One document matched: draft-baker-mtgvenue-iaoc-venue-selection-process-01.xml
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<front>
<title abbrev="">IAOC Plenary Meeting Venue Selection Process</title>
<author fullname="Fred Baker" initials="F." role="editor" surname="Baker">
<organization>Cisco Systems</organization>
<address>
<postal>
<street/>
<city>Santa Barbara</city>
<code>93117</code>
<region>California</region>
<country>USA</country>
</postal>
<email>fred@cisco.com</email>
</address>
</author>
<date/>
<area>General</area>
<workgroup>IAOC</workgroup>
<abstract>
<t>This documents the IAOC's IETF Meeting Venue Selection Process.</t>
</abstract>
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<section anchor="Introduction" title="Introduction">
<t>This document describes the IETF Meeting Venue Selection Process. In
December 2015 and January 2016, there was a discussion on the IETF list
of the selection process and criteria for IETF meetings. In response to
that discussion, the IAOC and the IAOC Meetings Committee took it upon
themselves to create this document.</t>
<t>This document describes the process that is expected to be
followed.</t>
<section title="Requirements Language">
<t>Requirements called out in this document are identified as either
"mandatory" or "desired". For clarity, the terms are defined here:
<list style="hanging">
<t hangText="Mandatory:">If this requirement cannot be met, a
location under consideration is unacceptable. We walk away.</t>
<t hangText="Desired:">We would very much like to meet this
requirement, but have frequently been unable to. The fact that we
could not meet it is considered in comparison to other sites.</t>
</list></t>
</section>
</section>
<section anchor="Participants"
title="Meeting Selection Participants and Responsibilities">
<t>The formal structure of IETF administrative support functions is
documented in <xref target="RFC4071">BCP 101</xref><xref
target="RFC4371"/><xref target="RFC7691"/>. The reader is expected to be
familiar with the entities and roles defined by that document, in
particular for the IASA, ISOC, IAOC and IAD. This section covers the
meeting selection related roles of these and other parties that
participate in the process. Note that roles beyond meeting selection,
e.g., actually running and reporting on meetings, are outside the scope
of this document.</t>
<section anchor="ietf" title="The IETF Community">
<t>While somewhat obvious to most, it is important to note that IETF
meetings serve all those who contribute to the development of IETF
RFCs. This includes those who attend meetings, from newcomer to
frequent attendee, to those who participate remotely, and to those who
don't attend but contribute to new RFCs. Potential new contributors
are also considered in the process.</t>
<t>IETF consensus with respect to the meeting venue selection process
is judged via standard IETF process and not by any other means, e.g.,
surveys. Surveys are used to gather information related to meeting
venues, but not to measure consensus.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="ietfchair" title="IESG and IETF Chair">
<t>The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) is a group comprised
of the IETF Area Directors and the IETF Chair. The IESG is responsible
for the management, along with the IAB, of the IETF, and is the
standards approval board for the IETF, as described in <xref
target="RFC2026">BCP9</xref>. This means that the IESG sets high level
policies related to, among other things, meeting venues. The IETF
Chair is a member of the IESG who, among other things, relays policies
to the IAOC. The IETF Chair is also a member of the IAOC.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="isoc" title="The Internet Society">
<t>The Internet Society (ISOC) executes all venue contracts on behalf
of the IETF at the request of the IAOC; solicits meeting sponsorships;
collects all meeting-related revenues, including registration fees,
sponsorships, hotel commissions, and other miscellaneous revenues.
