2010Q1 Reports: ACL 2010

Each area of activity should be covered, either by the first three chairs directly, or in reports submitted by others, cf 2009Q1 Reports: ACL/IJCNLP-09. The Conference planning schedule includes checklists of tasks, and chairs are invited to correct the schedule based on current practice.

Local Arrangements Chair (Joakim Nivre)

The Local Arrangements Committee has met all the milestones listed in the Conference Handbook so far:

• Finalize location and dates, sign contracts meetings and accommodations [T-18]
• Select Exhibits Chair (Jörg Tiedemann) and Publicity Chairs (Koenraad de Smedt, Beáta Megyesi) [T-18]
• Identify Local Arrangements Committee [T-15]
• Make contact with ACL Sponsorship Committee, identify Local Sponsorship Chairs (Mats Wirén, Hercules Dalianis) to serve on this committee [T-15; delayed to T-10 because of delay with international sponsorship committee]
• Collect preliminary local info (describe meeting place and accommodations, travel info, visas, weather, etc.) [T-15; completed at T-24]
• Establish website [T-15]
• Set approximate registration deadlines and costs [T-12]
• Design conference logo for program, posters; print and distribute posters and fliers [T-12; completed T-14 to enable distribution at 2009 conferences]
• Confirm venues: confirm arrangements with meeting venue: rooms, spaces, lunches, etc; confirm arrangements with accommodation venue: rooms [T-7]
• Arrange conference social program: confirm arrangements with banquet and other social event providers; arrange reception; arrange banquet [T-7]
• Plan registration process [T-6]
• Plan on-site process, staff needs, etc. [T-6; completed T-5]
• Organize conference bag or other gimicks [T-6; basically completed T-5 although bag design is still in progress]
• Liaise with Sponsorship Chairs for corporate logos [T-6; started already at T-10]
• Appoint Student Volunteer Coordinator (Mattias Nilsson) [T-6; completed T-10]

In addition, we have completed the following tasks:

• Made a detailed room allocation for main conference, tutorials, workshops and other meetings [November 6, 2009; revised December 16, 2009]
• Made a detailed budget for local costs [November 10, 2009; continually updated]
• Issued two Newsletters [January 15, 2010; February 19, 2010]
• Issued a Call for Exhibits [January 19, 2010]
• Confirmed capacity of wireless internet and electricity [January 29, 2010]
• Set up a web page for accommodation booking [February 11, 2010]
• Made a detailed plan for the Conference Handbook (reusing the design from ACL-IJCNLP 2009) [February 19, 2010]

There are currently no outstanding problems to report from the Local Arrangements Committee.