IEEE Conference Organizer Timeline
Review the IEEE Conference Organizer Timeline below to learn how far out to start planning your event activities by role. Download an editable timeline (XLS, 397 KB).
| Task | Timeframe |
| Establish Conference Organizing Committee; contact previous year’s Committee for best practices | Start |
| Contact MCE for conference mentor, education, guidance, policies, services, & tools | Start |
| Reach out, apply, & obtain sponsorship information from all IEEE &/or non-IEEE OUs. Learn their requirements. | Start |
| Create & finalize scope, topic, or theme. Check for date/scope conflicts with other IEEE conferences. | Start |
| Engage with local IEEE Section leadership where your conference will be held. How can you partner? | Start |
| Select conference date, location, venue. Tip: avoid holidays, other conferences, and peak season. | Start |
| Create conference branding & basic website. Share URL with MCE. Host your website for free with IEEE. | Start |
| Ensure that all vendors and volunteers are fulfilling duties. Conduct periodic quality check in. | Monthly |
| After agreeing with sponsors, submit Conference Application to apply for IEEE sponsorship support & inclusion in IEEE Conference Search. Approve MOU. | 36-24 months out |
| Complete POBC/COI Form within 30 days of assuming Chair position | 36-12 months out |
| Apply for grants for conference support | 18-15 months out |
| Notify MCE of on-site event emergencies (eert@ieee.org) & event conduct concerns (eventconduct@ieee.org) | On-site |
| Hold post‐conference wrap-up meeting. Include next year’s committee if possible. | On-site |
| Report statistics & lessons learned to OU with copy to MCE | 1 month post |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Seek input and approval on registration fees and other key aspects of the conference budget | Start |
| Draft conference budget | Start |
| Complete POBC/COI Form within 30 days of assuming Treasurer position | Start |
| Submit budget to IEEE MCE for review & approval | 36-12 months out |
| After budget approval, learn audit requirements for documentation throughout the life of the conference. Conferences that do not require an audit by Policy are open to random testing by IEEE Internal Audit. | 36-12 months out |
| After budget approval, establish means for filing indirect taxes if applicable, prior to collecting any revenue or making payments | 36-12 months out |
| After budget approval, establish Bank Account and submit required documentation to assigned analyst | 36-12 months out |
| Request loan to your conference account after establishing (if applicable) | 36-12 months out |
| Issue travel grants if applicable | 6-1 months out |
| Submit pre-conference forecast (including updates to projected attendance based on paper submission numbers, confirmed financial contributions, expenses, etc.). Multiple forecasts are helpful. | Monthly |
| Monitor additional revenue & expenses on-site, request daily bills from vendors to review for accuracy, review on-site transactions with forecast numbers daily. Make registrar aware of any additional on-site revenue. | On-site |
| Collect tax forms from individuals receiving awards or any non-reimbursable payments | On-site |
| Issue reimbursements for conference travel expenses | On-site-1 month post |
| Review 1099 1042 & make sure it is submitted to your Business Analyst by year end | 1 month post-year end |
| Ensure that support transfers from IEEE sponsors are submitted to your Business Analyst by year end | 1 month post-year end |
| Submit post-conference forecast | 1 month post |
| Follow-up for any outstanding bills/final invoices | 1 month post |
| Close bank account, distribute surplus & loan if applicable to financial sponsors (no later than 6 months) | 1-6 months post |
| Submit final financial report with Certificate of Accuracy (no later than 12 months after conference) | 1-12 months post |
| Prepare & submit all audit material to IEEE auditor or independent auditor (as necessary) | 1-12 months post |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Develop technical program (include underrepresented groups: local, young professionals, women, students) | 18-15 months out |
| Establish paper submission process/deadlines. Include Crosscheck or plagiarism detection tool. | 18-15 months out |
| Set up online paper management system | 18-15 months out |
| Draft a Call for Papers (CFP) | 18-15 months out |
| Establish review committee. Complete paper review process. Notify authors | 6-4 months out |
| Finalize technical program. Sign off on final copy or delegate to ensure quality control. | 6-4 months out |
| Create & publish advanced program | 6-4 months out |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Submit IEEE Conference Publication Form to request approval to submit papers to IEEE Xplore | 18-12 months out |
