Future Conferences

It is clear that we need a 5 year plan of future conferences.
It is equally clear that it is a costly and time consuming venture to host a conference.
Anyone who has already hosted the conference will accept that one can be lucky or unlucky in the amount of money/time/equipment/expertise that is sponsored for any one conference.
We should also accept that if a poor country like Kenya can host the CEI conference with support from us and despite many barriers, then it is possible for any country to host the conference in the future. We must cut our cloth to meet our needs.

Step 1 is to have a vision and desire to host the conference.
Step 2 is to get a team together to organise the event.
Step 3 is to put together a minimum budget based on all delegates paying a conference fee.
Step 4 is to see to what extent the costs can be brought down by sponsorship of that time, expertise, equipment and of course money, if that is possible, that I mentioned at the start.
This will allow the organisers to sponsor their own local delegates (who have a dual role of assisting at the conference) and also where possible to support delegations from less developed parts of the globe.
Step 5 is to present to the Board the vision and the desire to host the conference.
Step 6 is for the Board to look at ways in which it can support the conference request in terms of the 5 year plan.

Our primary goal should be to have an independent conference that is run along the lines of CEI goals. We may have a secondary goal to host the conference in association with another worthy organisation. We must strive to ensure the continuity of our successful conferences by whatever strategy best meets our aims.

I look forward to the challenge that is presented to us and hope that we can construct a plan to take us into the future.
After all, it less challenging than Global warming!!