Proposal form for a SIAM Activity Group (SIAG) conference run on a university campus and/or outside of the US and Canada Of all SIAG activities, the SIAG conference is typically the most important. It serves as an opportunity for existing SIAG and SIAM members to network and share their research with each other and their broader communities, as a celebration of advances in the field fostered by the SIAG and its leadership, and as a crucial recruitment tool to welcome new members who share the research and other professional priorities of the SIAG. In recognition of the important role played by each SIAG conference, SIAM’s professional conferences staff offers the following options for conference site selection: * Placement at a hotel or other conference venue in the U.S. or Canada; * Placement on a university campus in the U.S. or Canada; and * Placement at a hotel, university campus, or other conference venue outside of the U.S. or Canada. By decree of SIAM’s Board of Trustees, to maintain uniformity of experience across all of the site options listed above, the following services will be provided by SIAM regardless of site: * SIAM’s conference management system, including management of abstracts and communications with submitting authors as well as program documents prepared from submissions; and * SIAM’s website services, with the official conference website on siam.org. Most SIAM conferences are placed at a hotel or other conference venue in the U.S. or Canada. In this case, the SIAG Chair and Program Director must contact SIAM’s Director of Programs and Services with a list of five (5) cities (not the hotel or venue itself) and conference date ranges they consider suitable, at least 24 months and preferably 30 months prior to the anticipated conference dates. SIAM staff will prepare and distribute a request for proposals to the designated cities and respond to the SIAG officers with a list of viable proposals typically within 2-3 months. SIAG officers who wish to select a hotel or other conference venue in the U.S. or Canada do not need to submit the information requested in the rest of this document. Placement of a SIAG conference on a university campus often saves cost on facilities and sometimes personnel, which then translates into reduced registration fees for attendees. If the university is in the U.S. or Canada, SIAM will run the conference much as it does conferences held at hotels or other conference venues, but with a memorandum of agreement between SIAM and the host department or university administration identifying the responsibilities of both parties. In this case, the SIAG Chair and Program Director must provide the form below at least 24 months and preferably 30 months in advance of the anticipated conference dates to a local organizer at the university to complete and send to SIAM’s Director of Programs and Services. Placement of a SIAG conference on a university campus or at a conference venue outside of the U.S. and Canada is an opportunity to showcase and promote activity around the world by the SIAG and in the SIAG’s area, while also serving as an important opportunity for recruitment to SIAM and the SIAG. Two important considerations for SIAG conferences planned for outside the U.S. and Canada are: 1) To maintain a strong connection to SIAM’s largest membership base, no two consecutive SIAG conferences with an in-person component may be placed at a venue outside of the U.S. and Canada; and 2) SIAM will have a financial stake in the conference, meaning either full financial control or a share in any surplus or deficit in conference revenue after expenses. The details of the sharing arrangement are left for discussion and may vary according to other factors. Placement of a SIAG conference outside of the U.S. or Canada generally requires a local organizer at the host university or in the host city. The SIAG Chair and Program Director must provide the form below at least 30 months in advance of the anticipated conference dates to the local organizer to complete and return to SIAM’s Director of Programs and Services. ______________________________________________________________________________ Only complete the form that follows if you are the local organizer (e.g., a faculty member at the proposed host university or in the city of the proposed conference venue) submitting a SIAG conference proposal for one of the following site options: 1) A university campus; or 2) A venue outside of the U.S. and Canada. Part A: Preliminary Information 1) SIAM Activity Group holding conference: _____________________________________ 2) Proposed dates of conference: ______________________________________________ 3) Estimated attendance: ____________________________________________________ 4) Proposed city and country of conference: ____________________________________ 5) Proposed venue of conference: _____________________________________________ 6) Local organization to share financial control with SIAM, if applicable (not applicable if conference venue is within U.S. or Canada): ____________________________________ Part B: Logistical Details In the case of university sites and/or sites outside of the U.S. and Canada, it may make sense for the local organizers to take on certain organizational responsibilities for expediency or to reduce expenses and therefore registration fees. It is the responsibility of the local organizers to include any costs associated with performing these tasks in the budget. If the conference is outside the U.S. or Canada and a local institution is sharing financial control with SIAM, the Director of Programs and Services will provide an estimate of the cost of services provided by SIAM. The questions below will help clarify which party is to be responsible for different tasks typically conducted by SIAM for SIAG conferences. 