2010Q3 Reports: Local Arrangements Chair

Local Arrangements Chair (Joakim Nivre)

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

• 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]
• Set up exhibits [T-4]
• Confirm meeting venue: rooms, spaces, lunches, etc. [T-3]
• Confirm accommodations [T-3]
• Confirm social events: banquet, reception, entertainment, outings, etc. [T-3]

[Local chair] Set up demo AV equipment: determine AV requirements of demo and paper presenters and other speakers; link up with venue [Tutorial, workshop, and student chairs] Create tutorial and workshop material: arrange for printing of tutorial and workshop materials (see workshop proceedings format); collect material from presenters; create books/proceedings [edit] T-2 [Local chair] Finalize on-site admin: assemble team of assistants for registration, gophering, etc.

[General, program, tutorial, workshop, student, exhibit, local chairs] Create conference registration material: create program to be included in conference registration package; gather all other material, incl. freebies

[Priscilla, local, and sponsorship chairs] Give registration update: update ACL Exec on conference registration, venue and accommodation bookings, financial status; update webpages, especially local and travel conditions (check the travel instructions, local weather, medical and political conditions, etc.) [edit] T-1 [General and publicity chairs] Perform local outreach: start local advertising; contact press, TV, etc.

[Program, tutorial, workshop, student, exhibit, demo chairs] Finalize all Proceedings and tutorial material: collect and check proceedings (papers, students and other workshops, demos, etc.); collect and check final tutorial materials

[Local chair] Finalize demo AV equipment: finalize AV requirements of demo-ers

[Priscilla, local and sponsorship chairs] Give registration update: update ACL Exec on conference registration, hotel and dorm bookings, financial status

[Local chair] Finalize registration package: assemble all materials into registration packets: local maps, local events, conference program, freebies, etc.

In addition, we have completed the following tasks:

• Set up email addresses for all major functions (general@acl2010.org, program@acl2010.org, local@acl2010.org, etc.) [May 20, 2009; continually updated]
• 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.