ISSX Invites Members to Volunteer to Organize Scientific Meetings for our Society

The information below is a general overview of the meeting organization process of ISSX. Interested persons also should review the document "Guidelines for the Organization of ISSX Meetings” and contact the ISSX Executive Director for more detailed information.

The Scientific Affairs Committee (SAC) oversees the planning, development, and content of the scientific program of ISSX meetings. The SAC additionally works to identify individuals to organize our meetings in our three regions worldwide: North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. International ISSX Meetings (held every three years) may be planned to convene in any region.

Individuals who wish to organize an ISSX meeting are welcome to submit a proposal and contact the SAC, via the ISSX Executive Director, at least 4-5 years in advance of the contemplated date of the meeting.

Proposals for meetings will be presented to the SAC by the Executive Director. The SAC will determine whether to recommend the proposals to the Council of ISSX. Once a meeting is approved, the professional staff of ISSX will negotiate and enter into agreements with meeting venues (as well as with all suppliers providing goods and services to the meeting).

The initial proposal should be submitted to the ISSX Executive Director who will review it and send copies to the chair and members of the SAC. The SAC will review the proposal with regard to the program and communicate any concerns or reservations to the chair of the Meeting Organizing Committee (MOC) and to the Executive Director. The MOC should address the concerns of the SAC and submit a revised proposal, if requested. The SAC chair will review the revised proposal and, once all issues have been resolved to their satisfaction, shall send written approval of the proposal to the Executive Director. Once the proposal has been approved in writing, indicating that no significant unresolved issues remain, the proposal will be submitted to Council for review.

Following approval by the SAC, the ISSX Council will have the opportunity to raise questions regarding meeting proposals and can interact with the MOC until there are no significant unresolved issues. At this point, Council will vote to approve or disapprove the proposal. Once a meeting proposal is approved by Council, it will be added to the official ISSX Meetings Calendar. These preliminary procedures should be completed at least three years before the intended date of the meeting.

Preliminary discussions between the SAC and prospective meeting chairpersons will consider the points numbered 1-3 below which will lead to a written proposal from the prospective organizer to the SAC, which addresses the following issues:

1. The names and present positions of proposed core members of the Meeting Organizing Committee and the meeting's Scientific Advisory Board.
2. The provisional intentions for the Scientific Program.
3. The numbers of attendees anticipated, by category (member, non-member, student).

Proposed meeting budgets will be developed by the Executive Director in consultation with the Meeting Organizers. Proposed meeting budgets must be reviewed by and have final approval of the Finance Committee. Approved meeting budgets will be combined into the overall ISSX operating budget to be reviewed and formally approved by Council.

A penultimate program that lists all speakers and titles of their presentations should be provided to the SAC approximately 16 months before the meeting. The SAC will review the program, provide suggestions to the MOC, and approve the revised finalized program in a timely manner, such that the final program can be distributed 12 months before the meeting.

Frequent and open communication along with professional service provided from the ISSX staff will go far towards aiding ISSX members in developing and hosting high quality scientific meetings for our Society.

Please direct any inquiries to the ISSX Executive Director, Zoë Fuller at zfuller@issx.org.