OCEANS CONFERENCE OPERATIONAL POLICY MANUAL

How to Propose, Host and Conduct an OCEANS Conference & Exposition

Version 9.7 January 11, 2019

Revision 1: 3 April 2019

The latest version of this OCOP Manual can be obtained from: https://www.oceansconference.org/planning/hosting-the-oceans-conference-

operations-manual/

https://www.oceansconference.org/planning/hosting-the-oceans-conference-operations-manual/https://www.oceansconference.org/planning/hosting-the-oceans-conference-operations-manual/

OCOP Manual v9.7 Revision Record

Number Date Originator Revision 0 17/1/19 AW, JW,

LH Upgraded from v9.4. 9.5. 9.6

1 29/3/19 JW Several corrections/updates 1 3/4/19 JW/RW Revisions to conference

procedures

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1 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 The OCEANS Conference & Exposition ........................................................................ 1 1.2 OCEANS Conference Characteristics ........................................................................... 2 1.3 The OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC) .................................................................... 3 1.4 RECON and JOAB Committees .................................................................................... 3 1.5 Attendance of LOC at OCEANS and Web Tool Training ............................................... 7 1.6 Acronyms & Definitions ................................................................................................. 8

2 CHECKLISTS ................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 IEEE Conference Documentation Checklist ................................................................ 10 2.2 General Chair Checklist .............................................................................................. 11 2.3 Technical Program Chair Checklist ............................................................................. 11 2.4 Finance Chair Checklist .............................................................................................. 12 2.5 Liaisons Check List ..................................................................................................... 14 2.6 Exhibit Chair Check List .............................................................................................. 15

3 CONFERENCE DEVELOPMENT ..................................................................................... 17 3.1 Letter of Intent and Information Form .......................................................................... 17 3.2 Conference Plan .......................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Local Organization ...................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Sponsors ..................................................................................................................... 20 3.5 Patrons ........................................................................................................................ 20 3.6 Co-Participating Societies & Technical Co-Sponsors .................................................. 20

4 LOCATION SELECTION AND APPROVAL ...................................................................... 22 4.1 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint RECON Committee .......................................... 22 4.2 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board ....................... 23

5 CONFERENCE OPERATIONS ......................................................................................... 24 5.1 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board ........................ 24 5.2 Role and Responsibilities of the OCEANS Conference Liaisons ................................. 24 5.3 Role and Responsibilities of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) .......................... 25

6 TECHNICAL PROGRAM .................................................................................................. 26 6.1 Technical Sessions Overview ..................................................................................... 26 6.2 Call for Papers Abstracts ............................................................................................. 29 6.3 Paper Abstract Reviewers ........................................................................................... 30 6.4 Review and Selection of Papers.................................................................................. 30

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6.5 Student Poster Competition Abstracts ......................................................................... 31 6.6 Authors’ Registration Fee ............................................................................................ 32 6.7 Scheduling of the Technical Program .......................................................................... 32 6.8 Publication of the Program .......................................................................................... 33 6.9 Technical Session Chairs ............................................................................................ 33 6.10 Student Technical Session Assistants ..................................................................... 34 6.11 Authors’ Breakfast .................................................................................................... 35 6.12 Presenters’ Equipment and Preparation Room ........................................................ 36 6.13 Conduct of Technical Sessions ................................................................................ 36 6.14 Publication of Technical Papers ............................................................................... 37 6.15 Plenary Session ....................................................................................................... 38 6.16 Tutorials ................................................................................................................... 40 6.17 Workshops ............................................................................................................... 44

6.17.1 OCEANS K-12 Workshop ................................................................................. 44 6.18 Student Poster Competition ..................................................................................... 47

6.18.1 Student Poster Competition Planning Schedule ................................................ 48 6.18.2 Eligibility ............................................................................................................ 48 6.18.3 Financial Support .............................................................................................. 49 6.18.4 Judging .............................................................................................................. 50 6.18.5 Pre-Conference Abstract Review ...................................................................... 51 6.18.6 On-site Judging and Awards Presentation ........................................................ 52 6.18.7 Post-conference Follow-up ................................................................................ 53

7 EXHIBITS .......................................................................................................................... 54 7.1 Soliciting Exhibitors ..................................................................................................... 54 7.2 Exhibitors Registration ................................................................................................ 54 7.3 Policies for Special Booths .......................................................................................... 55

7.3.1 Addendum ............................................................................................................ 56 7.4 Exhibit Space .............................................................................................................. 56 7.5 Exhibit Schedule ......................................................................................................... 58 7.6 “Suitcasing” and Unauthorized Audio/Visual Recording .............................................. 60

8 WEB TOOLS MODULE .................................................................................................... 61 8.1 Initial WEB Presence for the Conference .................................................................... 61 8.2 Content Management System (CMS) .......................................................................... 62 8.3 Technical Program Module (TPM) ............................................................................... 64

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8.4 Technical Program Requirements ............................................................................... 68 8.5 Delegates Registration Module (DRM) ........................................................................ 69 8.6 Exhibitors Registration Module (ERM) ........................................................................ 73 8.7 WEB Tools Training .................................................................................................... 75

8.7.1 WEB Tools Costs .................................................................................................. 76 8.8 Naming Convention and Web site URLs ..................................................................... 76

9 FINANCES ........................................................................................................................ 77 9.1 Budget ......................................................................................................................... 77 9.2 Conference Seed Funding (Society Loans) ................................................................. 78 9.3 Bank Account .............................................................................................................. 78 9.4 Oceans Reserve Account Travel Fund ........................................................................ 79 9.5 Financial Reporting ..................................................................................................... 79

9.5.1 Account Reconciliations ........................................................................................ 79 9.5.2 Audit ..................................................................................................................... 79 9.5.3 Insurance .............................................................................................................. 80

9.6 Registration Fees ........................................................................................................ 80 9.6.1 Registration Fee Structure .................................................................................... 81 9.6.2 LOC Registration and Accommodation Compensation ......................................... 82 9.6.3 Membership Drive Rebate .................................................................................... 82 9.6.4 Hotel Complimentary Room Nights ....................................................................... 82 9.6.5 VAT and Other Tax Rebates ................................................................................. 82 9.6.6 Society Related Expenses .................................................................................... 82

9.7 Final Financial Reporting Deadline .............................................................................. 82 10 LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS ............................................................................................ 86

10.1 Hotel and Conference Center Facilities .................................................................... 86 10.2 Onsite Arrangements ............................................................................................... 87 10.3 Registration Arrangements ...................................................................................... 87 10.4 Special Items ........................................................................................................... 88 10.5 Childcare Provision .................................................................................................. 88

11 PROMOTION ................................................................................................................. 90 11.1 Publication ............................................................................................................... 90 11.2 Publicity ................................................................................................................... 90

11.2.1 Addendum ......................................................................................................... 91 11.3 Surveys .................................................................................................................... 91

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12 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 93 12.1 Letter of Intent .......................................................................................................... 93 12.2 Concise Information Form (CIF) ............................................................................. 101 12.3 Conference Plan .................................................................................................... 102 12.4 Letter to General Chair ........................................................................................... 103 12.5 IEEE Conference Application ................................................................................. 104

12.5.1 ICX Form ......................................................................................................... 104 12.6 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) - Sample .................................................. 106 12.7 Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) – Sample ....................................................... 108 12.8 Conflict of Interest (COI) ........................................................................................ 111 12.9 W-8 and W-9 Forms ............................................................................................... 112 12.10 Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) Contract (Typical) ............................... 113

12.10.1 Exhibit A: Services/ Statement of Work ........................................................... 122 12.10.2 Exhibit B: Fees and Expenses ........................................................................ 124

12.11 Technical Program Topic and Subtopic List ........................................................... 125 12.12 Fee Schedules OCEANS Conferences .................................................................. 128

12.12.1 Typical Conference Fees ................................................................................ 128 12.12.2 Previous Fees – North America ...................................................................... 130 12.12.3 Previous Fees – Asia/Europe .......................................................................... 134

