NOTE: The following information is a draft of procedures for organizing the Design Engineering Division technical conferences. Updated guidelines for organizing all ASME technical conferences and events are available from the Technical Confereces and Events Guidelines page.

3/9/00 Draft

IDETC General Chair

• Assume primary responsibility for the IDETC.
• Prepare and submit Form CA-1, Conference Approval Questionnaire, to DED Executive Committee no later than 3 1/2 years before planned conference dates.
• Attend and report at the Fall and Spring DED Executive and General Committee Meetings for three years prior to the Conference. Fall meetings are held at the IDETC and Spring meetings held at the National Manufacturing Week Conferences.
• Attend Technology Executives Conference 1 1/2 years prior to conference (typically held in the first week of March).
• Attend IDETC planning meetings held in association with DED Executive and General Committee meetings.
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff on conference site selection.
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff to:
• Plan number of rooms needed for technical sessions, meetings and tutorials.
• Determine number of accommodation rooms to be guaranteed.
• Ensure adequacy of session rooms; in particular, seat capacity and ceiling height. (Note: Capacity ratings stated by hotels may lead to uncomfortable seating arrangements.)
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff and technical program chairs to set calendar and deadlines for paper submissions, review, and conference program assembly.
• Appoint conference webmaster.
• Assemble copy for Call for Papers and other preliminary announcements.
• Submit Call for Papers to DED Newsletter Editor and professional meetings staff no later than May 31 of year preceding conference (for example, May 31, 2000 for the September 2001 IDETC).
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff to formulate conference budget.
• Negotiate with publications vendor to set format and cost of conference proceedings.
• Present conference budget to DED Executive Committee for approval.
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff to assemble copy for DED Newsletter announcements. Submit copy to DED Newsletter Editor no later than May 31 of the year of the conference.
• Recruit local arrangements committee.
• Coordinate with technical program chairs to assign rooms to sessions.
• Assemble copy for final program and forward to professional meetings staff.
• Assign rooms and times for committee meetings in consultation with DED IDETC Executive.
• Confer with DED Honors and Awards chair to provide venues for presentation of all awards.
• Coordinate organization of social events.
• Coordinate with professional meetings staff to provide AV and other needed equipment.
• Coordinate tutorial program.
• Respond to or forward e-mail inquiries.

Technical Committee Program Chairs

• Serve as primary liaison between conference chair and sponsoring technical committee.
• Monitor papers review process.
• Work with papers review chair to plan number of conference sessions to be requested.
• Negotiate number of conference sessions with general chair.
• Assemble sessions.
• Assign session chairs and co-chairs and send invitations well in advance of conference.
• Ensure that committee awards to be presented at conference are reported to DED Honors and Awards chair in a timely manner.

Papers Review Chairs

• Coordinate with technical program chair to plan number of conference sessions to be requested.
• Coordinate review of manuscripts submitted for conference.
• Enter information on accepted papers into ASME electronic database.
• Coordinate with technical program chair to assemble sessions.

Tutorial Organizers

• Design Engineering Division Technical Committees may sponsor technology transfer tutorials at an IDETC by arranging to do so through the general conference chair.
• In the case of limited facilities, the IDETC general conference chair will decide the tutorials that will be offered.
• Tutorial income is independent of the IDETC conference budget at which the tutorial is offered.
• Costs of supplies and non-standard facilities, including meeting rooms and audio-visual equipment not budgeted in the IDETC conference budget, will be deducted from the gross tutorial income to determine the net tutorial income.
• Travel, housing and conference registration for the tutorial presenter are not allowed as tutorial expenses.
• Neither ASME nor the Design Engineering Division assumes responsibilities for losses on tutorials, so negative gross income is the responsibility of the tutorial presenter(s). Therefore, presenters must be sensitive to supplementary costs associated with presenting their tutorial.
• The general conference chair has the right to cancel tutorial(s) with insufficient pre-registration, as judged by the general conference chair.
• The net income from a tutorial is distributed in portions of 50% to the presenter(s) and 50% to the DED Custodial Account. The portion distributed to the presenter(s) is an honorarium for the effort involved in preparing and presenting the tutorial. The portion distributed to the Custodial Account is to be used by the sponsoring technical committee. (This item approved by the DED Executive Committee on 9/12/94.)