ISOC also provides accounting services, such as invoicing and monthly
financial statements. The meetings budget is managed by the IAD.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="iaoc" title="IETF Administrative Oversight Committee">
<t>The IETF Administrative Oversight Committee (IAOC) has the
responsibility to oversee and select IETF meeting venues. It instructs
the IAD to work with the Internet Society to write the relevant
contracts. It approves the IETF meetings calendar.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="iasa" title="IETF Administrative Support Activity">
<t>The IETF Administrative Support Activity (IASA) supports the
meeting selection process. This includes identifying, qualifying and
reporting on potential meeting sites, as well as supporting meeting
venue contract negotiation. The IETF Secretariat is part of the IASA
under the management of the IAD.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="iad" title="IETF Administrative Director">
<t>The IETF Administrative Director (IAD) coordinates and supports the
activities of the IETF Secretariat, the IAOC Meetings Committee and
the IAOC to ensure the timely execution of the meeting process. This
includes participating in the IAOC Meeting Subcommittee and ensuring
its efforts are documented, leading venue contract negotiation, and
coordinating contract execution with ISOC.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="iaoc-meeting" title="IAOC Meeting Committee">
<t>The IAOC Meeting Committee is generally referred to as the Meetings
Committee.</t>
<t>The fundamental purpose of the committee is to participate in the
venue selection process, and to formulate recommendations to the IAOC
regarding meeting sites. It also tracks the meetings sponsorship
program, recommends extraordinary meeting-related expenses, and
recommends the IETF meetings calendar to the IAOC. The charter of the
committee is located here:
https://iaoc.ietf.org/committees.html#meetings.</t>
<t>Membership in the Meetings Committee is at the discretion of the
IAOC; it includes an IAOC appointed chair, the IETF Administrative
Director (IAD), IAOC members, representatives from the Secretariat,
and interested members of the community.</t>
</section>
</section>
<section anchor="process" title="Venue Selection Process">
<t>The process of selecting a venue is described below and is based on
https://iaoc.ietf.org/venue-selection.html.</t>
<section anchor="principles" title="Venue Selection Principles">
<t>The IETF, and therefore the IAOC and its Meetings Committee, have
some core values that pervade the selection process. These are not
limited to the following, but at minimum include them. <list
style="hanging">
<t hangText="Who are we?"><vspace blankLines="0"/> We are computer
scientists, engineers, network operators, academics, and other
interested parties sharing the goal of making the Internet work
better. At this time, the vast majority of attendees come from
North America, Western and Central Europe, and Eastern Asia. We
also have participants from other regions.</t>
<t hangText="Why do we meet?"><vspace blankLines="0"/> We meet to
advance Internet standards development, to advance Internet Drafts
and RFCs. We meet to facilitate attendee participation in multiple
topics and to enable cross-pollination of ideas and
technology.</t>
<t hangText="Where do we meet?"><vspace blankLines="0"/> We meet
in different locations globally in order to spread the pain and
cost of travel among active participants, balancing travel time
and expense across the regions from where IETF participants are
based. We also aim to enhance inclusiveness and new
contributions.</t>
<t hangText="Inclusiveness:"><vspace blankLines="0"/>We would like
to facilitate the onsite or remote participation of anyone who
wants to be involved. Every country has limits on who it will
permit within its borders. This principle of inclusiveness
militates against the selection of venues within countries that
impose visa regulations and/or laws that effectively exclude
people on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
or national origin, and to a lesser extent, reduces the likelihood
of selecting countries that use such attributes to make entry
difficult.</t>
<t hangText="Internet Access:"><vspace blankLines="0"/>As an
organization, we write specifications for the Internet, and we use
it heavily. Meeting attendees need unfiltered access to the
general Internet and our corporate networks, which are usually
reached using encrypted VPNs from the meeting venue and hotels,
including overflow hotels. We also need open network access
available at high enough data rates to support our work, including
the support of remote participation.</t>
<t hangText="Focus:"><vspace blankLines="0"/>We meet to have
focused technical discussions. These are not limited to breakout
sessions, although of course those are important; they also happen
over meals or drinks (including a specific type of non-session
that we call a "Bar BOF"), or in side meetings. Environments that
are noisy or distracting prevent that or reduce its effectiveness,
and are therefore less desirable as a meeting venue.</t>
<t hangText="Economics:"><vspace blankLines="0"/>Meeting attendees
participate as individuals. While many have their participation
underwritten by employers or sponsors, there are many who do not.
Locations that do not provide convenient budget alternatives for
food and lodging, or which are multiple travel segments from major
airports, are therefore exclusionary, and violate our value of
"Inclusiveness". Within reason, budget should not be a barrier to
accommodation.</t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="objectives" title="Venue Selection Objectives">
<t>Venues for meetings are selected to advance the objectives of the
IETF, which are discussed in https://www.ietf.org/about/mission.html.
