Instructions for Future Conference Hosts

Typical responsibilities of CAADRIA conference hosts

1. Nominate a ‘site coordinator’ who will be responsible for all communication between CAADRIA Exco and the conference hosts. This coordinator is expected to attend CAADRIA conferences for at least the two years preceding their hosting date, the first time to present to Exco the plan for hosting, the second year to present the accepted plan to the CAADRIA membership.
2. Work with CAADRIA secretariat to identity needs, costs and conference program
3. Establish a budget and seek approval from necessary authorities, including CAADRIA Exco before a conference date is decided.
4. Establish a conference date in consultation with EXCO at least 18 months before the conference which is normally held in April.
5. Raise money to run the conference
6. Setup a web site at least one year ahead on which conference information is clearly presented, including call for papers, registration system, accommodation, instruction on getting to the conference site, useful map, contact person and phone numbers for key people
7. Publicize conference program nationally and internationally
8. Arrange accommodation, catering and transportation for delegates
9. Work with CAADRIA paper selection committee to invite and receive papers
10. Print proceedings prior to conference for distribution to delegates
11. Provision of venue for conference with presentation rooms that support digital projection and other A/V requirements
12. Organise pre-conference and on-site registrations
13. Provide complementary registration to sister organisations, as decided by CAADRIA (currently ACADIA, eCAADe, SIGRADI, CAADFutures, ASCAAD, CUMINCAD)
14. Maintain financial records so that they can be finalised within two months after the conference
15. Post-conference – provide to CAADRIA secretariat within six months
    • list of registrants
    • PDF files on CD and author consent forms for publishing
    • financial statement for conference
16. Work with CAADRIA and IJAC editors to prepare selected papers for publication in IJAC within one month of the conference finishing

Session Chairs

A conference site organizer will invite individuals to fill the role of “Session Chair”. The session chair will be a person who is cognizant of the research area discussed in their session. They should have sufficient familiarity with the field to read the papers in the session before hand; introduce the speakers in their context; moderate the question and answer session with knowledgeable directions; formulate questions to stimulate discussion after papers; and request the speaker to clarify issues or clarify issues themselves if the discussion requires such contribution. At the close of the session, a session chair should be able to summarize the session briefly. In addition, the chair may be asked convey ‘housekeeping’ notices as requested by the conference organizers.

Conference sponsorship guidelines

• General principle: CAADRIA is an independent academic organization with no commercial interests, and should always appear to be so. CAADRIA and the host work together to present a conference for the benefit of scholars in computer-aided architectural design.
• General guidelines: CAADRIA has responsibility for academic content of the annual conference, i.e., paper review and selection process. The conference host plans, finances, and manages the conference. In particular, the host institution is responsible for financial planning and management of the conference. The conference host should plan the conference to break even, not generate profit, and accept complete financial responsibility for the conference.
• Sponsorship principles: Sponsorship serves several purposes:
  1. To enable mutually beneficial relationships between CAADRIA community and commercial entities;
  2. To provide cash flow before the registration fees have been collected; and
  3. To cover the difference between expenses and registration fees.
• Sponsorship guidelines: The host is empowered to organize sponsorship for that conference only. Sponsorship spanning more than one conference falls within the purview of CAADRIA. The host should arrange sponsorships in a way that upholds the independence and nonprofit nature of both CAADRIA and the conference. For example:
  1. The visibility of sponsors (for example, through their activities, products, publicity, logos, and representatives), while being fair to the sponsors, should not distract from the purpose of the conference
  2. A variety of commercial sponsors should be sought, to maintain a balanced presence. If the host has questions about the appropriateness of sponsorship plans, conference organizers consult in advance with the CAADRIA executive committee.