APAN Conference Handbook (v3.0)

2003.08.27

Byung-Kyu Kim

bkkim@apan.net

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Conference Milestone

1.2 Conference Committees

2.PROPOSAL

2.1 Request For Proposal

2.2 Selecting Process

3. LOCAL ARRANGEMENT

3.1 Local Arrangement Committee

3.2 Website

3.3 Venue

3.4 Accommodations

3.5 Food

3.6 Registration

3.7 Visa

4. PROGRAM

4.1 Program Committee

4.2 Call for Papers

4.3 Workshop

4.4 Tutorials, Tracks, and Sessions

4.5 Review of Program

5. PUBLICATION

5.1 Publication Committee

5.2 Conference Proceeding

APPENDIX

A. CONFERENCE ACRONYM

B. ADVANCED NETWORK CONFERENCE COMMITTEES

C. EXAMPLE DOCUMENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Conference Milestone

The APAN Conference is supposed to be decided one year in advance. In order to effectively organize the conference, following time schedules are recommended.

August (January): D-12 months

1. Initial draft proposal for the conference to be presented

January (June): D-7 months

1. Second draft proposal to be submitted, if it is needed.

2. Open the official website for the conference

3. Organize the conference committees

March (August): D-5 months

1. Final proposal with budget to be presented

2. Call for papers, sessions and speakers

3. Call for sponsors

4. Call for fellowship

5. 1^st Organizing/Program Committee teleconferences

April (September): D-4 months

1. 1^st draft program to be presented

2. 1^st draft network status report to be presented

3. 2^nd Organizing/Program Committee teleconferences

May (October): D-3 months

1. pre-registration

2. Deadline for papers and sessions

3. 1^st deadline for fellowship applications

4. 1^st selection of fellows

5. Start sending invitation letters for Visa processing

6. 3^rd Organizing/Program Committee teleconferences

June (November): D-2 months

1. Notification of acceptance for papers

2. 2^nd draft program - sessions selection

3. 2^nd deadline for fellowship application

4. 2^nd selection of fellows

5. 4^th Organizing/Program Committee teleconferences

July (December): D-1 months

1. Camera-ready papers due

2. Final program to be presented

3. Submit abstracts

4. Final network status report to be presented

5. 5^th Organizing/Program Committee teleconferences

August (January): D-1/2 months

1. Submit presentation material

2. Pre-registration Close

3. Publish conference proceeding
(workshop and conference session abstracts)

4. Publish one-page-conference-program

5. Publish full paper

August (January):

1. Open onsite registration

1.2 Conference Committees

Committees for a successful conference need to be established and shown in the conference proposal written with chairs, contact points, members and email addresses. Some of conference committee members and chairs could be changed according to the conference locations.

Some of conference related matters are to be approved, requested, and reviewed by relevant conference committees. The corresponding committees, chairs, contact points, members and relevant email addresses, and roles of committee are to be described in a formal document.

1.2.1 Conference Committee (conference@apan.net)

The conference committee represents the conference and is in charge of overseeing the whole conference. The conference committee consists of both international and local members who are in the senior level in each economy and organization. Each APAN primary member delegates one or two conference committee members. The local members could be changed in the next conferences according to the conference locations in different economies.

1.2.2 Organizing Committee (organizing@apan.net)

The organizing committee has the role of executive function for operating the overall conference. The members of organizing committee are to be consisted of those people who have following responsibilities:

- program (conference session, tutorial, workshop, training)

- local arrangement (registration, demonstration, local contact, conference proceeding, website, finance, publicity, sponsor)

- publication (conference journal)

- network support

- fellowship

- treasure

- primary contact points for the previous and the next conferences

The main responsibilities of the organizing committee are to

- schedule the conference

- organize and support the conference program, tutorial, workshop, and training

- publish the conference proceeding and journal

- request the conference budget status and local arrangement

- request and review the preparation status of the host (local) organization

- give publicity to outside of the community

- raise the fund and review the finance

- issue and review call for participation, sponsors

1.2.3 Program Committee (program@apan.net)

The program committee is in charge of overall management for the conference programs, tutorials, workshops, and trainings. It is highly recommended the program committee chair to be involved in the organizing committees.

1.2.4 Local Arrangement Committee (local@apan.net)

The local arrangement committee is in charge of overall management of the local preparation such as venue, meeting rooms, accommodations, food, registration, invitation and visa process. It is highly recommended the local arrangement committee chair to be involved in the organizing committees in order to work closely with the conference committees.