12.13 Liaison Report ........................................................................................................ 136 12.14 Abstract Reviewer 10 Point Scale .......................................................................... 138 12.15 Student Poster Competition ................................................................................... 139

12.15.1 Student Poster Competition Planning Timeline and Checklist ......................... 139 12.15.2 Poster Guidelines ............................................................................................ 142 12.15.3 Student Poster Competition judging criteria .................................................... 144 12.15.4 Example letter to SPC Students outlining the participants requirements ......... 146 12.15.5 Travel Documentation ..................................................................................... 146 12.15.6 Accommodation............................................................................................... 147 12.15.7 Orientation Meeting ......................................................................................... 147 12.15.8 Expectations .................................................................................................... 147 12.15.9 Student Mixer .................................................................................................. 148 12.15.10 Next Steps ................................................................................................... 148 12.15.11 Grant applications information for SPC ........................................................ 148 12.15.12 Poster Ranking Form for SPC Reviewers .................................................... 149

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12.15.13 Template of Acceptance letter for SPC ........................................................ 150 12.15.14 Template for Rejection Letter for SPC ......................................................... 151 12.15.15 Guidelines for award certificates and prize money ....................................... 152

12.16 Abstracts and Papers Online ................................................................................. 153 12.16.1 Abstracts online management ......................................................................... 153 12.16.2 Abstract acceptance/rejection process ............................................................ 154

12.17 IEEE PDF eXpress requirements ........................................................................... 156 12.17.1 Paper upload on OCEANS Conference website ............................................. 157

12.18 Technical session management ............................................................................. 157 12.19 IEEE Conference Documentation Templates ........................................................ 158 12.20 Letters to Aid in Application for Visa ....................................................................... 160 12.21 Summary Session Form ......................................................................................... 162 12.22 Session Survey Form ............................................................................................. 162 12.21 Exhibit Survey Form ............................................................................................... 164 12.23 MCI PCO ............................................................................................................... 165

12.23.1 IEEE Contract Approvals and Execution ......................................................... 166 12.24 OCOP Manual v9.7 Revision Record..........................Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The OCEANS Conference & Exposition The OCEANS Conference and Exposition (herein referred to as OCEANS) is co- sponsored by the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES). Henceforth, “the Societies” shall refer to MTS and IEEE- OES. OCEANS is a major forum for scientists, engineers, innovators and end-users throughout the world to present and discuss the latest research results, ideas, developments, and applications in all areas of oceanic engineering, science and technology. Each OCEANS comprises a scientific program with oral and poster presentations, and a state-of-the-art exhibition in ocean engineering, science and marine technology. It usually has a specific theme chosen by the conference Local Organizing Committee (LOC). All papers presented at the conference are subsequently archived in the IEEE Xplore online database. In addition, each conference may also incorporate professional tutorials, workshops, panel discussions, “town hall” meetings, technical demonstrations, off-venue technical tours, peer award ceremonies, welcome (ice-breaker) and exhibit reception, Gala dinner and other appropriate professional and social activities. This Manual covers important aspects of conference planning and scheduling along with the web-based tools developed by the Societies for the conference LOC. It provides guidelines and recommendations for the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) to help plan and run an OCEANS Conference. The roles of the various OES/MTS OCEANS management committees are defined and described, herein, such as the OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC), the joint MTS/OES Reconnaissance Committee (RECON), the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board (JOAB), the conference Liaisons, and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC). There is also a detailed description of the different sub-committees that need to be set up by the LOC for planning and running the conference. The sub-committees operate under the direction of their own Chair drawn from the LOC and include:

• Finance • Technical Program • Exhibit • Student Poster Competition • Promotion and Local Arrangements • Patron • Publicity • Volunteers

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1.2 OCEANS Conference Characteristics The official name of the conference is OCEANS XXXX City, where XXXX is the year of the conference, and OCEANS always appears in uppercase letters. Table 1.2.1 General characteristics of an OCEANS conference.

Time of year (2 per year) • Late September to early November as appropriate for North American conferences

• March to end of June as appropriate outside North America • Avoid conflicts with related subject events (Globally)

Duration 4 days (Monday-Thursday)

Schedule Monday: tutorials, workshops, exhibit set-up Tuesday-Thursday: technical program, exhibits

Number of attendees 700 – 2000 (depending on region) Number of paying registrants

600-900 for North American conferences 400-800 elsewhere

Number of exhibitors 125-200 in North America, 50-100 in Europe, 20-50 in Asia-Pacific

Number of technical papers

300-500

Number of technical sessions

8-12 parallel sessions in 10 time slots (as appropriate). No technical sessions should be held in conjunction with Plenary sessions.

Plenary session One or two Plenaries as appropriate; held on Tuesday morning (if only one) or optionally split over Tuesday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday morning.

Social Events (cost included in registration fees for paying registrants, others may purchase event tickets)

• Monday evening - a welcome "Ice Breaker" reception for registrants, who can pick up their registration packages

• Tuesday evening - Exhibitors’ reception held in the exhibit hall.

• Wednesday, Gala evening function • Thursday, informal box lunch or buffet in the exhibit hall.

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Number of hotel room nights

About 1800 total (depending on region) 50 on Saturday before the conference 450 on Tuesday-Wednesday 400 on Thursday

Finances • Overall conference budget USD 500,000 to 2,000,000 • Budgeted revenue should exceed by 20% the budgeted

expenses, including Societies expenses billed to the conference.

Administrative Meetings of the Societies (not for delegates)

About 10 meetings, scheduled throughout the conference, 5 - 50 attendees per meeting.

Leadership Dinner Held on Sunday preceding the conference and hosted by both Societies. Is a restricted event and not open to general conference registrants. About 60 – 80 guests are invited by Society Presidents. The cost of this event is met by the two Societies.

1.3 The OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC) The Agreement for Joint Operation of OCEANS Conferences between The IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society and The Marine Technology Society established an OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC) with overall cognizance and authority over all aspects of OCEANS Conferences, specifically over RECON and JOAB. OSC sets policy and RECON and JOAB execute these policies. Points of contact between the OSC and Committees are VP OCEANS in OES and the President of MTS. Presidents of both societies, past and future Presidents of MTS, Treasurer of MTS, junior and senior past Presidents of OES, and VP OCEANS are members of OSC. 1.4 RECON and JOAB Committees These two committees, the Reconnaissance Committee (RECON) and the Joint OCEANS Advisory Board (JOAB) are responsible for the progression of an OCEANS conference from the first intimation of a potential venue thorough its development, operation and final closure (Ch 4.1, 4.2). Specifically, RECON investigates potential sites for future conferences and is the first committee in contact with a future LOC. The RECON Committee cooperates in the transition of the conference oversight from RECON to JOAB. The Conference Liaison(s) work closely with the LOC to provide a chain of command for support and interaction with the Society(s) and JOAB. JOAB provides expert guidance to the LOC and the Liaisons to ensure that the LOC is planning and running the conference according to established policies and procedures. The Development phase continues until the Conference is accepted by the two Societies and then the Operational phase commences. There are several timelines that define many of the tasks the LOC must complete.

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A typical chronology of the conference development phase is as follows:

1. A group interested in organizing and hosting an OCEANS conference forms a prospective LOC.

2. The prospective LOC sends an email to the Reconnaissance Committee (RECON) expressing its interest in organizing and hosting an OCEANS conference

3. RECON considers all interested local organizations and invites one or more to submit a Letter of Intent. The invited LOC(s) prepare a Letter of Intent (App 12.1), and a Concise Information Form (COI - App 12.2 and Ch 3.1). This is to be submitted to RECON approximately six years before the proposed date of the event.

4. RECON reviews the submissions and, in consultation with JOAB and the OSC, selects one or more prospective LOC(s) for further consideration. This selection is made approximately six years before the proposed date of the event.

5. The LOC prepares a Preliminary Conference Plan (App 12.3), with guidance from RECON. In most cases, RECON will visit the proposed site(s) to assess suitability of the facilities and to meet with the LOC(s).

