COMMON Members IT Professionals Local Users Groups Industry Vendors IBM Professionals Media

COMMON Conference Offerings Policy

Objective

To define the delivery mechanisms for COMMON conference offerings

Responsibility

The President may designate volunteers, paid staff, or other individuals to be responsible for COMMON conference offerings, herein referred to as the “committee”.

Guidelines

1.   Scheduled Sessions

Each conference shall have scheduled educational sessions, herein referred to as “sessions”.  Labs which utilize "hands on" hardware and software are considered scheduled sessions. Other than Opening Session and Meeting of the Members, the committee shall be responsible for scheduling all sessions.
The sessions shall be grouped and organized in a manner determined by the committee members charged with session governance.  These committee members shall be responsible for determining which sessions are held at each conference and for assigning time slots for each session. Within space limitations, a session may be scheduled at any time during regularly scheduled session times.  Regularly scheduled session times shall not conflict with a Meeting of the Members or with any other conference event that is explicitly identified by the President or Board of Directors.  The staff shall maintain and communicate the list of events for which conflicts are not allowed
If anyone involved in the scheduling process feels a scheduled session is inconsistent with COMMON’s purposes as stated in the Bylaws, the session shall not be scheduled without the prior approval of the committee chairperson. The Board of Directors shall be notified of this decision.

Session Speakers

Each session shall have at least one speaker. The conference agenda shall clearly identify the employer of each speaker. The COMMON Membership shall be able to ensure that speakers comply with all COMMON policies including COMMON’s Code of Ethics by reporting violations to COMMON.

Company Product or Service Sessions

Since COMMON is a users group, it is COMMON’s intent to emphasize user experiences rather than company presentations.
All sessions which deal with hardware or software products or services shall be limited to the interchange of technical or educational information and the discussion of the technical merit of a given product or service. Participation by a Company in user panel discussions as a bona fide user or supplier of the relevant product or service shall be limited to technical evaluations and findings of that relevant product or service.
A session is not a sales pitch. Business cards may be displayed and exchanged but not distributed in mass. Product samples may not be anywhere in or near the room. All promotional items are expressly forbidden. Reference to an Expo Booth is allowed.
The following information will be given:

• Speaker Name
• Speaker’s Company
• Specific Product and Services discussed, if applicable.
• Identification of Fiduciary Relationship.

It is COMMON’s intent to have the conference agenda clearly identify product or service specific sessions. The committee shall cancel a session should any of the requirements in this policy not be met. A member of the committee is required to attend a session defined as a Company presentation (product specific).
The committee member who submitted the session shall be responsible for ensuring the speaker adheres to the COMMON Code of Ethics and the Conference Offerings Policy and the session is consistent with COMMON’s purposes as stated by the Bylaws.

Session Material

Speakers are not required to have session material as part of their session. Session material submitted to COMMON will follow a consistent path of distribution according to the Distribution of COMMON Work and Education Material Policy.

2. Speaker Membership & Registration

COMMON is a volunteer organization. Wherever practical, speakers scheduled to present sessions should be a member or an employee of a member organization and are required to register for the conference.

Registration exceptions are permitted under this policy for one-day speakers only. It shall be the responsibility of the committee member scheduling the session to request a waiver of the conference registration fees for all speakers determined to be exceptions. It shall also be the responsibility of the committee member to provide headquarters with the proper registration information regarding any approved waiver requests so that payment discrepancies are avoided. The Executive Director is responsible for approving waiver requests.

3. iSociety Face to Face Sessions

COMMON supports and recognizes ad hoc user initiated sessions at the conferences known as “iSociety Face to Face” sessions. These are recognized COMMON sessions and participants in these sessions shall comply with all COMMON policies. A committee member may schedule a Face to Face session to accommodate an overflow or continuation of any scheduled session.

4. iSocial Sessions

COMMON supports and recognizes sessions at the conference known as iSocial sessions. These sessions allow for the informal exchange of information and ideas among conference participants. These are recognized COMMON sessions and participants in these sessions shall comply with all COMMON policies. The volunteers that manage these sessions (see appendix C) shall be the session supervisors for iSocials and no speaker need be assigned.

5. Sponsored Exhibitions and Demonstrations

COMMON Expo exhibitors can discuss pricing and in general perform activities, which are deemed marketing and sales within the confines of the COMMON Expo only. Other sales or marketing activity may occur outside of the designated Expo areas with the approval of the Board of Directors.

6. Discussion of Pricing

Other than for Sponsored Exhibitions and Demonstrations that are covered in a prior section of this policy, published prices may be quoted for educational and comparative purposes within the context of the sessions.

7. Conference Offerings Material

Presentations and material distributed at COMMON functions are in no way to be construed as an endorsement by COMMON or COMMON member or agency of any product or service.

Status:

• Approved by the Board of Directors February 9, 1991
• Revised by the Policies Committee December 19, 1994
• Approved by the Board of Directors February 5, 1995
• Revised by the Policies Committee January, 1997
• Approved by the Board of Directors February, 1997
• Revised by the Policy Committee September 2, 1998
• Revised by the Policy Committee November 13, 2001
• Approved by the Board of Directors November 15, 2001
• Approved by the Board of Directors April 19, 2002
• Approved by the Board of Directors November 16, 2007