The IAOC's supporting objectives include: <list style="symbols">
<t>Advancing standards development</t>
<t>Facilitating participation by active contributors</t>
<t>Sharing the travel pain; balancing travel time and expense
across the regions from where IETF participants are based.</t>
<t>Encouraging new contributors</t>
</list></t>
<t>There is an explicit intent to rotate meeting locations equally
among North America, Europe/Africa, and Asia/ Australia regions in
accordance with IETF policy. However, a consistent balance is
sometimes difficult to achieve. The IAOC has an objective of setting
the Regions 4 years in advance following the 1-1-1* model per year: 1
meeting in Europe, 1 in North America, and 1 in Asia/Pacific, with a
possibility ("*") of a meeting outside those regions. This policy,
which known as the 1-1-1* model, is set by the IESG,
https://iaoc.ietf.org/minutes/2010-11-10-iaoc-minutes.txt. The reason
for the multi-year timeframe is fundamentally maximization of
opportunities; the smaller the time available to qualify and contract
a conference venue, the more stress imposed on the qualification
process, and the greater the risk of not finding a suitable venue or
paying more for it.</t>
<t>There is no formal policy regarding the time of year for a meeting
in a specific region or whether a meeting in a non-targeted region
replaces a visit to one of the regions during that year.</t>
<t>The IETF chair drives selection of "*" locations, i.e., venues
outside the usual 1-1-1 regions, and requires community input. These
selections usually arise from evidence of growing interest and
participation in the new region. Expressions of interest from possible
hosts also factor into the meeting site selection process, both for
the 1-1-1 regions and other regions.</t>
<t>Increased participation in the IETF from those other regions,
electronically or in person, could result in basic changes to the
overall pattern, and we encourage those who would like for that to
occur to encourage participation from those regions.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="criteria" title="Venue Selection Criteria">
<t>A number of criteria are considered during the site selection
process. The list following is not sorted in any particular order, but
includes the committee's major considerations.</t>
<t>The selection of a venue always requires trade-offs. There are no
perfect venues. For example, a site may not have a single hotel that
can accommodate a significant number of the attendees of a typical
IETF. That doesn't disqualify it, but it may reduce its desirability
in the presence of an alternative that does.</t>
<section anchor="city" title="Venue City Criteria">
<t><list style="symbols">
<t>Travel to the venue is reasonably acceptable based on cost,
time, and burden for participants traveling from multiple
regions. It is anticipated that the burden borne will be
generally shared over the course of the year. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>Travel barriers to entry, e.g., visa requirements that can
limit participation, are researched, noted, and carefully
considered. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>Economic, safety, and health risks associated with this venue
are researched, reviewed and carefully considered, at the time
the selection is made, and thereafter as the time for the
meeting approaches. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>Prior successful IETF experience with the Venue and Venue
city will be considered as a positive factor when when deciding
among multiple venues. [Desired]</t>
<t>Consideration will be given to whether it makes sense to
enter into a multi-event contract with the venue to optimize
meeting and attendee benefits, i.e., reduce administrative costs
and reduce direct attendee costs. [Desired]</t>
<t>The venue is assessed as favorable for obtaining a host and
sponsors. That is, the Meeting is in a location and at a price
that it is possible and probable to find a host and sponsors.
[Desired]</t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="basics" title="Basic Venue Criteria">
<t><list style="symbols">
<t>The Meeting Space is adequate in size and layout to
accommodate the meeting and foster participant interaction.
[Mandatory]</t>
<t>The venue and hotels can be put under contract. The
subsequent failure to put a selected venue under contract will
result in a re-evaluation of the venues and selection for the
meeting. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>The cost of guest rooms, meeting space, meeting food and
beverage is affordable (within the norms of business travel).
[Mandatory]</t>
<t>An Optimal Facility for an IETF meeting is held under "One
Roof", that is, qualified meeting space and guest rooms are
available in the same facility. [Desired]</t>
<t>An Optimal Facility for an IETF meeting is also accessible,
in the sense that the Americans with Disabilities Act defines
the term. Preference should be given to accessible venues when
they exist. [Desired] </t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="technical"
title="Technical Services and Operations Criteria">
<t><list style="symbols">
<t>The Venue's support technologies and services -- network,
audio- video, etc., are sufficient for the anticipated
activities at the meeting, or the venue is willing to add such
infrastructure at no or at an acceptable cost to the IETF.
[Mandatory]</t>
<t>The meeting venue must permit and facilitate the delivery of
a high performance, robust, unfiltered and unmodified IETF
Network. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>The IETF hotel(s), which are one or more hotels in close
proximity to the venue where the primary IETF room allocations
are negotiated and the IETF SSIDs are in use, must provide, or
permit and facilitate, the delivery of a high performance,
robust, unfiltered and unmodified Internet service for the
public areas and guest rooms. This service is typically included
in the cost of the room. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>The overflow hotels should provide reasonable, reliable,
unfiltered Internet service for the public areas and guest
rooms. This service is typically included in the cost of the
room. [Desired]</t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="lodging" title="Lodging">
<t><list style="symbols">
<t>The IETF hotel(s) is within close proximity to venue.
[Mandatory]</t>
<t>The Guest Rooms at the IETF hotel(s) are sufficient in number
to house 1/3 or more of projected meeting attendees.
[Mandatory]</t>
<t>The Venue environs include budget hotels within convenient
travel time, cost, and effort. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>Overflow Hotels that can be placed under contract. They
typically must be within convenient travel time of the venue and
have a variety of guest room rates. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>The IETF hotel(s) should be accessible, in the sense that the
Americans with Disabilities Act defines the term. Preference
should be given to accessible lodging when it exists.