6. The LOC presents its Preliminary Conference Plan to RECON/JOAB committees at one of the OCEANS conferences, usually five years out. At that time, the RECON/JOAB committees give provisional approval to the leading bid(s). RECON works with the chosen LOC to finalize advance planning and to answer any questions that might arise.

7. The final conference plan is presented to RECON/JOAB no less than four years out. Upon acceptance RECON/JOAB makes a recommendation of the preferred location through a formal motion to both Society Boards.

8. Final approval of the LOC and the site for an OCEANS conference is given approximately four years before the event.

9. Liaisons to LOC are appointed after final approval – one Liaison for each society. 10. A letter to General Chair(s) is sent from the Society Presidents (App 12.4) giving

approval for the conference. 11. A conference application (ICX) is must be executed and submitted to IEEE to obtain

Conference identification (App 12.5). 12. A Memorandum of Understanding is issued by IEEE to the General Chair(s) and the

Society Presidents (App 12.6). 13. Memorandum of Agreement is issued from the two Society Presidents to the General

Chair(s) itemizing the responsibilities of the LOC to run the Conference (App 12.7).

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Table 1.4.1 Indicative timeline of the conference development phase. Years Before OCEANS Conference 6 5 4 Indicate interest to RECON via email. x Submit Letter of Intent and Information Form to host a future OCEANS conference

x

Evaluation of Letters of Intent by RECON x RECON selects one or more for further consideration, may visit site and interview the LOC

x

LOC prepares Preliminary Conference Plan x x Presentation to RECON and JOAB at OCEANS conference x Preliminary approval of one venue x Final approval by MTS Board and OES AdCom x

Letter to General Chair(s) x Prepare and submit ICX x Memorandum of Understanding to General Chair(s) from Society Presidents

x

Memorandum of Agreement between LOC and Society Presidents x The Development Phase transitions to the Operational Phase when the Conference is accepted by the two Societies at the time of signing a Memorandum of Agreement. A typical chronology of the conference operational phase:

1. When Conference is accepted, the General Chair(s) and Finance Chair must execute IEEE COIs, acceptable to MTS (see App 12.8).

2. Complete the Local Organizing Committee to include Finance Chair, Exhibit Chair, Technical Program Chair, Tutorial Chair, Patron Chair, Publicity Chair, Student Poster Competition Chair, Student Activity Chair (non-Poster), Social Activity Chair, Volunteer Chair, and other members as might be appropriate. [THIS CAN BE DONE AT PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PLAN STAGE].

3. LOC defines a Conference Theme, selects Local Topics and plans how papers will be solicited. Honorary chairs and session chairs may be invited. [THIS CAN BE DONE AT PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PLAN STAGE]

4. North American conferences are currently managed by a PCO under contract with the two Societies. Outside North America a PCO must be recommended by the LOC and contracted to manage the conference. The PCO contract needs approval from IEEE Legal. A typical PCO contract is shown in Appendix 12.10. [THIS CAN BE DONE AT PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PLAN STAGE]

5. For conferences outside North America a W8 form should be completed and sent to IEEE (App 12.9).

6. W9 forms needed to be completed for US taxpayers (App 12.9) 7. At this time a detailed Statement of Work (SOW) covering all aspects of conference

planning and delivery that the PCO is required to carry out should be drawn up between the LOC and the PCO (and approved by JOAB). App 12.10.1 shows a typical SOW.

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8. A bank account to accept any loan monies (from the Societies) must be opened. In North America an MTS bank account in the conference name is opened by MTS. Outside NA, the PCO would normally open and manage this account.

9. Local contracts with the Convention Center and the hotels are negotiated by the PCO.

10. Formal recruitment of exhibitors and their customers commences approximately two years prior to the conference.

11. LOC meets with Liaisons (often remotely by WebEx or equivalent) and includes them in quarterly meetings until one year out, monthly meetings until six months out, and weekly until the Conference.

12. Solicit Patrons since early funds are needed to support travel before there is income from Exhibitors and Registration.

13. Create a Website for the Conference and a Call for Papers. 14. Seek support for the Student Poster Competition from ONR, ONRG, or another

agency or corporation (See Ch 6.19 and App12.14). 15. Invite Tutorials, Panels, Town Hall Meetings, and Workshops as appropriate. 16. Open abstract uploads, assign abstract reviewers, obtain reviews, and select

abstracts for acceptance of papers. Send acceptance and reject emails to all but students accepted into the regular program. Reserve these for subsequent ranking by the Student Poster Competition judges.

17. Rank Student Poster Competition submissions that have passed the abstract acceptance threshold. Send SPC acceptances to participants of the SPC and regular acceptances to those who did not make the cut for the SPC.

18. Open upload sites for full papers. Close upload site at deadline possibly after extending the deadline by two weeks.

19. Arrange the uploaded papers into tracks and sessions. Select Session Chairs and invite them. Put the advanced program on the Website.

20. Upload SPC posters to an SPC website for pre-conference SPC judging. 21. LOC/PCO to ensure that provision has been made for Society meeting rooms and

other ancillary meetings; exhibit hall set-up progressing to timetable; delegate bags packed etc.

22. During the Conference have contact arrangements for LOC critical people to address problems if they occur. Collect Session Chair reports, delegate survey reports, and prepare for Hot Wash.

24. Attend and present quantitative data at the conference “Hot Wash”. 25. Make final financial disbursements including SPC participants expenses, return the

surplus to the Societies, and close the Conference account. Prepare the final budget. 26. Prepare for final budget audit.

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Table 1.4.2: Indicative timeline of conference operational phase Months before start of OCEANS 36 24 18 12 6 4 2 1 Execute COI for those handling money X Execute contract with PCO if outside North

X

Establish bank account X Execute contract with Convention Center X Execute contracts with hotels X Recruit exhibitors and their customers X LOC/Liaison Meetings X X X X Establish Technical Program with TPC X Post Website for Conference X Issue Call for Papers X Contact Exhibitors X X Monitor budget X X X TPC solicits sessions X TPC opens abstract submission X TPC closes submissions, starts reviews X TPC sends acceptances for papers X TPC closes upload, forms program X Table 1.4.3 Indicative timeline for closing phase of conference operation

Days before OCEANS 20 5 4 3 2 1 0 -90 Upload SPC posters to SPC website X Reserve rooms for Society meetings etc. X Arrange for signage X Organize volunteers to help during the conference X

Pack Registration bags X X Check on arrangements for Luncheons X X Distribute and collect Session Chair reports and Survey forms

X

Present data at Hot Wash X Distribute final disbursements, close conference X

Prepare for final conference audit X 1.5 Attendance of LOC at OCEANS and Web Tool Training An important aspect of the OCEANS series has been the development of an in-house set of Web Tools specifically designed for assist the LOC in management of abstract and paper submission and the associated reviewing process (Ch 8). Every OCEANS has a Web Tools Training Session in which attendees are instructed in the use of these tools.

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For all approved Conferences, up to two pre-conference visits to an OCEANS conference for up to three members of the LOC is recommended. This is to ensure that LOC members become conversant and familiar with all the unique features and characteristics of a typical OCEANS. It is recommended that the attendees should include (over the two visits) the General Chair/s, the Technical Program Chair, the Student Poster Chair, the Exhibits Chair, and the PCO. The costs of this should be included as a line item in the Conference budget. Attending members of the LOC will be given the opportunity to make a presentation of their projected conference at one of the Plenary sessions one and two years prior to their own meeting. It is also recommended that LOC members attend the end-of-conference “Hot Wash” session for the meeting they are attending. The on-site training is supplemented with the recorded training on a Memory Stick to allow the rest of the LOC to assist in reviewing, session planning, and uploading of papers. JOAB will supply experienced TP assistants from both OES and MTS as required. 1.6 Acronyms & Definitions The following list of acronyms and definitions are used throughout this manual.

COI Conflict of Interest: form required to be submitted by Society Officers and Conference LOC who hold financial responsibility.

ICX IEEE Conference Exchange is the IEEE Management platform IEEE-OES IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society JOAB Joint OCEANS Administrative Board: A joint MTS/OES

committee that develops Conference guidelines, advises and oversees the Local Organizing Committees on planning, organizing and conducting OCEANS Conferences.