1.2.5 Publication Committee (publication@apan.net)

The publication committee (or its corresponding committee) is in charge of issuing " Call for Research Track Papers " , reviewing the submitted abstracts and full papers. The committee collects abstracts and full papers for the research tracks, selects the abstracts and papers for journal publication. The major roles are to

- issue "Call for Research Track Papers "

- review and select abstracts and full papers for journal publication

- organize a research track

1.2.6 Fellowship Program Committee (fellowship@apan.net)

The fellowship committee is in charge of the APAN fellowship program and selecting fellows. The main activities are to

- issue and review " Call for Fellowship "

- inform relevant member communities and economies the fellowship program

- review application forms and select fellows

- evaluate fellow ’s activities and contributions for the conference

1.2.7 Network Support Committee (network-support@apan.net)

The network support committee is highly recommended to consist of both local and international members. It is in charge of Internet access and network facilities in the meeting venue, video and audio conferences, and network connections for the conference.

1.2.8 Advisory Council (advisory@apan.net)

The conference could have an advisory council. Members would be consisted of the main sponsors of APAN and the conference as well as emeritus contributors of APAN. Also other peer networking groups (Internet2, CANARIE, TERENA) could be participated in the advisory council. The advisory council would give advice for overall conference.

2. PROPOSAL

2.1 Request For Proposal

The chair of APAN calls for bids on the next conference to APAN members at least one year in advance. An APAN committee ("Event Committee") issues and reviews the Request For Proposal (RFP), and reviews the conference bids and select one of them. This includes selecting the local arrangement partner, conference location, and the date of the conference.

The proposal should include following information:

Location - accessibility, conference venue, hotels, transportations

Proposed date

Meeting space space for workshops, tutorials, sessions, working group and committee meetings, demonstrations.

Video and teleconference equipments

Internet access and network facilities

Accommodation

Food, banquets, and receptions

Local arrangement - organizing and program committees and chairs, visa processing and registration handling

Sponsorship

Budget estimates

2.2 Selecting Process

The committee ("Event Committee") reviews all application documents for the next conference(s), selects an appropriate candidate. The committee reports selection results in the APAN member meeting, and if it is accepted, then APAN chair announces the final result in the APAN member meeting.

3. LOCAL ARRANGEMENT

The host of the conference is in charge of all kinds of local preparations for the conference. The host organizer selects the chair of the local arrangement committee, and the chair is in charge of establish and operation the committee, and also in charge of operation of overall local arrangements.

3.1 Local Arrangement Committee

The chair of the local arrangement committee constructs the committee in efficient way, and is in charge of the operation.

The main activities of the local arrangement committee are to

- provide conference website and link to APAN website

- negotiate conference venue and provide meeting rooms

- recommend appropriated accommodations

- provide food and recommend restaurant

- inform transportation and map

- provide online and offline registrations

- issue invitation letters

- provide visa information and processing

- gather presentation materials for conference proceeding and online/offline publication

3.2 Website

The conference website should be open at least 5-7 months before. The APAN secretariat maintains overall APAN meeting websites. Each committee (program, local arrangement, etc) could maintain its own website with proper linking to the main APAN website. APAN reserves the right to review and request deletion of any posting, which does not conform, to APAN policies.

The conference website provides all related information for the conference – programs, local arrangements, other related meetings, etc during the conference period. It may also provide information for travelers such as climate, language, time zone, currency, electronic supply, telecommunication service, tipping/taxes, and transportation. If the website provides a map showing the locations of the conference venue and hotels, it will be very helpful for participants.

3.3 Venue

3.3.1 Meeting Rooms

Normally the conference has 3-4 tracks during the conference and 2-4 separate workshops before the conference, 1-2 committee and working group meetings a day. It needs 4 rooms as minimum and 8 rooms as maximum with following spaces:

- 1 (separable) room for approx. 300 people for plenary, tracks, workshops, trainings

- 1-2 rooms for 100 people for tracks, workshops, and training

- 1-2 rooms for 50 people for APAN working group and committee meetings

- 1-2 room for 20 people for small meetings and other purpose

Each room shall contain (recommended):

- LCD projector

- Video and teleconference equipments

- Whiteboard and Markers

- Microphones

- Pointers

- Internet connection

3.3.2 Staff Room

At least 1 room for local arrangement and APAN secretariat is needed. It shall contain

- Telephone

- Fax

- Copier

- Printer

- PCs

- Toners and paper

3.3.3 Computer room

At least one computer room for public use is required. This room shall contain the followings:
- Fully functional network connectivity with at least 3 PCs installed with an English

language Windows 98, 2000 or XP and an SSH capable client.
- Adequate power and power points for powering laptops in addition to those in use

by PCs.
- This may also be the best location for a technical help desk.

3.3.4 Network Infrastructure

In the venue, the following network infrastructure is recommended:

- Facilitate demonstrations
- Wireless LAN access

- Addressing and DHCP:
- SMTP:
- DNS:
- Routers/Gateways

The local arrangement committee shall provide adequate qualified staffing for the setup and running of the network infrastructure.

3.4 Accommodations

The local arrangement committee should reserve a special block of hotel rooms in a range of prices and close by to the conference venue. The recommendation price for the main hotels is more or less than USD100. Less expensive accommodation options (youth hostels, dormitories, etc.), within a reasonable distance from the conference venue, must be available for participants traveling on limited budgets and for fellowship program.

