One of the most important functions of the Standing Committee is to capture experience from past Conferences and pass this on to future organizers to assist in their work. During the Thermo2010 conference in Glasgow, the following items were first agreed upon by the Standing Committee, to be passed on to future conference organizers; this list has been updated following experiences at subsequent Thermo conferences.
Key points that should be considered by organizers include the following:
- The primary purpose of the Conferences is to provide an opportunity for the International Community to meet together to discuss their work and common interests in thermochronology.
- The Scientific Program Committee should include representatives of the International Community as well as those from the host country.
- As far as possible future Conferences should continue to have one main session, rather than parallel sessions.
- Some technique-based workshops could be held in parallel where these are appropriate for detailed, technique-specific sessions that are less likely to be of broad interest to other groups. Such parallel workshops should be kept to a minimum, however, as many groups and individuals have interests that cover more than one technique. Ideally such discipline-specific parallel sessions should be limited to no more than one half-day.
- The program needs to include abundant opportunity for general discussion of both individual presentations and broader topics of common interest. Panel discussions are one means for organizing group discussion, but this can make it hard for many to contribute; as an alternative, part of a day later in the conference might be spent as a workshop, with delegates divided among smaller breakout groups which report back to a general session and perhaps lead to a white paper that could report the state of the field or make recommendations. Another possibility is a “swap meet” format where tables are set up in a common area (outdoors, weather permitting) for fluid gatherings to provide demonstrations or facilitate discussions on pre-selected topics.
- These requirements mean that relatively more presentations will need to be made as posters to achieve a less crowded schedule for oral presentations within the single main session. Innovative approaches to make the poster sessions a central and exciting part of the program are encouraged. These might include an informal session where poster presenters give a one-minute overview, perhaps over lunch or in the evenings, or perhaps a brief scheduled walk-through at the start of each session where presenters can give the highlights of their work (their “elevator talk”).
- At least some plenary sessions or parts of all should be focused on overview talks; speakers should be requested to provide assessments that address outstanding problems, provocative new results, or opportunities for the future. Another suggested means of focusing and limiting the number of groups is to invite presentations from research groups.
- It is important that speakers represent our diverse community, and represent a balance among nationalities, and between established and younger scientists, and male and female researchers.
- The program needs to allow opportunities (time slots and suitable rooms) for informal group meetings that delegates might want to arrange in advance or that arise on the fly. Examples might include: meetings of the organizing committee for a future Conference, possible planning sessions around some new inter-laboratory standardization initiative, or discussion of analytical methods and opportunities offered by new technologies (including vendors might provide an interesting perspective).
- Projection facilities and lighting levels need to ensure the highest standards of visibility for the audience in the main auditorium. Projection facilities must be able to handle all common formats on both PC and Mac platforms.
- It is important to schedule time for a meeting of the Standing Committee (ISCT) early in the week, and an opportunity for the ISCT to report back to delegates at the end of the conference.
- Spatially, the venue should be arranged to allow ample space for informal group discussion around the poster sessions and at refreshment breaks.
- It is important for the future of our field that students are able to attend the Conferences and to fully participate in the proceedings. The overall Conference budget should therefore be developed to allow for some assistance, where needed, for students wishing to attend the Conference.
- The costs of any awards should be included as a budget item in the planning of each Conference.
- It is essential that internet access be provided for conference delegates.
It was recognized that it may not be possible to implement every single one of these points at every Conference, but it was considered that they form valuable guidelines for future Conference organizers and should be followed in spirit if not in every detail.