AM organizers' to do list

AM host of the following year will be decided at each AM. There's also a call of AM organizers every year in Sep/Oct. Please contact the BRIDGCE chair (CK) if you are interested in.

Below is the standard to-do list of organizing of AM. This is BRIDGCE AM specific, and likely to be different from other conferences:

1. Fix a date (previously mid December but any months would be possible) and book venue. Hybrid preferred. Decision will be made by the steering committee.
• ~3 days, depending on the number of abstracts. It's important to secure enough time of talk and Q&A for knowledge exchange.
• It is important to have online talk option too. There are a number of reasons that people cannot travel and we have to be inclusive.
2. Cost estimate. We do not charge registration fee. If there's no grant, give up on fancy venue, or lunch/coffee.
• Book catering (lunch/coffee), conference dinner, and accommodation if available. We can't wait until the participant number is fixed. My guess is ~50 participants if closer to London. Otherwise, ~30.
• Apply for grants. We have been successful for getting IOP, RAS, STFC, and IReNA. The steering committee has previous material and will help.
• Decide which is covered. The priority is: (1) venue, (2) lunch/coffee, (3) conference dinner, (4) travel support of students, and (5) extra for invited speakers. Note that IReNA participants will be fully funded.
3. Assemble SOC/LOC. Make a call for organizers on the mailing list. Any career stage would be welcome. For SOC, better to have a mix of research fields. Female fraction should be > 20%. Decision will be made by the SOC/LOC chair.
• Run a kick-off meeting on zoom. Although most of tasks can be done by e-mails, it would be better to see faces before start working. You can also exchange ideas of extra component of the programme if you want.
4. Setup webpage. You can use the automated programming system on this website, or you could make a new website for AM. Please discuss among organizers. Include logo of funders if the grant proposals are successful.
5. Setup registration system, including abstract submssion. Google form worked well in the past.
• Ask specifying (1) the available date and (2) the suitable topic in the form, which will reduce workload when program is made.
• Ask (3) dietary restriction if lunch/dinner is provided.
• Also ask (4) career stage and (5) gender in the form as it will be required by IReNA.
• Ideally get agree to IReNA's code of conduct at the registration process.
6. Announcement to the mailing list for abstract submission, with a deadline ~3 weeks before AM starting date (but we will accept delayed submission as much as possible.)
• Please feel free to send it to BRIDGCE emailing list, multiple times.
• Most of abstracts will be submitted close to the deadline. So don't panic!
• If necessary, extend the deadline by a week.
7. Choose invited speakers / introductory talks / highlight (longer) talks (~30+15min). Please try to make 50% female fraction for these invited speakers. SOC members suggest names and votes. The chair decides considering the balance. Contact the speakers as early as possible - people are busy.
• You can find the previous invited speakers in the AM pages on the left. Better to avoid the same person is invited multiple times.
• Better to have 1-3 from IReNA for these invited talks. Not all IReNA participants give invited long talks, and the rest can give shorter talks.
8. Abstract selection. If SOC are too large, the SOC chair can nominate programme committee (PC). All PC members quickly read through all submitted abstracts, and if it’s reasonable, we try to give time (~20+10min) to everyone; the purpose of AM is to give a chance to speak to those who can't easily get a talk slot at a big conference. There are no posters.
9. Make a program. It's better to avoid topic-by-topic session, e.g., nuclear physics only session. Mix topics but allocate scientifically related talks next to each other.
10. Release the program at least 2 weeks before AM starting date. People's plan could change even after you get a confirmation. You will have to modify the program until the last minutes. Be flexible, and kind to other people.
11. Choose session chiars (50% female). For AM, better to choose steering committe members or senior people, so that they attend and listen talks carefully.
• It would also be useful to have microphone carriers and time keepers, but we can also survive without them.
12. CK can set a Zoom link, and circulate it to a wider community. It's opened to public, no registration needed.

Task allocations - it would be good to split tasks and decide who is in charge of what in advance. The role of chair is to oversee the progress, remind the other members of the task, help if there is a difficulty, and double check the outcome. The BRIDGCE chair will stay in the organging team as a supporter. The talks are:

1. Setting up the website, registration & abstarct submission system
2. Program making (Programme committee)
3. Contact invted speakers and session chairs
4. Act as a contact person who responds lots of e-mails on logistics
5. Costing...