| Register for PDF eXpress (optional) | 15-12 months out |
| Establish Production Services for conference content | 15-12 months out |
| Register for eCF for accepted papers 90 days prior to Notification of Acceptance | 4 months out-launch |
| Submit Conference Proceedings/Content per LoA 30 days post conference start date | 2 weeks-1 month post |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Develop communications/audience development plan. Incorporate milestones - call for papers promotion, early bird deadlines, and speaker/program announcements. | 16 months out |
| Begin outreach to educational institutions, corporations, government, & industry for support & patronage. Ask companies to do press releases for keynotes as they accept. | 15 months out |
| Promote Call for Papers (CFP) & Exhibit Prospectus at current year’s conference, if applicable | 15-12 months out |
| Update website (Call for Papers, Exhibit Prospectus, venue/hotel, key dates, author instructions, & program) | 12 months out-launch |
| Promote conference through your sponsoring OU and local IEEE sections | 12 months out-launch |
| Share Event Conduct & Safety Statement with attendees | On-site |
| Promote next year’s conference with collateral, including Save the Date, Call For Papers, & Exhibit Prospectus | On-site |
| Send post-event thank you email & attendee survey | 1 day - 1 week post |
| Post photos, video content, multimedia & notices of appreciation on the website | 1 day-1 month post |
| Post next year’s date and location on the website | 1 day-1 month post |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Confirm venue & vendor contracts. Send contracts valuing over US $1,000 to contracts team for review. | 36-24 months out |
| Review & reconfirm hotel meeting space & room block. Monitor attrition cut off dates. | 12-9 months out |
| Plan social activities and tour program, if applicable. and add to registration site | 9-6 months out |
| Work w/vendors/venue to finalize room layout, AV, food & beverage, & signage. Finalize volunteer assignments. | 4 months out-launch |
| Create Event Emergency Plan & share with conference committee, volunteers, & vendors on-site | 4 months out-launch |
| Order on-site items: registration materials, final program, proceedings, signage, giveaways, and items to promote next year’s conference. Ship to site. | 4 months out-launch |
| Arrive at conference location at least one day prior to conference start. Confirm on-site logistics with venue. | On-site |
| Monitor on-site activities & hold meetings with key organizers, vendors, and venue as needed | On-site |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Determine registration process/vendor. Include IEEE Event Terms and Conditions & IEEE Privacy Policy. | 12-9 months out |
| Work with Finance Chair to develop registration scenarios (early bird, etc.) | 12-9 months out |
| Create GDPR-compliant registration form (& visa process if applicable). Ensure registration service is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant. | 9-6 months out |
| Work with vendor on badging. Contact MCE to learn about discounts. | 4 months out-launch |
| Manage on-site registration | On-site |
| Finalize attendee list - attendee name, item purchased, amount paid, payment method, date paid & no shows. Send to IEEE MCE with closing materials. | 1 month post |
| Task | Timeframe |
| Work with Finance Chair to establish sponsorship targets & development of tiers | 18-15 months out |
| Prepare Exhibit Prospectus. Send request for proposal (RFP) to exhibit decorators. | 18-15 months out |
| Establish a means of exhibitor & sponsor invoicing & payment tracking | 18-15 months out |
| Create sponsor & exhibit report w/entity name, item purchased, amount paid, method of payment, & date paid | 12-1 months out |
| Finalize exhibitors, space assignments & exhibitor bios | 4 months out-launch |
| Collect & record payments and provide on-site information | Monthly |
| Set up for event: registration area, exhibit space, information booth, office area, signage, etc. | On-site |
| Establish location, schedule, & staffing sign-up for next year’s conference. Renew exhibitors on-site. | On-site |
Apply for IEEE Sponsorship for Your Conference
An important step in your planning journey is completing the IEEE Conference Application. The IEEE Conference Application requests sponsorship approval from IEEE; permission for naming; and use of the IEEE Logo and Brand Name.
Start
After agreeing with sponsors, provide key details about your event to apply for IEEE sponsorship and help MCE best assist you.
Complete
Submit your application using the online form. Edit and save your work, track your progress, and preview your submission.
Status
Easily check on the status of your request. Once approved, the IEEE Conference Application feeds details of your conference to the IEEE Conference Search
