Contingency plan if speakers cancel

Do not finally forget to have some 'second choices' as standby, in case a speaker withdraws at the last moment. In this case you can

· read her/his paper yourself (provided that s/he prepared it)

• replace her/him with another speaker (someone who was, for example, in two minds about participating)
• extend the time reserved for questions
• bring forward all the papers and present an 'unplanned' event (such as the screening of a video linked to the subject of the conference)
• if the person who withdraws is a chair you can ask another chair to preside at a second session, or
• ask a speaker to chair that session.

Conference pack

Even if some of your conference participants know each other, they are unlikely to be familiar with the host institution, so it is important that you offer them a conference pack as soon as they arrive. This kind of pack should include:

• the definitive programme
• abstracts if possible
• name tags
• a map of the conference rooms
• a map of the city
• a list of all participants (with their e.mail)

And may include:

• a list of useful telephone numbers (starting from your own and including those of hotels, taxicab services, medical assistance, etc.)
• the list of major cultural institutions and events currently available in the city, including advice on where to eat
• some white paper
• a pen
• fliers from external organizations (publishers etc), who have paid for the inclusion of their publicity.

Conference offices

You can plan a conference by yourself, but you cannot conduct it alone: you need some assistance. You can obviously ask your postgraduate colleagues for help, but if you do not get any positive support, try to turn to your own home institution (or, to the institution that is going to house the conference), since many academic institutions offer this kind of service through a central conference office. You can delegate any duty from the early stages, but some help becomes absolutely essential when the conference starts, since at that stage you will not be able to deal with everything by yourself.

During the conference

Once the machinery has been set in motion, you should be able to reduce your tasks to:

• smiling, always and whatever may happen
• receiving speakers, chairs and all other participants
• being present whenever possible at all lectures and events
• indicating who to turn to for assistance

if possible leaving to assistants (postgraduate students, friends who offered their help) the duty of

• registering participants
• distributing conference packs
• collecting conference fees
• collecting receipts for all payments to be refunded
• receiving people during all conference sessions
• giving general information
• checking daily that direction signs are on/in place
• solving minor inconveniences
• reporting to you (and to all other organizers) any major inconveniences.

After the conference

A conference is only finished on the last day of its programme for the speakers. For organizers its conclusion simply marks the beginning of a new series of tasks to be carried out. You must take care in particular of three bodies: your institution and any other sponsor, speakers and the research community.

1. Case study

Read the tip on critical path analysis.

Tip

Critical Path Analysis

This is a way of planning a project so that it can be carried out in the shortest possible time.

It involves:

Ø Making a schedule covering all activities in the project

Ø Deciding how long each activity will take

Ø Setting realizable deadlines for each activity

Ø Deciding how activities relate to each other

1.   Read the situation. What could go wrong?

You specialize in organizing conferences. The World Computer Games Confederation wants you to organize next year’s award ceremony (‘the Oscars of computer games’). The WCGC has asked you to find a suitable venue (e.g. hotel, famous building) to arrange entertainment and a charity dinner on the night of the ceremony. Tickets cost $2,000 each and about 800 guests are expected. The event will be hosted by the famous comedian Sammy Webb.

1. Work in groups and study the ‘to do’ list. After each item in brackets is an estimate of the time which it will take. Produce a schedule which shows how the event can be organized in the most efficient way.

‘to do’ list

1) send out requests for prize nominations (two weeks)

2) deadline for nominations (six weeks after requests sent out)

3) print invitations (two weeks)

4) make a shortlist of venues (two weeks)

5) make final selection of venue with sponsor (one week)

6) book venue (eight months notice usually required)

7) approach caterers to tender for charity dinner (two months before the event)

8) decide menu and check with sponsors (two weeks)

9) produce and print tickets and programmes (three weeks)

10) invite celebrities to present the different awards (six months before the event)

11) send out tickets and programmes (eight weeks before the event)

12) decorate and arrange venue (one week)

13) contact TV chains about filming awards (as soon as the date and venue are know)

14) visit venues and ask for quotations (six weeks)

15) advertise event in trade magazines (five months before the event)

 

Months
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
NOW

 

1. When will you need to start in order to keep the preparation period as short as possible?
2. Present your critical path analysis to another group.
3. ’Murphy’s law means ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong’. Do you have a similar saying in your country?
4. Listen to four problems which have come up with the organization of the ceremony. Summarize each in your own words

 

Timing	Problem
Four months before Two months before Six weeks before One week before	1 2 3 4
You don’t want to postpone the event and your deadline is definite. What could you do to minimize or deal with the problems from listening.

(Oxford English file/ Clive Oxenden, Christina Latham-Koenig)

1. Write an abstract of an imaginary conference event with well-grounded criticism or appraisal.

 

 Unit II:  INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS

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