The local arrangement committee should provide the hotel information including the address, telephone number, fax number, room type, room rate (whether include or not the service charge and/or tax), distance from the conference venue, websites and email addresses.

All participants are responsible for arranging and financing their own accommodations.

3.5 Food

3.5.1 Coffee Breaks and Meals

Minimum required food is two coffee breaks on full meeting days. Participants are generally left to provide for their own breakfasts, lunches and evening meals except for optional banquet and/or reception.

Some third parties may have specific catering requests. In these cases the organization and financing must be arranged directly between the third party and the local provider of those services.

3.5.2 Reception and Banquet

The local arrangement committee facilitates reception and banquet for the conference participants and accompanies. Dinner is provided to all participants. Additionally social events would be possible during the conference through its help desk such as
- dinner
- tour
- others

3.6 Registration

3.6.1 Registration Desk

The local arrangement committee will provide a registration desk to provide registration packets and information to the participants. The registration desk must be staffed from the beginning of the APAN meetings, at least 5 days, from 08:00 to 17:30.

3.6.2 Registration Fee

Registration fee includes admission to all APAN workshops, conference sessions, meetings, proceedings, reception & banquet, and coffee breaks. All payments are conducted by onsite registrations and optionally by online. Only local currency and US dollars are accepted.

(1) Pre-Registration fee

- Pre-registration fee will be in the range of USD100-USD300 with 50% discount for students.
- Student must show own student ID at the registration desk to get the student rate.

(2) On-site registration

- On-site registration fee is 50% more than pre-registration fee. There is no student payment on site.

3.6.3 Registration Form

The registration form includes following items:

- Given Name/Family Name (mandatory)
- Title/Position
- Organization (mandatory)
- Address
- Phone number
- Fax number
- Email (mandatory)
- Meetings which will be attended: workshop, conference, tutorial, training, and other special meetings.

3.7 Visa

Visa is required to enter the host country depending on the agreements between the host and the participants’ countries.

It is important that any participant can obtain the required documentation from the host country. Where problems exist, the local arrangement committee must indicate how these difficulties will be addressed to ensure the widest participation possible. Generally, participants get more details and relevant forms from the nearest host country's Embassy or Consulate Office. But the local arrangement committee also must indicate the assistance, which will be provided to those who do not have access to the host country's consulates.

The local arrangement committee should inform the visa policy of the host country and show the list of countries with visa exemptions.

If participants need invitation letters, the local arrangement committee or local organizer should help them.

4. PROGRAM

4.1 Program Committee

The chair of the program committee constructs the committee, and is in charge of the overall conference programs: workshops, tutorials, sessions, trainings, and journal publications.

The program committee is responsible for assembling the main conference sessions, workshops, tutorials, trainings, requesting papers and selecting appropriate ones, selecting invite speakers, creating the conference programs.

The main activities of the program committee are to

- issue and review "Call for Papers"

- arrange and schedule all relevant workshops, tutorials, trainings and sessions consulting with relevant groups

- arrange meeting rooms for each session, workshop, tutorial, and training, consulting with the local arrangement committee

- maintain and update the program website and link to the APAN website

- gather abstracts, papers, and presentation files

- invite speakers

- evaluate each session and speaker, and report to the members.

4.2 Call for Papers

Program committee issues "Call for papers" , and it should be announced at least 5 months in advance. The call for papers would contain

- information about the conference

- overall schedules including due dates

- session, tutorial, workshop schedules

- session, tutorial, workshop topics

- abstract format

- paper format

4.3 Workshop

In order to create a workshop during the conference, it should be discussed with the program committee. The program committee will announce the candidate workshop during the APAN meetings. The organizers of the workshop should work closely with the conference committees, and the websites should link to the APAN main website.

4.4 Tutorials, Tracks, and Sessions

Reviewing the proposal, the program committee decides tutorials, tracks, and sessions.

The topics should be included in the "Call for Papers". After gathering all information, the program committee should decide speakers for tutorials, and chairs for each track and session. The chairs in tracks and sessions are in charge of selecting speakers and their presentation files, and inviting speakers for the relevant tracks and sessions.

4.5 Review of Program

The program committee should provide evaluation sheets for each tutorial, track, and session as well as all speakers, and report the evaluation results to the members after the conference. The result will be used for the materials to evaluate tutorials, tracks, sessions, and speakers for the next conference. The APAN secretariat should keep all evaluation results in the database of the APAN Secretariat.

5. PUBLICATION

5.1 Publication Committee

The publication committee (or its corresponding committee) collects abstracts and full papers for the research tracks, selects the abstracts and papers for journal publication.

5.2 Conference Proceeding

The conference proceedings generally contains:

- title page

- conference committees

- preface

- programs

- tutorial descriptions

- table of contents

- author index

- papers

APPENDIX

A. CONFERENCE ACRONYM