LIAISON OCEANS Conference Liaison(s): one representative from each Society; members of the LOC. Serve as PoC between RECON/JOAB and the Societies.

LOC Local Organizing Committee: committee of volunteers, local to the venue city, formed to plan and deliver a given OCEANS conference.

MOA Memorandum of Agreement MOU Memorandum of Understanding MTS Marine Technology Society OSC OCEANS Steering Committee PCC Professional Conference Chair (MTS) PCO Professional Conference Organizer: a conference management

organization under contract to OES/MTS to provide development and organizational services to the conference.

POC Point of Contact: between the LOC and appropriate committees RECON Reconnaissance Committee: A joint MTS/OES committee that

identifies and evaluates venues for future OCEANS SPCC Student Poster Competition Chair (for a given conference) TAB Technical Activities Board (IEEE)

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TCC Technical Committee Chair (OES) TPC Technical Program Committee: A committee with LOC and

Society membership with primary responsibility for the development of the Conference Technical Program.

TPCC Technical Program Committee Chair (for a given conference) Web-Tools A suite of web-based tools developed on behalf of OES/MTS to

run many aspects of an OCEANS conference. Full use of the Web Tools by the LOC is mandatory.

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2 CHECKLISTS 2.1 IEEE Conference Documentation Checklist The IEEE conference management department has developed a series of documents that assist conference organizers and serve as guidelines. Templates for these documents can be found on the IEEE web site: https://www.ieee.org/conferences/index.html

• click on the “Conferences” tab • click on the “IEEE Conference Application” • click on the “Conference Organizer Portal” • click on the “Quick links to forms and templates” link

or go directly to: www.ieee.org/conferences/organizers/conference-organizer-quick-links.html The required forms include: 1. Business and Legal

a. IEEE Conference Application – the ICX form (Online form) All conferences must register their conference with IEEE Conference Operations

b. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Required for any sponsored or co-sponsored conference. Issued by IEEE after ICX is accepted.

c. Principles of Business Conduct Compliance Certificate and Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement POBC/COI Online form) Required for the General Chair and Finance Chair/Treasurer to submit

2. Financial

a. IEEE Financial Reporting (Online form) Required to report summary of financial information

b. Certification of Accuracy Required with the financial closing information (XLS, 31 KB)

c. 1099 & 1042 Schedule of Payments Required each January for payments in the previous year (XLS, 54 KB)

3. Publications

a. IEEE Conference Publication form (Online form) Required for all conferences intending to publish proceedings with IEEE

b. IEEE Copyright form (Online form) Links to the online and document versions of the copyright form, required from each author

https://www.ieee.org/conferences/index.htmlhttp://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/organizers/conference_organizer_quick_links.htmlhttp://www.ieee.org/conferences/organizers/conference-organizer-quick-links.htmlhttp://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/organizers/conf_app.htmlhttp://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/organizers/memorandum_of_understanding.htmlhttp://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/organizers/conf_app.html?pageType=financehttp://www.ieee.org/documents/certification_of_accuracy.xlshttp://www.ieee.org/documents/1099_1042_forms2.xlshttp://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/organizers/conf_app.html?appName=Publicationhttp://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/copyrightmain.html

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2.2 General Chair Checklist

1. Organize LOC and coordinate recruitment of volunteers 2. Complete the ICX (see Appendix 12.5) 3. Select and invite Honorary Chairs 4. Communicate through Liaisons with JOAB and the Societies 5. Meet with and motivate Exhibit, Technical Program, Patron, Publicity and other

chairs frequently. 6. Hold Teleconference meetings quarterly until one year out, monthly until six months

out, and as often as necessary until the Conference. 7. Check finances with Finance Chair at regular intervals 8. Check that timelines are met and improved upon 9. Participate in Plenary ceremony and Award Luncheons 10. Participate in SPC awards 11. Report to the “Hot Wash” 12. Close the Conference with disbursement of surplus to the Societies

2.3 Technical Program Chair Checklist 1. Coordinate with LOC Webmaster to initiate a call for abstracts.

Topic list is based on core topics and subtopics augmented with Local Additional topics (App 12.11).

2. Number of Reviewers per submitted abstract

Five reviewers per submitted abstract should be assigned since three reviews are necessary for each and some assigned reviewers are unable to complete their reviews. OES Technology Committee Chairs and MTS Professional Committee Chairs will be automatically entered into the Reviewer List by topic. In addition, local reviewers should be recruited to augment this list.

3. Determine which topics need more reviewers

Each TCC and TPCC will be able upon request to provide additional reviewers from his or her committee if needed. Each reviewer will be asked to rate at most 20 abstracts on a topic related to their specialty. Therefore, every batch of 20 abstracts on a given topic will need 5 reviewers.

4. Determine accept/reject cut-off rating

TPC should review abstracts with ratings near cut-off and make individual determinations to accept or reject after weighing reviewer comments.

5. Group paper proposals into sessions

No fewer than four talks should be included in each session. When papers are uploaded, re-grouping will be necessary as some sessions will fall below the critical four talks. But it is important for marketing to do an advanced program based on accepted abstracts. Align sessions on a similar topic into tracks to avoid sessions that compete with one another.

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6. Post advanced program Some delegates will choose to come to OCEANS based on the posted program. This program will change when papers are withdrawn, and some re-binning will be required but avoid if possible changing the day a talk will be presented.

7. Select and invite Session Chairs

Try to select Session Chairs who are certain to attend the Conference. It is safest to select a session chair who is a presenter from the sessions preceding or following the session to be chaired. A local chair or student chair can be paired with another experienced chair. Session chairs should download the papers in their session and are expected to discover gross errors. The TPC should be alerted of these problems to be fixed. Provide gifts to session chairs.

8. Make final program

Ensure that each session has four or five talks scheduled but that there is no conflict between sessions for speakers or session chairs. Move talks between sessions as necessary but avoid changing a speaker’s date of presentation.

9. Generate Conference Program Booklet and/or Smart Phone App Booklet needs to be easy for a delegate to find talks, sessions, and tracks. Exhibits need to be listed with a map of the Exhibit Hall.

10. Arrange for signage including early morning Session Chair/Speakers Coordination Meeting (Speaker’s Breakfast)

11. Do a layperson walk-through. Check that signs needed in the venue are in place to

identify sessions. Refreshments should be provided for the Coordination Meeting. 12. Collect completed Session Chair reports and Survey forms

Report forms are supplied by JOAB and delivered to the Registration Desk. Reports shall be presented to JOAB at Hot Wash from LOC chairs of TPs, Exhibits, General Chair, PCO, Finance, Tutorial, and Student Posters. Survey forms rating the individual talks in each session from all delegates are to be collected by volunteers and forwarded to the JOAB Chair.

2.4 Finance Chair Checklist 1. Prepare budget for Preliminary Conference Plan submission to JOAB.

Use OCEANS IEEE financial reporting tool available from JOAB. 2. Confirm that conference is registered with IEEE.

Contact OES President or OES Finance Chair. 3. Establish conference bank account two years before conference.

Contact MTS Executive Director to request bank account in conference name. For Non-North American conferences contact a local bank to make arrangements and obtain

13

bank signature cards.

4. In conjunction with General Chair, and with approval of JOAB, set conference fees according to the template and formulae shown in App 12.12.

5. Request and obtain loans from OES and MTS

Contact OES and MTS Treasurers. 6. Submit pre-conference budget for review and approval by OES and MTS Treasurers 24

months before start date. Use OCEANS IEEE financial reporting tool and forward to OES and MTS Treasurer.

7. After approval by MTS and OES Treasurers, submit pre-conference budget to IEEE and

PCO. IEEE: Complete the IEEE Financial Web form using the most recent pre- conference budget. PCO: MTS Treasurer will forward to PCO representative.

8. Review insurance coverage required to ensure adequate covers are in place. Obtain

event cancellation insurance thru PCO. Contact IEEE Insurance to request additional coverage if required.