Professional Meetings Manager

Approval / Site Selection

• Ensure proposed conference dates do not conflict with competing conferences or major religious holidays.
• Coordinate Form CA-1 signatures from Conference, Division and Local Section Chair for approval by Conferences Committee of the BOC.
• Provide input for possible sites for conference location.
• Send Request for Proposals (RFP) and meetings specifications to appropriate cities for proposals.
• Review proposals, negotiate rates, room rentals, attrition and penalty clauses and request legal review if needed.
• Provide input to chair or conference planning committee with recommendation.
• Make site visit if needed.
• Update meetings specifications as needed.
• Finalize site contract and obtain appropriate signature from executive office.

Financial

• Draft budget for review by conference chair and/or committee.
• Coordinate with Technical Publishing and conference chair to establish price for proceedings.
• Update and coordinate budget until fee is established.
• Forward budget to conferences committee for approval.
• Issue all purchase orders and deposits in conjunction with meeting costs.
• Process invoices and track expenses.
• Issue financial report after the meeting.

Promotion

• Establish link from ASMENet to conference web site.
• Coordinate with conference chair, DED IDETC Executive and marketing staff for mailing list selection.
• Compile and maintain mailing list of IDETC registrants of the past three years.
• Call for Papers:
• Obtain Call for Papers from IDETC Conference Chair.
• Forward Call for Papers to Mechanical Engineering Magazine and ASME News.
• Arrange for production, printing and mailing of Call for Papers flyer.
• Coordinate posting of Call for Papers on ASMENet.
• DED Newsletter Conference Announcement:
• Coordinate with IDETC Conference Chair to arrange for production of 1-page Conference Announcement and 1-page Registration Form for inclusion in the DED Newsletter.
• Submit Announcement and Registration Form to DED Newsletter Editor no later than May 31 of conference year.
• Coordinate posting of web based registration form.
• Coordinate production, printing and mailing of Advance Flyer or Advance Program, if utilized.
• Coordinate production, printing and delivery of on-site program.
• Coordinate production, printing and mailing of hard copy promotion pieces.
• Arrange for broadcast e-mail of Call for Papers and Advance Flyer or Advance Program, if utilized.

Suppliers

• Place orders for audio visual equipment with audio visual company.
• Place orders for catering and room set-ups to facility staff.
• Schedule registration personnel.
• Contract for tours and busses for technical tours and guest program.
• Contract off-site catering functions.

Registration

• Input all conference information to AS400.
• Coordinate with Information Central and web staff with regard to processing all registrations, including electronic submissions.
• Prepare all registration materials, including lists, badges, tickets, etc.

On-Site Support

• Manage registration operation.
• Check all set-ups for meetings and banquet functions.
• Load busses.
• Handle guarantees.

Miscellaneous

• Provide IDETC Chair with Planning Calendar.
• Inform IDETC Chair of conference obligations or travel dates that may affect production of final program.
• Handle inquiries received via phone, fax, mail or e-mail.
• Coordinate and attend conference planning meetings.
• Archive historical data on the meeting.

DED Executive Committee IDETC Executive

• Maintain knowledge base from previous conferences.
• Maintain Executive and Staff Operating Procedures and other documentation relevant to the IDETC.
• Maintain communication with chairs and intending chairs of upcoming IDETCs.
• Organize and chair IDETC planning meetings.
• Organize and chair conference chair training workshops.
• Report on current and upcoming conferences at DED Executive Committee meetings.
• Provide informational reports on upcoming conferences at DED General Committee meetings.
• Solicit and collect proposals to host upcoming IDETCs.
• Present proposals to host upcoming IDETCs to Executive Committee three and one half years in advance of conference date.
• Notify ASME Meetings staff of future site selections and introduce designated IDETC chairs to ASME Meetings staff.
• Maintain communication with ASME Meetings staff.
• Propose policies relating to the IDETC's to the DED Executive and General Committees.