirming info., and communicating about AV & other needs.
• Revise program and plan for disability accommodations as needed based on information provided by session chairs.
• Letter 2 for speakers (further expectations, details for sessions, info. from publications committee)
• Paper submissions collected by mid-April (Paper Coordinator and Committee will review).

May

• First week of May, Session Chairs send out emails to presenters.
• Final logistics planning with LAC
• Final logistics email to registrants
• Work with Communications to set up Zenodo
• First week of May, Session Chairs send out emails to presenters.

June/July

• Provide to Communications and Archive program information
• Export shell files from OpenConf (.oc) and provide to next year’s PC chairs
• Revise conference manual as needed
• Celebrate a job well done!

Choosing a Conference Title

This is a subjective choice that is best made among the Program Committee Co-Chairs and the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC). During the first month or two following the preceding conference the PC Co-Chairs should convene and decide on the title and text for the Call for Proposals (see PC Co-Chair Duties). Regardless of when it is done, it needs to be done before the Web site and first publicity are available later that summer (see Planning Timeline). The choice of title will be a factor in the success of the Call for Proposals.

The conference logo itself is typically created by the LAC, but they will likely ask for feedback from the PC Co-Chairs.

Finances Related to Plenary Speakers, Workshop Presenters, Honored Members, etc.

IASSIST is not in a position to provide financial assistance for participation in the conference. All speakers and Chairs are expected to register for the conference and pay conference fees. Plenary speakers are not expected to pay conference fees and are invited to attend activities during the day of the plenary at no charge. This information should be conveyed to individuals at the time of initial contact to avoid any misunderstandings. To save plenary speakers travel costs, they are usually recruited from the region.

The local arrangements committee (LAC) may use funds they have negotiated to partly cover costs like accommodation or travel for plenary speakers. Please keep in mind that it will fall on the LAC to a) provide the necessary steps and processes for reimbursements and/or compensation, and b) process the necessary tax paperwork for recipients. Funding for honorarium or speaker expenses should be approved by the Executive Committee before any offers are made to speakers.

The Admin Committee voted in May 2014 to discontinue previous IASSIST policy that the Workshop Presenters are offered one free conference registration per workshop. Starting from the 2015 conference there will not be any registration compensation for the workshop instructors.

Announcing the Call for Proposals (CFP) Including Papers, Sessions, Posters, Lightning Talks

The Program Commitee Co-Chairs are responsible for the coordinated distribution of the CFP. They will invite members of the larger conference planning committee or other volunteers from the Admin Committee to claim various lists to which to post.These same list assignments will be used to post notices at various strategic moments, e.g., when the program is posted, when registration opens and when the early bird registration deadline approaches.

• In the CFP, discourage people from proposing multiple sessions. It’s difficult to schedule sessions when presenters are in multiple spots, and it prevents other participants from speaking, potentially barring them from obtaining travel funds to attend.

• The CFP needs to go out by early October in the year preceding the conference.

Conference Schedule Format and Organization of the Program

Tips:

• This is a potential schedule dependent upon the location, pacing, etc. This is flexible.
• Items that are not flexible: Business Lunch will be on Thursday and banquet that evening.
• Should include a day of workshops before the conference.
• Networking is critical. Try to allow at least one 30 minute break each day.
• Should be no more than 5 concurrent sessions.
• Should be one to two plenaries or alternative structures such as fireside chats (a chance for all to be in the same room and allow announcements).
• Should have a session for Birds of a Feather.
• If possible, have wine and cheese for the poster sessions.
• Need at least one slot for interest groups (at end of day).

The conference schedule is built in OpenConf (see Program Co-Chair Duties). It typically follows this schedule, but changes may be made depending on circumstance. Any proposed major changes should be run by the IASSIST Administrative Committee. This uses concurrent sessions of 1 hour blocks, transitions of 15 minutes, and breaks of 30 minutes.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Exec	Registration	Registration	Registration	Registration
—	—	—	—	—
Admin	AM Workshops (3-5)	Conference Opening & Plenary 1	Plenary	H. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)
—	—	—	—	—
Satellite Events such as DDI Alliance		Break	Break	Break
—	—	—	—	—
		A. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	E. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	Lightning Talks
—	—	—	—	—
		Transition	Transition	Lunch
—	—	—	—	—
		B. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	F. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	I. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)
—	—	—	—	—
		Lunch	Business Lunch (at least 75 minutes)	Closing Ceremony
—	—	—	—	—
		C. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	Birds of a Feather
—	—	—	—	—
	PM Workshops (3-5)	Break	Break
—	—	—	—	—
		D. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)	G. Concurrent Sessions (no more than 5)
—	—	—	—	—
		Transition	Interest Groups
—	—	—	—	—
	Evening - Opening Reception	Poster Sessions	Evening - Banquet

Collaboration with other groups such as CESSDA when in Europe or CARTO when in Canada is encouraged. They may have additional meetings preceding or following the conference. The DDI Alliance has often tagged on their meeting to the IASSIST conference.

Collection and Archiving of Conference Presentations

Session chairs and Program Chairs are in key positions in reminding presenters to upload their presentation files into Zenodo. Prepare a cheat sheet for the direct upload to Zenodo to make sure that everyone adds the relevant metadata. The cheat sheet needs to be reviewed and updated annually. The Session and Program Chairs should follow up with the presenters during the weeks after the conference to collect as many presentations as possible.

Other Notes

Program Committee starting with IASSIST 2026 (Approved by Administrative Committee - December 17, 2024)

The Program Committee will consist of at least two co-chairs who are recommended by the Executive Committee (EXEC) for appointment by the IASSIST President with the consent of the Administrative Committee (ADMIN). The program chairs will serve 2 year terms that are staggered.

The Program Committee will consist of at least two co-chairs who are recommended by the Executive Committee (EXEC) for appointment by the IASSIST President and approved by acclamation by the Administrative Committee (ADMIN). The program chairs will serve 2 year terms that are staggered. The co-chairs, in addition to leading the program, will meet regularly with Local Arrangements chairs. Current Program Committee chairs should be consulted to see if they have any recommendations. The process should begin by March to allow sufficient time to ask people and have approval by acclamation by ADMIN by the May administrative meeting. The newly appointed Program chairs ideally can observe the conference before taking over as a Program chair.

The Program chairs will choose Coordinators (Workshops, Posters, Lightning Talks, Sessions, etc.). The coordinator roles can serve one year, 2 years, or continue. Coordinators are not expected to attend the program committee meetings unless called to a specific meeting due to their role but are encouraged to read all minutes to understand the bigger picture of the program. Other roles such as reviewers will be chosen each year in an open call to the membership.

Notes:

• For the first year of the new structure, one chair would serve a one year term in order to achieve the stagger.
• In the event of a joint conference (such as CARTO, CESSDA, etc.) a representative from that organization would be invited to the Program Committee to take part in planning.
• A call to the Membership will go out for interest in serving on Program.
• EXEC should consider geographic and gender diversity in the staggered appointments. Geographic is likely not viable at this point in terms of trying to have someone from outside USA/Canada given low participation from outside these areas.