9. Review tax information to ensure IRS and international compliance - VAT and HST/GST

Contact IEEE Tax Compliance & Administration. 10. Complete any forms and reports as required by IEEE and MTS such as W-8 & W-9s,

1099 & 1042 Schedule of Payments and annual report on foreign bank accounts For North American conferences contact MTS Treasurer. For Non-North American conferences Contact IEEE Conference Finance. W-8 tax forms are for non-resident US aliens who receive income in the US, W-9 is a request for Taxpayer Identification Number used for US taxes, 1099 is a report from someone who gave you money in the US and is part of a US tax return, and 1042 is a tax withholding tax return form. App 12.9 gives an example of a W8 Form.

11. Complete and submit application for publications rebate

Go to IEEE Website of contact IEEE Conference Publication Product Management. 12. Submit pre-conference forecast for review by OES and MTS representatives 6 weeks

before start date. Use OCEANS IEEE financial reporting tool and forward to OES and MTS Treasurers.

13. Request real time reporting and monitor registration and conference budget daily during

conference. Expenses must be tracked as they are incurred, and before they are invoiced. Receipts for payments are required subsequently for the audit trail.

14. Submit post-conference forecast for review by OES and MTS representatives two

14

months after conference Use OCEANS IEEE financial reporting tool and forward to OES and MTS Treasurers. The IEEE financial reporting tool is NetSuite and can be accessed at https://mga.ieee.org/resources-operations/geographic-unit/reporting- rebates/financial#top

15. Repay all loans two months after conference

Send checks to the attention of the OES Treasurer and MTS Executive Director. 16. Submit application for any tax rebates which may be available

Contact local tax authority. 17. Distribute surplus no later than 3 months after conference

Send checks to the attention of the OES Treasurer and MTS Executive Director. 18. For North America conferences arrange PCO to destroy unused checks and request

MTS Treasurer to close conference bank account. For Non-North America conferences close conference bank account, submit proof of account closure and destroy unused checks no later than 4 months after the conference Send proof of account closure to the OES and MTS Treasurers.

19. Prepare and submit all audit material to independent auditor no later than four months

after the conference Contact OES and MTS Treasurers who will assist in assigning an independent auditor.

20. Submit final audit report and final financial report no later than 6 months after the conference Submit to the attention of the OES and MTS Treasurers and complete the IEEE Finance Web Form.

2.5 Liaisons Check List The expectations of a liaison are a two-way communication, both from the Societies through JOAB and to the Societies through JOAB from the LOC. Thus, the Liaison represents JOAB when collecting information from the LOC, but reports concerns and needs from the LOC back to the Societies through JOAB. The Liaisons should highlight Checklists 2.1-2.6 to the General Chairs and LOCs early. A check list for Conference Liaisons is shown below.

1. What commitments have been made to the venue and other suppliers? What are the due dates?

2. How many booths have been sold? How many booths are still likely? 3. Have Student Poster Competition grants or other financial support been applied

for? Potential sources are ONR, ONRG, and private companies or other agencies. Have they been approved?

4. How many abstracts have been uploaded? 5. How many papers have been uploaded and registrations paid? In which categories

are the registrations?

https://mga.ieee.org/resources-operations/geographic-unit/reporting-rebates/financial#tophttps://mga.ieee.org/resources-operations/geographic-unit/reporting-rebates/financial#top

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6. What has the LOC spent on travel? How much more travel cost is likely (match to budget)?

7. Caution: have any loans been sought or taken? (Monetary loans from bodies other than IEEE and MTS should not be applied for).

8. Has the PCO been hired and what is the fee? How much has been paid? What is the estimate of the rest of the PCO cost? Has the information been sent to the Societies? What is the role and remit of the PCO?

9. How many patrons are signed up? How much money has it brought in? Are there other sponsors? What is the saving or value of their patronage?

10. Is there VAT or other tax that needs to be considered? 11. Are there any competing conferences in this venue within 2 months? Are there any

similar conferences being held anywhere globally that may conflict with OCEANS? Progress reports are required to be submitted to the VPO and JOAB by the Conference Liaisons; they should be submitted quarterly up to one year out from the conference date, monthly up to six months out, and as often as needed up until the conference (App 12.13 shows a sample Liaison Report). 2.6 Exhibit Chair Check List The Exhibit Chair works with the PCO to recruit exhibitors, sometimes negotiating with them on trades of sponsorship vs, booth space. Recruiting commences at a previous OCEANS Conference or an OCEANS Conference in a previous year. 1. Obtain exhibitor lists from previous OCEANS Conferences

PCO and former conference Exhibits Chair can provide these lists. 2. Send OCEANS announcements to previous exhibitors and post Information for

Exhibitors on the OCEANS Website Advertising in trade journals to recruit both exhibitors and delegates to the conference need to be bought or bartered for a year in advance of the conference.

3. Check out the Exhibit Space in the Convention Centre and plan the booth, refreshment, and Poster spaces. Addition of an Exhibitor Theatre or tank for underwater demonstrations should be considered.

4. Maintain a spreadsheet of contacts made, promises obtained, contracts executed, and payments and registrations received.

5. Close to the Conference, be sure that arrangements have been made for facilities in the Exhibit Hall including electricity, walls for booths, lights, furniture, water, drains as required, and signage.

6. Signage should also include prohibitions against “Suitcasing” and unauthorized photographing and/or audio/video recording of exhibits (see section 7.6). Such practices need to be prevented by either guards or volunteer monitors. Exhibitors are prohibited from soliciting other Exhibitors and there can be no marketing outside the Exhibit Hall without written consent of the Conference Manager. Unauthorized photography of booths and equipment displayed is also prohibited and signage explaining this is required conspicuously in the Exhibit Hall.

7. Schedules for move-in, setup, Icebreaker, Exhibitor Reception, use of the Exhibitor Theatre, breakdown, and move-out should be maintained and shared with the exhibitors.

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WiFi needs to be provided for both exhibitors and their customers in the Exhibit Hall and QR code readers or equivalent devices are needed for identifying those customers who wish to give their contact information.

8. A satisfaction survey of the Exhibitors should be requested along with a letter of appreciation two weeks after the Conference. This can be sent with the Web tools used for registration

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3 CONFERENCE DEVELOPMENT This section explains the procedures to be followed by a prospective Local Organizing Committee (LOC) when bidding for an OCEANS Conference. IEEE requires a set of mandatory documents to be sent. A sample of many of these documents is given in the Appendices. This chapter also provides information on the support provided to the prospective LOC by the Societies. 3.1 Letter of Intent and Information Form The concise Information Form submitted with the Letter of Intent provides basic information on the proposed event, site, facilities and LOC. See App 12.1 for sample Letter of Intent and App 12.2 for the Concise Information Form. 3.2 Conference Plan Upon acceptance of their Letter of Intent by RECON, prospective LOCs should develop a detailed Conference Plan, with guidance provided by RECON. As part of this preparation, RECON will usually conduct a site visit of the proposed venue and meet the LOC. An outline of what is needed in this plan is given in App 12.3. The essential elements of a conference plan include:

a) Conference location and hotel (with recommendations from PCO b) Conference dates (including related events) c) Qualifications of core LOC members:

o General Chair o Finance Chair o Technical Program Chair or Co-Chairs o Exhibits Chair

d) Conference Budget e) Conference Theme f) Participating organizations g) Financial grants to the Conference including Academic, Industrial, and Governmental

support for the Conference Prospective LOCs present their conference plan to a joint assembly of the RECON and JOAB committees, typically at an OCEANS conference approximately 5 years before the proposed event. Presentations would normally comprise projected computer slides (PowerPoint or equivalent) and optional supporting information not conveyed in the slides (brochures, handouts, etc.). The preliminary budget is developed using an IEEE- formatted spreadsheet provided by RECON. The RECON and JOAB committees assess whether the preliminary conference plans meet first order criteria of scheduling, budget realism, core competencies in the LOC, and suitability of the conference venue. During the OCEANS conference at which the