[Desired]</t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="comestibles" title="Food and Beverage">
<t><list style="symbols">
<t>The Venue environs, which includes onsite, and the areas
within a reasonable walking distance, or conveniently accessible
by a short taxi, bus, or subway ride, has convenient and
inexpensive choices for meals that can accommodate a wide range
of dietary requirements. [Mandatory]</t>
<t>The Venue environs include grocery shopping that will
accommodate a wide range of dietary requirements, within a
reasonable walking distance, or conveniently accessible by a
short taxi, bus, or subway ride. [Desired]</t>
</list></t>
</section>
</section>
<section anchor="justsayno" title="Non-criteria">
<t>The following is specifically not among the selection
criteria:<list style="symbols">
<t>Visiting new locations for the sake of variety in meeting
locations.</t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="timeline" title="Venue Selection Timeline">
<t>Commencing the process four years in advance of an event results in
the following schedule as a guideline:<list style="hanging">
<t hangText="4 years out:"><list style="letters">
<t>4 years out, the IAOC selects regions for meetings</t>
<t>Meeting target cities per region are provided to the
Secretariat based upon Meetings Committee input and, if known,
host preferences.</t>
<t>Potential venues in preferred cities identified,
investigated and pre-qualified Venue options are provided to
the Meetings Committee for consideration.</t>
<t>Meetings Committee approves potential venues for site
qualification visit.</t>
<t>Site qualification visits are arranged and preliminary
negotiations are undertaken with selected potential sites</t>
<t>Site qualification visit is conducted and a site report is
prepared. Recommendations of the site visit team are provided
to Meetings Committee. The Meetings Committee reviews the
venue options based on venue selection criteria and makes a
recommendation to IAOC</t>
<t>IAOC reviews the Meetings Committee recommendation, and the
selection criteria, and selects or rejects the recommended
venue. If a venue is selected the IAOC requests the Internet
Society to enter into agreements to effect the selection. If
the recommendation is rejected the IAOC notifies the Meetings
Committee of the rejection and the reasons why.</t>
</list></t>
<t hangText="2.75-3 years out:"><list style="letters">
<t>Contract negotiations with selected venue by Secretariat
and IAD IAD reviews contract and requests IAOC and ISOC
approval of contract and authority for Secretariat to execute
contract on ISOC's behalf.</t>
<t>Contracts are executed.</t>
</list></t>
</list></t>
</section>
<section anchor="experience" title="Experience Notes">
<t><list style="letters">
<t>The foregoing process works with reasonable certainty in North
America and Europe.</t>
<t>Experience to date for Asia and Latin America is that contracts
take longer and often will not be executed more than two years in
advance of the meeting. While the IETF will have the first option
for the dates, for reasons not completely understood contracts
won't be executed.</t>
</list></t>
</section>
</section>
<section anchor="transparency" title="Transparency">
<t>BCP 101 requires transparency in IASA process and contracts, and
thereby of the meetings committee. BCP 101 also states that the IAOC
approves what information is to remain confidential. Therefore any
information produced by the meetings committee or related to meetings
that individuals believe is confidential, e.g., venue contracts, must be
confirmed to be confidential by the IAOC.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="IANA" title="IANA Considerations">
<t>This memo asks the IANA for no new parameters.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="Security" title="Security Considerations">
<t>This note proposes no protocols, and therefore no new protocol
insecurities.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="Privacy" title="Privacy Considerations">
<t>This note reveals no personally identifying information apart from
its authorship.</t>
</section>
<section anchor="Acknowledgements" title="Contributors">
<t>This note was developed by Dave Crocker, Fred Baker, Jari Arkko, Jim
Martin, Laura Nugent, Lou Berger, Ole Jacobsen, Ray Pelletier, and Scott
Bradner.</t>
</section>
</middle>
<back>
<!-- references split to informative and normative -->
<references title="Normative References">
<?rfc include="reference.RFC.2026" ?>
<?rfc include="reference.RFC.4071" ?>
<?rfc include="reference.RFC.4371" ?>
<?rfc include="reference.RFC.7691" ?>
</references>
<references title="Informative References">
<?rfc include="reference.I-D.barnes-healthy-food" ?>
</references>
<section anchor="log" title="Change Log">
<t><list style="hanging">
<t hangText="2016-01-12:">Initial version</t>
<t hangText="2016-01-21:">Update to reflect
https://iaoc.ietf.org/documents/VenueSelectionCriteriaJan2016.pdf
and
https://iaoc.ietf.org/documents/VenueSelectionProcess11Jan16.pdf,
accessed from
https://iaoc.ietf.org/private/privatemeetings.html.</t>
<t hangText="2016-02-23:">Reorganize and capture IAOC Meetings
Committee discussions.</t>
<t hangText="2016-03-03:">Final from Design Team.</t>
<t hangText="2016-03-17:">First update incorporating
mtgvenue@ietf.org comments</t>
</list></t>
</section>
</back>
</rfc>
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