Criteria for Official CSHM Workshops
The Rules and Guidelines that follow will assist organizers who wish to proposal to host a workshop.
Criteria – Rules and Guidelines for ISHMII Workshops
The Rules and Guidelines for ISHMII Workshops represent ISHMII policies and serves to convey information about standards to be followed in proposing and developing a Workshop.
In addition to explaining the contextual basis for the Workshop, it explains how to make a proposal and the expected content of a proposal. It defines financial responsibilities of the organizers and fees due to ISHMII from Workshops. It also suggests responsibilities of the organizers at or shortly before the event.
Please contact the ISHMII staff if you have any questions or require advice.
I. Contextual Basis for an Official ISHMII Workshop
A. Workshop Frequency and Length
Workshops are held in even-numbered years as an educational gathering. Since many Workshops are regional or focused on a specific topic, more than one official workshop may be held in a year. Workshops are open to members and friends or those interested in the field. Workshops are generally 3-4 days in length.
B. Workshop Basis and Content
A well-conceived, focused Workshop includes technical and/or paper presentations and Keynote addresses on issues of utmost interest to the civil structures community that focus on monitoring. This will attract attendance and result in valuable reports and proceedings as well as build networks, share and advance knowledge of SHM, and increase ISHMII membership and its organizational reputation.
Pre- and post-Workshop meetings may include short courses and meetings of the Council meeting and committees.
II. Responsibilities
A. Responsibilities of Organizers
Organizers of Workshops assume the full organizational and planning responsibilities for the event from inception through the publication of proceedings, including financial aspects.
Funding mechanisms are the responsibility of the organizer(s) and derive from the registration fees, sponsorships and exhibitor agreements. ISHMII Central is not in a position to provide staff or funds up-front to cover any costs or to accept funds or otherwise handle registration or other details of the Workshop except in an advisory capacity.
B. Responsibilities of ISHMII
ISHMII staff will communicate frequently with the organizer or designees of the organizing committee throughout the planning stage and Workshop to assure that the event is successful and that responsibilities are fulfilled.
Staff will keep the Council informed as to all tentative and formal proposals. It will also advertise the event broadly to members and friends via the ISHMII Web site, The Monitor and Membership Notes as well as special email announcements. Organizers may provide the staff with the email information of potential contacts that the organizers wish to familiarize with ISHMII and the Workshop.
III. Proposal Schedule Overview
A. Organizational Timeline for Approval
Generally, a motivated member representing an institution or team of ISHMII leaders proposes a Workshop to the Council two or more years in advance of the event. The organizational aspects are undertaken by a volunteer organizing committee and the primary organizer. These volunteers, often his or her institutional colleagues, share responsibilities for details, financing and execution.
Prior to the presentation, organizers should contact the office of the ISHMII President to make their interest known and discuss issues so the proposal can be refined, and issues related to the topic, costs, or feasibility discussed. Prospective organizers are encouraged to network with others who have arranged Workshops to learn of their experiences and, when appropriate or available, to use professional coordinators at a venue to identify all details related to the Workshop.
2-3 years prior to Workshop: Initial conversations are held with the ISHMII President and an initial presentation may be made to the Council.
2 years prior to Workshop: Formal presentation to ISHMII Council for vote. This often occurs at an ISHMII Conference.
Alternatively, the Council could propose topics or ask a member to take the lead on organizing a workshop. For example, under special circumstances such as the aftermath of a bridge collapse or other serious issue, the Council could call on a volunteer(s) to organize a workshop with a sense of immediacy.
In case of great interest in more than one topic or proposals from organizers in different geographic regions, the Council could endorse more than one workshop proposal, especially to enhance regional participation.
Another organization may arrange a workshop with the co-sponsorship and collaboration of ISHMII. In such cases, the topic and monitoring issues discussed should be of interest to ISHMII members and an ISHMII member should be a liaison, collaborator or a co-organizer, if possible. ISHMII will enter into a written Sponsorship Agreement with that organization.