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preliminary conference plans were presented, RECON notifies selected LOCs that their bid has been provisionally approved pending completion and submission of a final conference plan. The RECON and JOAB committees help provisionally approved LOCs to refine their plan to be presented to the Boards of the sponsoring Societies. The Final Conference Plan describes, in as much detail as possible, the qualifications, relevant experience, and affiliations of the core LOC members. The Conference General Chair and Local Organizing Committee are the keys to a successful Conference. A letter will be sent to the General Chair(s) from the Society Presidents (App 12.4) and an ICX – IEEE Conference Application - (App 12.5) will be composed by the General Chair. This ICX when accepted by IEEE results in a Memorandum of Understanding sent to the Presidents of the two Societies and the General Chair to be signed and returned. Once the Final Conference Plan has been approved by the Societies, the LOC shall organize and conduct the conference in accordance with the submitted plan and subject to the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement (App 12.6) with the Societies. All LOC members with financial oversight will also have to sign a conflict of interest (COI) form. MTS has agreed that the IEEE COI is sufficient for their needs so only one COI is needed, the IEEE COI. An example COI is shown in App 12.8 but as these can change frequently a source can be found at: https://www.ieee.org/conferences/organizers/conference-organizer-quick-links.html under “Business and Legal”. 3.3 Local Organization A typical LOC structure is shown in Fig. 3.4.1. The organization and membership of the Committee may vary according to the wishes of the LOC. The key LOC members, viz. the General Chair, the Finance Chair, the Technical Program Chair, the Student Poster Competition Chair, and the Exhibits Chair, must be identified in the proposal. The membership of the Committee shall be reasonably proportioned between the Societies; however, the selection process should place primary emphasis on qualifications and experience rather than the societal membership of candidates. Core members of the LOC are required to be members of at least one of the Societies. They will be required to sign a conflict of interest form.

https://www.ieee.org/conferences/organizers/conference-organizer-quick-links.html

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Figure 3.4.1 LOC Organization Chart The responsibilities of LOC members vary both in magnitude and timing. For example, submission of technical abstracts and of papers will peak on the abstract due date and paper due date respectively, so considerable time will be required at those times by the technical program chair and will continue until the Conference Program and Proceedings are completed. All members of the LOC, especially its core members, must be aware of the time commitment to conduct an OCEANS conference. They must have the ability to respond quickly to questions, etc., from those who help with the conference (RECON, JOAB, PCO, etc.), and to those participating in the conference. The OCEANS Steering Committee makes policy and strategic plans. JOAB administers this policy and strategic plan and advises the Local Organizing Committee of any issues. Liaisons are very important in conveying information between the LOC and the OSC through JOAB.

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3.4 Sponsors The Societies (OES and MTS) are equal co-sponsors of the conference and bear financial responsibility for the conference. In exceptional circumstances, such as a prior partnership, another co-sponsor may be added and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is required to document and formalize the agreement. The Societies will aid the LOC in areas such as outlined below: • Legal assistance of a consulting nature. • Liability Insurance • JOAB assistance, advice, and oversight. • Editorial promotion and advertisements of the Conference in Society publications. Efforts

expended by officers and members to attract key personalities. • General support under the control and direction of Society officers. • Members for the Technical Program, Student Poster Competition, and Exhibits

Committees and for other committees upon request. • Assistance from the Societies' Technology and Professional Committees in the

development and implementation of the Technical Program • Materials and data from previous Conferences. • Legal fees in support of litigation • Mailing and membership lists • Web tools for website construction, technical program management, exhibit, and

conference registration • Web tools training and operational assistance

The success of the Conference depends upon harmonious working relationships with the local Society chapters and sections. They have a responsibility to support the Conference with volunteers, advertising, and to assist in bringing the resources of the host community to provide assistance (Chamber of Commerce, etc.). They may, through agreements with the Societies, share in the revenues of the Conference based upon approved distribution formulas specified independently by each Society after revenues are received by the Societies. 3.5 Patrons Patrons are organizations that provide the conference grants or direct support. Typical patrons of OCEANS conference include universities, government agencies, local chambers of commerce and industry, and private companies. Patron funding is used for early expenses such as initial PCO and Convention Centre payments and LOC travel. Patron involvement is important and can include contributions and badging of activities such as Gala Dinner patronage, coffee breaks, conference bags, and services in-kind such as ships brought to the venue. 3.6 Co-Participating Societies & Technical Co-Sponsors While there are only two financially participating sponsors, MTS and OES, there can be other

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technical “co-participating societies”. Other societies provide support for the conference by making their members aware of the conference and soliciting participation. This group is called “Co-Participating Organizations” and/or “Technical co-sponsors”. They have no financial interest and provide technical support and publicity, for which the conference provides their members with Society member fee rates. This is highly desirable from a standpoint of participation and a broad base for publicity of the Conference. Typically, an offer can be made to provide the President or executive secretary free registration and a copy of the Proceedings for the Society libraries and other such amenities as are deemed appropriate by the Conference Committee and with the approval of JOAB. To become a Co-Sponsor, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must be prepared and signed by the representatives of the Societies (App 12.6). The co-Participating Organizations will advertise the Conference in their respective journals at no cost to the Conference. An exhibit booth may be offered to a Technical sponsor in exchange for their advertisement of the Conference. In some instances, related societies might consider back-to-back conferences with the Conference, with provisions for joint registration. The positioning of co-participating organizations logos on OCEANS web-site and other publicity material should be must be prioritized: SPONSOR logos go first and are labelled SPONSOR. Next comes PATRON logos and they are labelled PATRON. Last TECHNICAL SPONSORS which are so labelled. MTS and OES have contracted with a Professional Conference Organizer (PCO) to provide support to the local organizing committee when the conference is in North America. North American LOCs shall use this PCO for contracting with hotels. Other services may be selected but must not supplant the web services described below. LOC members should not make any financial commitment to a hotel or conference venue facility. Appendix 12.9 shows an example PCO contract; it outlines the list of contracted and available services from the management service. The management service is under contract to the Societies and works for the LOC by fulfilling tasks and functions selected by the LOC subject to oversight and approval by the Societies. MTS and OES have also contracted with a web-service provider to develop and support a suite of web tools. The LOC shall use these tools, which support construction of the conference website, management of the technical program, and conference registration. Ch 8 outlines the capabilities of the tool suite. The Societies shall provide members of the LOC with training in the use of the web tools no less than two years before the conference. The web services provider is under contract to the Societies and works for the LOC subject to oversight and approval by the Societies. The desired PCO and web services support must be accounted for in the conference budget.

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4 LOCATION SELECTION AND APPROVAL This section describes the roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in selecting and approving the locations of OCEANS conferences. The parties include: The Joint RECON committee, the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board (JOAB), the local organizing committee (LOC) and the conference liaison. RECON helps prospective LOCs formulate all aspects of a conference proposal. JOAB is an administrative and oversight committee with a Liaison acting as a relay in the LOC. 4.1 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint RECON Committee The Societies have established the Joint RECON Committee with a charter to identify and evaluate suitable prospective sites for holding OCEANS conferences based on the strategic direction of the OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC). The Boards of the Societies appoint RECON Committee members with one co-chair from each Society and as many members as necessary to fulfill the committee’s charter. Members of RECON have previous experience conducting OCEANS conferences. Appointed co-chairs and members of RECON shall serve a 3-year term renewable once. Venue quest:

• Seek candidate venues: initially single, non-competitive venue proposals for a given year and season. North American venues will generally alternate between the east (even years) and west (odd years) coasts in the September to November time frame. Non-North American venues will generally alternate between Asia-Pacific (even years) and Europe (odd years) in the March to June time frame. If there are multiple, interested, capable venues for a given year and season, an attempt will be made to schedule them into different years to avoid or minimize competing proposals.

• Venues will be selected based upon presence of local Society members to execute the

Conference, ease of access by commercial transportation, consideration of exhibitor shipping simplicity and cost, and are strategically located taking into consideration the strategic direction of the OSC.

• Help the representatives of the potential venue generate a preliminary proposal (Letter

of Intent) that describes their objectives and information on the conference that answers the questions pertaining to “What, When, Where, How & Who” in accord with these MTS/OES Conference Guidelines.

