Information About Hosting a World Congress Event

Guidelines for Hosting a World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies

Submission of Proposals and Time Schedule

 

Guidelines for Hosting a World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies

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Purpose

To exchange scientific information with colleagues worldwide; to learn about recent research and advances in broad and focused areas of behavioural and cognitive therapies; to discuss common problems, and to seek their solutions; and to make personal contacts both professionally and personally.

Frequency

Currently once every three years.

Congress Objectives

1. A sound scientific program of high quality with a balanced international representation of speakers and various type of sessions to permit both broad and subject review and concentrated discussion in specialized areas.

2. A social program that will introduce registrants to cultural aspects of the Host City and country and will also encourage meaningful opportunities for registrants to become personally acquainted.

Practical Considerations

1. A location that has international cultural appeal, airport facilities to accommodate international flights, good ground transportation to host city from airport, and adequate housing facilities for attendees and their families.

2. Adequate meeting facilities, preferably under one roof, which would include meeting rooms of adequate number and size with good audiovisuals and public address services available.

3. Sleeping rooms for registrants in or easily accessible to the meeting space.

4. Comfortable areas for informational scientific discussion near the meeting rooms.

5. Adequate space for exhibits, poster sessions, and registration area located near the meeting rooms.

6. Accessible eateries for breakfast and lunch in or near the meeting facilities.

Responsibilities of the Hosting Organization

A. By July lst , five years prior to the year of the congress for which proposals will be considered, organizations interested in hosting the congress must submit to the WCC (Chairman) a written proposal (in 20 copies) which includes the following information about the meeting site:

1. A list of meeting areas with numbers and seating capacities of session rooms in each.

2. A list of available hotels or dormitories (include low cost lodgings) indicating the 2 type, number of sleeping rooms in each, and approximate sleeping room rate in each type of accommodation.

3. A map showing the locations of meeting facilities, hotels, and or dormitories.

4. Assurance that, if hotel and meeting facilities are scattered, rapid bus transportation will be provided.

5. A statement of the type and availability of audiovisuals and public address services.

6. Assurance that adequate eating facilities are available near or in the meeting facilities, especially for lunch.

B. Those organizations who are interested in hosting a World Congress must also be able to demonstrate their ability to coordinate an international meeting by addressing the following items:

1. Description of the formation of the scientific committee to ensure the quality of the scientific program.

2. How the scientific committee plans to address the issue representing the diversity of scientific Issues, geographical and multicultural areas, and gender.

3. How the organizing committee plans to encourage participation of people from countries facing economical and/or political challenges.

4. The estimated participation fee for different categories (e.g., ordinary fee, student fee, fee for people from countries facing economical and/or political challenges).

5. Timeframe for preliminary announcement fur submission of papers.

6. Timeframe for preparation of explicit and complete advance information to registrants about:

a) congress activities and schedule of events

b) payment of registration fees

c) visa regulations for entry into the country

d) transportation from airports and within the city

e) exchange of currency

f) housing reservations

g) location and hours of registration at the congress

h) other details that will prevent confusion among incoming participants

8. Assurance of adequate volunteers and/or staff to provide efficient operations during the actual congress.

9. Assurance of sufficient financial resources to fund pre-congress publicity and on-site services.

10. Assurance of local attendance from the host country with projected numbers.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS AND TIME SCHEDULE

A newly elected WCC starts to work prior to or during a World Congress. Shortly thereafter, they invite proposals for hosting the next-but-one WC (six years later). A proposal to host a World Congress of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies can only be submitted to the World Congress Committee by one of the seven umbrella organizations. Any one umbrella organization can submit only one proposal to the WCC at a given time. In the event that there is more than one proposal emanating from associations within the same umbrella organization, the board of that organization has to decide which of the proposals it will submit to the WCC. The proposals must be submitted to the chairman of the WCC by July 1st of the year after invitation. In order to be processed, the submission must comply with the requirements of proposals (see Suggested Guidelines for Hosting a World Congress), and there must be a sufficient number of copies. The decision will be made by the WCC by July 1st of the next year, that is four years before the WC in question.

By having the submission deadline one-year ahead of the decision time, there will be enough time for the umbrella organizations to discuss the submissions and the representatives to form an opinion before a decision is made. In the unlikely event that there is no proposal at all, or no proposal fulfilling the requirements, the WCC will suggest one country for the next WC, asking the association of that country to appoint a congress organizer.

By setting up detailed requirements for the submissions, it is assured that different proposals can be compared on an equal basis. If a submission is incomplete, it will not be processed, but sent back to the submitting local association. At the discretion of the WCC chairman, the proposal will either be discarded or given the opportunity to be completed within two months in order to still compete for the upcoming WC. With such an outline, the time schedule will look as follows (note that the time schedule can be adjusted to other than three-year intervals between WCCs):

1. World Congress is held

2. Open invitation is made to 7 umbrella organizations to submit a proposal for hosting congress 6 years from that time

3. Submissions are due by July 1st of the next year

4. Decisions by the WCC are made by July 1st of the following year (i.e., 4 years prior to the congress in question) where the congress will be held and which umbrella organization will serve as host.

5. This process gets repeated to maintain a structured schedule of world congresses.

If an association which has been mandated to arrange an upcoming WC plans to make significant modifications in the approved proposal (e.g., changes in the previous agreed upon venue or the registration fee), this association must consult with the WCC before the changes are decided upon.

The WCC will serve in an advisory role regarding various issues in the organization of world congresses. Organizers of world congresses are encouraged to seek the input of all WCC umbrella associations in the formation of the committee and the development of the scientific program. It is suggested that host associations keep the WCC abreast of the progress and activities related to the organization of world congresses