Early Congress Planning Task Force Mandate

The Task Force on Early Congress Planning will begin its work in time to make a report to the Board containing a recommendation concerning the structure of the scientific programme and its logistical requirements.

This recommendation concerning the structure of the scientific programme, its logistical requirements and the possible locations that could satisfy these requirements should be made to the new Board a sufficient number of years ahead of the planned congress.

For forthcoming Congresses the following timetable is envisaged:

• Congress: 2017 (LA), Start choosing venue: 2nd half 2012. Make decision: January 2013
• Congress: 2019 (EUR), Start choosing venue: 2nd half 2015. Make decision: January 2016
• Congress: 2021 (NA), Start choosing venue: 1st half of 2016. Make decision: July 2016
• Congress: 2023 (LA), Start choosing venue: 2nd half 2019. Make decision: January 2020
• Congress: 2025 (EUR), Start choosing venue: 1st half of 2020. Make decision: July 2020

The composition of the Task Force shall be as follows:

• a Chair, someone with proven expertise in the structure and processes for planning congresses/conferences;

• a Member of a recent Scientific Programme Committee

• two further members (each from different regions and from a region different from the former recent member of the Scientific Programme Committee)

• a representative from IPSO

• the President-elect, the Vice-President-elect and the Treasurer-elect (to be ex-officio members as soon as the election results are known);

• the current President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer (as consultants);

• the Executive Director and Head of Membership Services (ex officio).

Although the Biennial Congress Planning and Operational Procedures in the Procedural Code do not provide for such a Task Force, a Task Force so mandated is consistent with its provisions. And although the section on Congress planning of the Procedural Code will require an up-date because of Rule changes, it is intended that the mandate for and operations of the Task Force shall conform to the requirements of the Procedural Code in all of its essential provisions (e.g., that the Board decides the venue of the Congress, that the President chooses the theme of the Congress and appoints the Scientific Programme Committee, its regional committees and regional review committees in the usual way). It is recommended that consideration be given to widening this mandate to include broader Congress issues, such as frequency.

Approved by the Board January 2012

Revision approved by the Board July 2012