B. Presentation to the Council and Selection
The Council will hear all formal proposals at the same meeting and discuss and vote on the proposals to select the winner(s).
A 15 to 20 minute presentation is made to the Council. This is done in PowerPoint and can be made available to Council members as a hand-out. The presenter should motivate each key point, respond to questions and be well-informed on costs. If the key organizer cannot attend the Council meeting, arrangements must be made for another well-informed person to motivate the proposal and answer questions.
The key decision points and construct of a good proposal are discussed in the sections below.
IV. General Considerations for Organizers
A. Expected Attendance
Workshops should attract 40 to 60 attendees. Workshops are educational and are open to all in related fields, regardless of their membership status.
B. Venue Selection
On a practical level, universities, institutions or agencies that can make space available at reduced prices (or free) are preferable. However, professional-level Workshop sites at resorts or hotels often provide the amount of space and number of meeting rooms needed as well as the conference-management skills on which organizers rely. There is no set rule, but cost is often a decisive factor.
In a global sense, the host city should be a city or area where there are significant numbers of members or interested participants. This will assure both good organization and attendance without loss of the global nature of ISHMII. It is beneficial to have good access to reliable transportation and nearby airports. While Workshops tend to be regional, organizers should be aware that travel costs and ability to obtain visas may limit the participation of some members from other regions.
C. Determining Registration Fees
Workshop registration fees are determined by the organizing committee, often in consultation with the ISHMII President or Council, in order to run a financially sustainable Workshop. Registration fees should be related to documented costs as well as the need to provide financial resources for ISHMII. Registration fees should be as low as possible.
Some of the registration fee will be mitigated by the ability of the organizers to obtain sponsorships, exhibitors, vendors, or in-kind donations. Those levels or charges are determined by the organizers but will be shared with the ISHMII President and staff.
At this time, only the proceeds from fees that are discussed in sections IV D and IV E, below, are returned to ISHMII for organizational costs and support, except by the express desire of the organizers or the sponsoring institution.
Organizers have leeway. There is no rule whether members and non-members are charged the same registration fee or whether fees increase as the date of the Workshop nears. However, by practice, student members are charged a much reduced registration fee.
The registration fee schedule need not be finalized before a proposal is presented to the Council for a vote.
D. Portion of Registration Fee Returned to ISHMII Central
Every registration fee includes a small payment for ISHMII. This represents significant revenue for ISHMII.
As of January 2012, this payment is USD $125. It is subject to change. It is always a flat dollar amount, not a percentage of the registration fee as it is equivalent to the cost of a one-year Full membership in ISHMII. It is collected without regard for the membership status of the attendee.
In order to encourage attendance at events and year-round participation, ISHMII applies this payment to an attendee’s membership dues. In the case of members, this amount is essentially rebated to the member as a membership fee credit. Non-members receive a one year membership. Since there are exceptions, details are available as FAQs in the Membership & Community section of ISHMII.org.
To facilitate the delivery of this payment to ISHMII Central, the organizers will
1. Provide the ISHMII staff with an up-to-date registration list on an agreed basis once registration opens.
2. Transfer these funds at least once every 4 weeks over the four months preceding the date of the Workshop opening with a final payment made within 4 weeks after the close of the Workshop to account for late registrations.
3. In the case of cancelled registrations, the payment will be made unless the entire registration fee was refunded to the individual.
E. Portion of Sponsor, Vendor or Exhibitor Fees Returned to ISHMII Central with Benefits Accruing to the Sponsor, Vendor or Exhibitor
This is a new policy as of January 2012 that will provide much-needed revenue for ISHMII and provide advertising and recognition benefits to sponsors, exhibitors and vendors in ISHMII’s electronic communications with members and Web site.
This is a 2-level plan. Organizers have the choice to make a payment to ISHMII of either 10% or 20% of each fee they receive from sponsors, exhibitors or vendors. This only applies to fees that are equivalent to $1,000 USD or more.
