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Re: [802SEC] +++EC Email Ballot+++ENDS 13 JAN+++motion to hold plenary sessions outside NA



Title: Message

Buzz and Roger,

 

More for the sake of debate than because I support a specific position, I will put forth the premise that as we grow larger we should in fact act more like a convention, and less like a small committee of engineers.  At what point do the financial responsibilities become too much to reasonably expect companies to host an 802 session?  Is it 1500 participants, 2000, or 10,000?  I don’t know the answer, but I think we have already crossed the line in the US where finding hosts and convenient venues is easy.  Perhaps I’m nuts, but I’m starting to favor using actual convention facilities and inconveniencing all 802 participant equally, rather than have different groups within 802 inconvenienced (perhaps disproportionately over time).  This would greatly simplify the hotel issues I believe at the price of longer commutes to our actual meeting locations.  I did not enjoy walking to the convention center in San Antonio, but it certainly was not the end of the world.  

 

There seems to be some sort of premise that domestic meeting have less problems than international meetings.  I can’t remember a meeting in recent times that I would say ran “smoothly”.  Think of the planning leading up to the San Antonio meeting?  Anyone want to Visit the Dallas Airport Hyatt again?  Given our size and fact that we are mostly all volunteers, I think we do a pretty good job.  But I hardly think things are smooth here in the US.  I don’t have any international examples to compare to, but based on the couple of international interims I’ve attended, I don’t see that they were substantially more difficult to execute than domestic interims.  I agree that they will generally be more expensive (at least for US participants).

 

Personally, I favor setting up a circuit of places that have geographic diversity, and that we know from experience to have good facilities.  I don’t mind going back to the same place say every 3 years.  But some of those places I feel should be in Europe, and some in Asia.  We have substantial constituencies from these areas, and we should hold meetings there.  As far as a host company, I think requiring a host is unreasonable due to financial liabilities etc.  I don’t mind accepting a Host’s invitation to assist in the process of meeting planning as long as there is no perception of bias (it’s a lot easier to stack a meeting in your home country!).  If we do open things up for hosts internationally, I think we should do so domestically as well.  I see no reason to allow one and not the other.  I’d be more receptive to formal government invites and assistance than to invites from companies.  I do think we are a conventioneers, and not just engineers.  We should act as such.  I think that we want to select venues that are convenient and cost effective for our attendees (or should I say as equally inconvenient and costly are reasonable for everyone involved).

 

Anyway, I may change my mind on everything written above, but they are my thoughts at the moment.

 

Mat

 

 

Matthew Sherman, Ph.D.
Senior Member Technical Staff
BAE SYSTEMS, CNIR
Office: +1 973.633.6344
email: matthew.sherman@baesystems.com


From: owner-stds-802-sec@ieee.org [mailto:owner-stds-802-sec@ieee.org] On Behalf Of Rigsbee, Everett O
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 10:17 PM
To: STDS-802-SEC@listserv.ieee.org
Subject: Re: [802SEC] +++EC Email Ballot+++ENDS 13 JAN+++motion to hold plenary sessions outside NA

 

Paul,  I will vote NO on this motion unless the following amendment is made to the motion:

 

"Beginning in calendar year 2008 IEEE 802 will hold at least one full 802 Session (Plenary or Interim) outside of North America for those years in which a local host company or government agency agrees in writing to sponsor the IEEE 802 session and provide logistical support for obtaining acceptable hotel and service contract arrangements and coordinating with local vendors as required.  Financial support for the Session would also be welcomed but is not required if contracted arrangements can be accomplished without violation of IEEE 802 fiscal responsibility guidelines."  

 

Without the committment of a serious local sponsor, I think we are committing to do something that may damage both our reputation for effectiveness and our world-wide credibility.  As Geoff pointed out, being an international organization has very little to do with where you hold the session, but what you do to facilitate participation by all who care to do so.  If we make serious efforts to welcome and support participation from our non-US participants, we will continue to be viewed as a truly international organization for years to come.  And if we also can hold some session in non-North American locations that will help too.  But it is not a litmus-test for internationality.  If we can get sponsors, we can do international venues.  If they don't care enough to volunteer, then we should not have to suffer the consequences. 

 

Let's encourage partnering with our non-US colleagues to make IEEE 802 a truly successful international SDO. 

 

Thanx,  Buzz
Dr. Everett O. (Buzz) Rigsbee
Boeing - SSG
PO Box 3707, M/S: 7M-FM
Seattle, WA  98124-2207
(425) 865-2443    Fx: (425) 865-6721
Cell: (425) 417-1022
everett.o.rigsbee@boeing.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Nikolich [mailto:paul.nikolich@ATT.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 1:02 PM
To: STDS-802-SEC@listserv.ieee.org
Subject: [802SEC] +++EC Email Ballot+++ENDS 13 JAN+++motion to hold plenary sessions outside NA

Dear EC members,

This is a email ballot to make a determination on the below motion.

Motion:

"I move that beginning calendar year 2008, at least one 802 plenary session shall be held outside of North America in each calendar year."


Moved: Bob O'Hara 
Second: Jerry Upton

The ballot opens 6pm ET Tuesay 28 December 2004  and closes Thursday 13 January 2005.


Regards,

--Paul Nikolich

 

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---------- This email is sent from the 802 Executive Committee email reflector. This list is maintained by Listserv. ---------- This email is sent from the 802 Executive Committee email reflector. This list is maintained by Listserv.