Resources for Conference Planning

One of the roles of the Technical Committees (TCs) of the Computer Society is to foster and nurture the development and conduct of new conferences in areas of growing interest to our member community. Accordingly, the TCCC executive committee always welcomes and solicits proposals for the organization of new conferences, symposia and workshops, especially on newly-emerging or under-represented topics.

Persons wishing to organize an IEEE Computer Society/TCCC sponsored conference may find some of the links on this page to be useful. Please bear in mind that obtaining IEEE sponsorship involves following a well-defined process and that conference planning can often require several months to a year of planning (e.g., to make hotel arrangements), so it is essential to plan ahead of time. Also, the IEEE is tax-exempt in many locations, so be sure to check on the benefits that might be available in specific locations.

Planning for an IEEE sponsored conference typically involves three steps: a) the completion and submission of a TMRF (Technical Meeting Request Form), b) the negotiation of a contract with an appropriate conference venue and c) the negotiation of the Proceedings with the IEEE Publications office. The forms/links presented here should help organizers of new or existing conference with their proposal. Instructions, forms and guidelines for proposing a Computer Society sponsored conference are available here.

1. TMRF: The TMRF is to be filled up and submitted to tmrf@computer.org. There are three different forms, depending on the nature of the proposed conference or workshop.

• For conferences without tutorials or workshops, use this TMRF
• For conferences with tutorials/exhibits but no workshops, use this TMRF
• For conferences with workshops and tutorials, use this TMRF

2. Negotiating hotel contracts: IEEE Computer Society staff can help organizers negotiate discounted rates with hotels and convention centers. Details of the hotel charges and expenses are part of the budget section of the TMRF, so remember to begin the planning of the conference venue early, so that this information is available in time for the preparation of the TMRF.

A sample of the contract typically negotiated by the IEEE is available here — this illustrates the information required by the IEEE staff to negotiate a contract.

3. Publication/Proceedings Planning: The IEEE Computer Society’s Conference Publishing Services (CPS) can help you with preparing and publishing the proceedings for the proposed workshop or conference. Publication inquiries should be submitted through the online publishing inquiry form, preferably at least 4-6 months before the planned conference.