The organizers are asked to provide their fee structure to the ISHMII President and staff at the time they begin soliciting sponsors and exhibitors or vendors and to entertain any discussion necessary to assure that this policy is clearly understood. At that time, a fair exchange rate will be established.
ISHMII recognizes that the costs of events vary from venue to venue and that organizers must balance many variables in an attempt to make costs reasonable for attendees. This 2-level structure allows organizers to adjust their fee structure and approach to individuals, companies or institutions accordingly, especially if they need to retain a larger portion in order to reduce those costs. In turn, organizers now have the ability to make electronic advertising benefits available to potential sponsors and exhibitors or vendors as an enticement. This compliments ISHMII’s new advertising strategy.
The benefits include a mix of promotional options. These go into effect when ISHMII receives the payment from the organizers.
The common benefit is display of a logo at both 10% and 20% level. The logo of the company or institution will be prominently displayed on a Web page dedicated to the event within the ISHMII Web site through the conclusion of the event.
For 20% benefits, advertisements in The Monitor or Membership Notes are also available. These include a
1. Company logo or a product photo
2. Link to the company or institution Web site
3. Product or service description of approximately 50 words written by or in collaboration with the company or institution to highlight a service or product of their choice.
4. For advertisements in Membership Notes, the sponsor, exhibitor or vendor may select the issue in which it will run.
The advertisement benefits on this schedule are based on the amount charged by the event organizers.
• $1,000 USD to $1,999: one advertisement in the Membership Notes.
• $2,000 USD to $4,999: one advertisement in The Monitor and one advertisement in Membership Notes.
• $5,000 USD to $7,499: advertisements in two consecutive issues of The Monitor and one advertisement in Membership Notes.
• $7,500 USD or more: advertisements in two consecutive issues of The Monitor and two advertisements in Membership Notes.
• $10,000 USD or more: ISHMII will offer additional months of advertisements in Membership Notes.
This schedule will also apply to in-kind donors contributing services valued at $1,000 USD or more.
F. Diversity Factors
The Council promotes diversity and considers the diversity factors below when advising the organizers on inviting speakers. It is important to consider the diversity of Keynote speakers, instructors and panelists represents the face of ISHMII and is an attraction to potential guests.
ISHMII recognizes that international representation and the balance between fields of interest is less of a factor in regional or narrowly-focused Workshops than in Conferences.
1. International representation as reflective of the overall membership
2. Gender diversity. Half of the speakers should be women
3. Age. Integration of younger members is significant to the growth of ISHMII
4. Balance between fields of interest
V. Final Workshop Proposal to the Council Scheduling
A. Content of a Competitive Proposal
The formal oral presentation at the Council meeting at which a vote is taken and the slides should clearly provide details as well as any information suggested or detailed throughout the Rules and Guidelines.
Organizers are asked to commitment to establish dates and follow a schedule for organizing the event such as described in the Workshop organizational schedule, described below.
1. Locale (city, country) and ease of access (transportation, airports, visa issues)
2. Workshop site and amenities
3. Workshop dates including pre-Workshop meetings and short-courses, as applicable.
4. Membership of the organizing, international, technical/scientific, and other supervisory committees to the extent known
5. Hotel(s), secured blocks of hotel rooms, preferred room rates
6. Proposed registration fee structure
7. Workshop schedule (tentative)
8. Suggested Keynote speakers, panelists, or other presenters. These may be identified as individuals or as areas of expertise. Organizers are not to be Keynote speakers as they will play a significant role in making introductions and setting the tone of the Workshop. The Council may be invited to make recommendations. Diversity should be taken into consideration.
9. Plan/schedule for soliciting and reviewing technical papers and notifying of accepted presenters
10. Plan to publish and distribute Reports, Proceedings and Special Publications, including collaboration with the JCSHM, plus projected costs, revenue, and approximate timeline.