Venue guidance in proposal writing: • Conduct venue site visits • Assess transportation and accessibility to the site • Assess adequacy of the facilities • Identify potential patrons and financial support • Assess leadership offered: Honorary Chairs and Local Organizing Committee

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• Present information on MTS/OES Conference Guidelines • Identify venue attractions • Discuss the MTS/OES process in getting approvals and the administrative role of

JOAB in assisting in conference management Proposal and Reporting Guidance:

• Request a Preliminary Conference Plan using this manual as a reference at the following URL http://www.oceanicengineering.org/OCEANS_Conference_Manual.cfm

• and also on the OCEANS Planning Website.

• Request periodic reports to RECON prior to meetings of MTS, OES, and JOAB.

• Present the Preliminary Conference Plan no less than 5 years ahead of the proposed conference date to RECON (with JOAB invited). Upon RECON, JOAB, and OSC approval, work with RECON to finalize the proposal and present the Final Conference Plan at the next OCEANS conference (no less than 4 years ahead of the proposed date). Note that the formal presentations to the society boards by the LOC will not be conducted. Each society board will follow their own approval procedure based on the input from RECON, JOAB, and the OSC.

• Work with JOAB and the LOC to register the conference with IEEE through completion

of ICX, obtained signed MOA’s and other official documents, and submit required documentation to IEEE and MTS.

4.2 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board

The Societies have established the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board (JOAB) with a charter to oversee, coordinate, and guide the activities of LOCs related to the OCEANS Conference and Exhibition. The Boards of the Societies shall appoint a total of five JOAB members from each Society including one co-chair from each; a non-voting secretary shall be provided by one of the Societies. Co-Chairs of RECON shall be members of JOAB included among the 5 members of each Society. Members of JOAB should have previous experience conducting OCEANS conferences.

The main operational tasks of JOAB are summarized below: Venue selection:

• Review candidate Letter of Intent prepared with the help of RECON. • Work with RECON and the LOC to develop the Preliminary/Final Conference Plans. • Work with RECON to facilitate presentation of the final plan to, RECON/JOAB. • Evaluate final documents in collaboration with RECON and make a recommendation

for approval to the leadership of the Societies.

http://www.oceanicengineering.org/OCEANS_Conference_Manual.cfm

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5 CONFERENCE OPERATIONS The LOC is responsible for running the Conference with oversight and support of the Societies. Responsibility for this guidance transitions from RECON to JOAB after approval of the Conference by the Societies and establishment of an operating account. 5.1 Role and Responsibilities of the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board The Societies have established the Joint OCEANS Administrative Board (JOAB) with a charter to oversee, coordinate, and guide the activities of LOCs related to the OCEANS Conference and Exhibition. The Boards of the Societies shall appoint a total of five JOAB members from each Society including one co-chair from each; a non-voting secretary shall be provided by one of the Societies. Co-Chairs of RECON shall be members of JOAB included among the 5 members of each Society. Members of JOAB should have previous experience conducting OCEANS conferences. The main operations tasks of JOAB are summarized below: Venue guidance and OCEANS conference administration:

• Introduce JOAB members to their respective counterparts on the LOC. • JOAB representatives present their guidance to each LOC sub-committee chair. • Advise the LOC in executing the Conference including the Technical Program, Plenary

Session, Special Technical Sessions, Exhibits, and the Student Poster Competition. • Advise the LOC on the financial requirements for the conference. • Advise the LOC in developing the conference budget, publicity, technical program,

exhibits, and local arrangements. • Interface the LOC with the web services provider and the PCO relative to conference

operations. • Report periodically to the Societies. • Receive communications regularly from the LOC and from the Liaisons, particularly

during the last year prior to the conference, to assure that milestones are met. • Conduct a conference "hot wash" (lessons-learned meeting) at the end of the

conference. • Maintaining an OCOP.

5.2 Role and Responsibilities of the OCEANS Conference Liaisons The Liaison serves as a link between the LOC, JOAB, and the Societies to ensure experienced conference oversight and guidance. There should be a Liaison from each Society. The Liaison should be experienced in all aspects of organizing and running an OCEANS Conference. The Liaison preferably is in the geographical area close to the venue and the LOC so that he/she can easily attend planning meetings. Teleconferencing is an alternative method of attending if time differences permit. The Liaisons have six key roles:

• The Liaison is an ex officio member of JOAB. • The Liaison is also an ex officio member of the LOC, representing the Societies and

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providing advice to the LOC to ensure the conference is proceeding in accordance with this manual.

• The Liaison serves as a single point of contact between the LOC, JOAB, and the Societies to answer any questions, to resolve any areas of concern, and to provide JOAB resources to the LOC.

• The Liaisons should visit the LOC, and provide guidance on how to contact potential patrons, potential exhibitors, and local government officials as appropriate to facilitate and familiarize them with the conference environment.

• The Liaison aides in identifying schedule adherence and anticipating issues. • The Liaison provides suggestions for budget strategies and patron identification.

Societies will pay for reasonable Liaison travel expenses. Candidates for the Liaison position are selected by JOAB and the Societies with input from RECON. The individual(s) selected will be appointed by the Presidents of the Societies, preferably by the time the Final Conference Proposal is approved. 5.3 Role and Responsibilities of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) The structure of the Local Organizing Committee follows the different functions and tasks that must be accomplished in running a conference. Fig. 3.4.1, outlines the internal structure of the LOC. Periodic LOC meetings should be held, led by the General Chair(s). These meetings should end with a review of the actions, schedule, and schedule problems. The LOC should disband about six months after the conference when the financial audit is completed, and the Conference closed. Funding is not provided to the LOC at the end of the Conference other than those expenses included in the budget to wrap-up the Conference. However, the Societies may provide funding to their local Chapters depending on their participation and their performance. Both MTS and OES have in the past provided funding from the proceeds of the Conferences to support their local Chapters, however, these agreements are handled internally to each society and are not part of the overall conference budget or plan.

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6 TECHNICAL PROGRAM This chapter provides guidelines for planning and conducting the technical program at OCEANS Conferences. Substantial effort should be made to provide the highest quality technical program possible. The technical program consists of plenary sessions, technical sessions, student poster sessions, and tutorials. The program format should be consistent from conference-to-conference. The selection of student posters is briefly covered in Ch 6.19, and in App 12.15 Student Poster Competition. The technical program is developed and arranged by a Technical Program Committee (TPC). Topics and subtopics including local topics are selected for publication and use in the Abstract Submission Web tool (see App 12.16). The TPC is responsible for soliciting paper proposals (formerly abstracts), selecting and guiding proposal reviewers, making final selection of papers, notifying selected (and rejected) paper authors, arranging the technical session schedules, creating sessions with accepted papers, preparing papers for publishing in the Conference CD/DVD or online accessed by the Smart Phone app, and the IEEE Xplore data base, appointing and supporting session chairs, and conducting the sessions. The Societies’ Committees assist the TPC by soliciting papers, reviewing abstracts, and providing session chairs. The TPC might have a single chair or might have co-chairs, one from each Society if possible. The chair or at least one of the co-chairs must have prior experience in planning, conducting and participating in technical programs at previous conferences, for example as members of a TPC or an LOC, as abstract reviewers, as track or session chairs, or as authors. The chair or co-chairs should preferably be a resident of the site of the conference, so they can serve on the LOC, but this is not a requirement. If the chair or both co-chairs are not resident, then a vice chair should be appointed to represent the chair(s) at LOC meetings. The TPC should consist of representatives from the LOC, the Societies’ Committees, and JOAB (Ch 4.2 and Ch 5.1). When used in this section, the term Societies’ Committees refers to MTS Professional Committees and OES Technology Committees. The chairs of the Societies’ Committees are ex officio members of the TPC. They are expected to solicit abstracts. They are expected to serve as reviewers and/or appoint reviewers and serve as or nominate session chairs. When called upon, they are expected to advise on assignment of papers to sessions and on the scheduling of sessions. Tutorial and Student Poster Chairs are directly under the direction of the TPC Chair, particularly for arranging program schedules and publishing the Conference CD/DVD or online data repository. Plenary Sessions are planned directly by the LOC. 6.1 Technical Sessions Overview Table 6.1 gives an outline schedule of the process for planning and conducting the technical

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sessions. A core list of technical topics prepared by JOAB and the Societies’ committee chairs shall be followed in order to include all areas of interest to the committees and to maintain continuity from conference to conference. This core list is given in App 12.11. The LOC is encouraged to add other topics to give “a local and topical flavor”, pertaining to the Conference theme or to emphasizing some event or activity relevant to the site location. The TPC shall use the Web Tools, guided by the OCEANS Webmaster and the Societies’ committees, to receive and review abstracts, notify accepted (and rejected) authors, plan the program schedule, receive the final papers, and prepare the technical program. The Web Tools are described in #8 (Web Tools Module).