1) Who will conduct a site inspection of the proposed venue? 2) List the meeting rooms available for use during the meeting, including the general session room used for invited speakers and the number and size of breakout rooms available. If there is to be a reception and/or poster session, indicate where those will be held. If a floor plan is available, enclose it with this form or provide a link here. 3) If the venue is a hotel, is there a room block requirement? 4) If the conference is not at a hotel, which hotels are available at what rates during the conference? Alert hotels must be alerted early to let them know you may need to reserve rooms and to check that the dates you want do not conflict with any large events. 5) If the venue is outside of the U.S. and Canada, who will collect registrations, and using which platform? What form of payments will be accepted and what additional charges will apply? 6) Who will staff the conference to provide logistical support and process onsite registrations? Two to three people are needed onsite full time during the entire conference. 7) Who will prepare the registration packets, badges, and receipts for attendees? 8) Who will provide audio-visual services (projectors, screens, sound system, support personnel)? 9) Will the conference include a reception and coffee breaks? These costs will need to be covered. 10) How will the conference be promoted? Indicate whether SIAM will be asked to mail conference postcards to recipient lists customized to the SIAG, in which case SIAM can provide the cost to be included in the conference budget. 11) What agencies, companies, or organizations other than SIAM do you plan to contact for sponsorship or funding support? SIAM’s Marketing Department will assist in this endeavor, including the preparation of a sponsor prospectus if appropriate. 12) Does the conference have an established proceedings that is already handled by SIAM? If so, SIAM will continue to handle the proceedings and can provide appropriate cost information to be included the in conference budget. Part C: Budgetary Details Please provide the cost of any of the items listed below that are to be handled by the local organizers or, if they are to be handled by SIAM, just put “SIAM”. If the conference is to be held in the U.S. or Canada, SIAM will maintain the budget. Otherwise, if SIAM and a local institution are to enter into a sharing agreement, the local institution is asked to maintain the budget with oversight provided by SIAM. The budget should include a breakdown of all conference expenses, including but not limited to those listed below. Many of the expenses below, such as travel amounts, are standardized within SIAM conferences. Consult SIAM’s online conference guidelines or contact the Director of Programs and Services for more information. Web site design and maintenance (SIAM): SIAM will provide estimate Conference management system and abstract management (SIAM): SIAM will provide estimate Proceedings, only if established (SIAM): SIAM will provide estimate Collection of registration: ________________________________________________________ Invited speaker reimbursement (i.e. air travel, hotel, per diem, registration): _________________ Co-chair reimbursement (i.e. partial reimbursement of travel expenses, registration): __________ Committee expenses: ____________________________________________________________ Food & beverage: ______________________________________________________________ Meeting room rental: ____________________________________________________________ Equipment (A/V) rental: _________________________________________________________ AV technical support (if not included in the rental): ____________________________________ Furniture rental (including poster boards): ___________________________________________ Advertising: ___________________________________________________________________ Staff cost (onsite and conference preparation): ________________________________________ Other: ________________________________________________________________________ Sources of conference revenues include registration fees, sponsorship funds from granting agencies (including through external grants maintained by SIAM), companies, SIAM’s student travel award funds, and other organizations. If a local organization is sharing financial control over the conference with SIAM, registration fees will be set by a committee with representation from both organizations. SIAM encourages the local organizers to provide a preliminary estimate of all sources of revenue as part of the preliminary conference budget. Registration revenue: ____________________________________________________________ Revenue from granting agencies: ___________________________________________________ Revenue from corporate sponsorship: _______________________________________________ Revenue from grants maintained by SIAM: SIAM will provide estimate Revenue from student travel awards funded by SIAM: SIAM will provide estimate Please send this completed form and any applicable supporting documentation to SIAM’s Director of Programs and Services, Richard Moore, at moore@siam.org. Questions can be directed to the same address.