11. Social and professional activities including tours or sightseeing for participants and families
12. Plan for soliciting sponsors and exhibitors or vendors and in-kind donations.
13. Advertising plan to attract regional attendees
14. Overall budget with costs
15. Plans for an active Web site
B. Using a Workshop Organizational Schedule
A Workshop organizational schedule is a self-directed project-management plan for solidifying the most significant details for the Workshop and, as needed, attributing costs to aspects of the Workshop. Organizers are asked to identify dates by which they will do these important tasks among other things. It is not an all-encompassing list but should assist organizers in prioritizing tasks and remaining on track.
It is helpful to designate one member of the organizing committee as a decision-maker who will be in constant contact with ISHMII Central and the President in order to streamline communications regarding plans and deadlines.
Tasks include:
1. Confirm venues and costs for venues and hotels; lock in costs for the organizers and, in the case of hotels, costs for the participants who will register there.
2. Launch a Web site. It is ideal to have a site even before all links are activated. Give ISHMII staff the Web URL for their advertising. As available, update Web site with links including a) hotel venues and information about hotel reservations, b) event registration pages, c) directions and links for authors of papers, d) travel and tourist information, e) download capabilities for abstracts or papers, f) program of event.
3. Calculate and post registration fees and schedule.
4. Review suggestions for all Keynote speakers with ISHMII President. Invite/confirm Keynote speakers
5. Set a firm schedule for accepting or rejecting abstracts, inviting and confirming authors
6. Identify, invite and confirm all other panelists, speakers
7. Plan short-course(s) and invite instructors
8. Post initial and final program schedules
9. Identify “Best Paper” recipients and determine recognition
10. Confirm a fee payment schedule with ISHMII Central related to registration fees and begin sponsorship and exhibition fees
11. Plan outreach to and solicit exhibitors or vendors
12. Plan outreach to and solicit sponsors.
13. Plan advertising in region and with ISHMII staff
14. Plan publications (deliverables).
15. Meet with Editor-in-Chief of JCSHM about publishing papers or a Special Edition.
16. Develop a schedule with ISHMII Central regarding delivery of names and contact information of persons a) submitting papers, b) papers accepted, c) papers presented, as well as contact information for d) registrants, e) exhibitors and sponsors, f) other information requested by ISHMII.
17. Develop a schedule with ISHMII Central regarding fee payments.
18. Inform ISHMII staff of sponsors, exhibitors or vendors receiving electronic advertising benefits.
C. Plan for Deliverables
A plan for deliverables is included in the formal proposal.
Proceedings: The single-most important required deliverable is a comprehensive report and proceedings. Special Publications are optional, but they will strengthen the proposal. Proceedings may be made available to members on the ISHMII Web site, at an appropriate time, in pdf form. ISHMII staff will assist by posting proceedings.
Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring (JCHM): Best Papers and other highly appropriate papers may be published in the upcoming issues or a Special Issue of the JCSHM. The Organizer of the Conference or Workshop may be invited as a Special Editor and is asked to collaborate with the Editor-in-Chief of the JCSHM to pursue publication of Best Papers and articles. Organizers are urged to discuss this with the Editor-in-Chief of the JCSHM early in the proposal process.
VI. Additional Responsibilities of the Organizers at the Workshop
Professionals associated with the venue will often assist organizers with many of these additional responsibilities as well as others. Some are specific to ISHMII and staff will assist the organizers with these.
1. Identify and make on-site room assignments for hospitality, meetings, presentations, vendor demonstrations, and meals as well as a pre-Workshop Council meeting and pre-and post-Workshop social events
2. Make arrangements for off-site events such as tours and restaurants. Organizers have the contractual obligations with these vendors.
3. Plan and organize refreshments for breaks and meals
4. Plan and arrange for on-site registration, name tags, etc.
5. Arrange for a Workshop photographer to document important presentations and recognition ceremonies.
6. Obtain promotional materials and ISHMII banner from staff.
7. Collaborate with ISHMII to identify any special awards and recognitions that will be made during the Workshop and prepare recognition, as needed.
8. Design and print event publications, including signage and programs.