Table 6.1- Technical Program Planning Schedule Months before conference

Action Coordination

13 Solicit additional “local” or “topical” categories LOC Add these categories to web page list Papers

webmaster 12 Prepare advanced call for papers, giving general

information for potential authors, and stating when web site will be open for paper proposals

Conference webmaster Papers webmaster Include advanced call for papers announcement as

part of Conference Brochure at previous conferences

8 Review adequacy of technical session rooms at meeting facility

LOC

6 Open web page for acceptance of paper proposals not to exceed two pages, 500 – 1000 words

Papers webmaster

Solicit paper proposals directly, through Societies’ Committee chairs, and through Society newsletters and other publications

JOAB representatives & Societies’ Committee chairs

Place call for papers notice on conference web page

Conference webmaster

5 Assess solicitation of paper proposals JOAB representatives

Solicit local reviewers for paper proposals directly and through society committee chairs, 5 reviewers per paper proposal

Societies Committee Chairs

4 Close acceptance of paper proposals TPC Assign paper proposal reviewers, based on technical area, send emails notifying reviewers

Societies Committee Chairs

3.5 Complete review of paper proposals, follow up on TPC

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late reviewers, fill in with substitute reviewers Establish reviewer rating cutoff, designate which paper proposals are accepted

TPC

Rank Student Poster Competition paper proposals SPC Send acceptance and rejection emails TPC

3 Build technical program session grid TPC Publish preliminary technical program and author/title list on conference web site using web tools

TPC

Open upload window with copyright and registration requirement

TPC

Visa letters (example in Appendix 12.17) with payment of registration if needed

TPC

Remind authors of deadline for papers upload and paper fee

Conference registration staff

Solicit session chairs directly and through Society committee chairs

TPC

2 Assign session chairs TPC Deadline for paper upload Papers

webmaster Close upload paper window TPC Build final program TPC Session chairs are authorized to download papers in their sessions

TPC

Session chairs are emailed instructions on their duties

TPC

1.5-1 Publish final technical program on conference web site and submit final program for printing and put into Smart Phone App

LOC

Send presentation instructions to presenters and session chairs.

TPC

Arrange and publicize speakers breakfast LOC 3 days Assist with preparation of delegate bags with

program, CD, tickets, badges, and flyers Conference registration staff

Add presentation instructions to delegate bag Conference registration staff

Prepare errata sheet and include with program in delegate bags, and post errata sheets for late changes

Conference registration staff

Conference Post signs for breakfast and session rooms Conference registration staff

Oversee and assist session chairs TPC Distribute and collect evaluation forms from Conference

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session chairs registration staff

1.5 after conference

Submit CD to IEEE Xplore with “no shows” removed

JOAB representative & papers webmaster

Provisional conference proceedings may be provided on a CD/DVD or online at a Website made available at the conference. 6.2 Call for Papers Abstracts The standard call for papers shall be included in the Conference announcement distributed at preceding conferences. It shall, as a minimum, indicate the scope of the conference (i.e. the specific venue topics and the core topics), a website address that provides further information for potential authors and all information pertaining to the conference venue. It shall indicate the anticipated dates for submitting paper proposals and uploading final papers. The dates have been computed from the chosen conference dates and the weeks required for each task. Paper proposals and final papers are submitted on-line through each conference’s website. Section 12.16 Abstracts and Papers On-line describes the process, from paper proposal submission, through review, to preparation of the Proceedings. The complete Call for Papers shall be posted on the Conference website at least six to eight months before the conference. It shall clearly provide the requirements and restrictions on paper proposals and final papers, including:

• Paper proposal clearly explains the intended paper and its technical significance. o Paper proposal should be no more than two pages long, 500-1000 words

(including figures, equations, and references). o Paper proposal must be submitted online via the OCEANS Conferences website

and uploaded in pdf format. o Papers must be original work. o Papers shall not be advertisements or overly commercial.

• Paper proposal due date. • Web site address for uploading paper proposal, along with any special instructions. • Any other restrictions, limitations, or requirements for papers. • Final papers due date. • Requirement that an author must pay a paper fee (giving right to a full registration package)

and present the paper at the conference. Failure to present the paper at the conference will exclude it from the Xplore database.

• Email, phone number and postal address for contact person. • Warn that paper proposals and final papers will be checked for plagiarism.

The call for papers shall include or be posted on the same Web page as a Call for Student Posters as well as a Call for Tutorials.

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The call for papers shall be publicized as much as possible. The Societies’ Committee chairs will distribute it to their members. The Societies will post it on their web sites and promote it in their newsletters and other publications. It shall be sent directly (by email or postal mail) to attendees at previous conferences and especially to authors from previous conferences. The promotion committee at the LOC should issue Press Releases to all appropriate media. 6.3 Paper Abstract Reviewers Each paper proposal should be reviewed by at least three reviewers. In order to get at least three independent reviews, experience has shown that it is necessary to assign each paper proposal to five reviewers. Reviewers can be recruited from OES and MTS officers and other active members. Past OCEANS conference session chairs and authors are good candidates. MTS Professional Committees cover some of the topics and OES Technology Committees cover the rest. Each of these Professional and Technology Committees is required to nominate at least five reviewers. An up-to-date list of these reviewers can be obtained by emailing ED@MTSociety,org and oesvpta@ieee.org. If there are not enough reviewers in a particular topic area, a request for additional reviewers will be sent to the officers and members of the corresponding Professional Committee and/or to the corresponding Technical Committee Chair(s), If reviewers on the list are unresponsive, please notify MTS and OES so that replacements can be found before the next conference The TCCs and Professional Committee Officers should provide reviewers for conference specific topics and special sessions under their purview. 6.4 Review and Selection of Papers The paper proposal review process is conducted through the OCEANS Conferences web site. Reviewers are assigned a limited number of paper proposals in their particular fields of expertise and interest (nominally no more than 20). At least five reviewers should be assigned to each paper proposal. Reviewers are provided with passwords for access to the site, which enables them to view and rate the assigned paper proposals. A scale of 0-9 (10-point scale) is used to provide enough resolution and aid in subsequent Student Poster Competition ranking. The 10-point scale was agreed upon by the OES AdCom and the MTS Board in October 2015. The 10-point scale is given in App 12.14. Final selection of papers for inclusion in the Conference is then made by the TPC or a subgroup of that committee, based on the reviewer ratings of the paper proposals. In cases of close groupings of ratings at or near the cut-off point, the opinions or ratings of additional reviewers may be sought. In the selection process, preference may be given to papers: • Which are consistent with the conference theme. Special endorsement of paper proposals

mailto:oesvpta@ieee.org

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by the LOC shall be followed when possible. • Addressing specific subject areas of interest to the Societies’ committees. Special

endorsements of paper proposals by the respective Societies’ Committee chairs shall be followed when possible.

• From specific authors, companies, or institutions that have presented high quality papers in recent past OCEANS conferences.

Negative consideration may be given to authors who submitted a paper for a previous conference and then did not attend the conference to present the paper, unless there is a known, acceptable, reason for the non-attendance. The number of papers selected for publication will depend on the number and quality of paper proposals received; but will also be limited by the number of available session time slots. Normally 10 tracks with 4 or 5 session time slots each day are distributed across the parallel sessions. A sufficient number of meeting rooms should be available to avoid having to reduce the number of