CONGRESS GUIDELINES
Rough Guide to the Organisation of AICA Congresses, to be read in conjunction with the Statutes and Regulations of the Association
INTRODUCTION
Each year, in agreement with the Executive Bureau and with the approval of the General Assembly, a different National Section acts as Host to the Association’s Congress and General Assembly, to which all Members are invited, and to a meeting of the Administrative Council. This Guide is intended to serve as an aide-mémoire for actual, or potential, Hosts. It lists, summarises, and recapitulates, essential technical and practical data, to help ensure the smooth running and success of this cycle of events.
The Host which organises these Meetings and is responsible for all detailed planning and execution, works alongside the Paris Bureau (comprising the International President, Secretary-General and Treasurer of AICA) and the Association’s Administrative Secretary, to establish the theme and the general programme of the Congress, as well as the schedule for the meetings of the Administrative Council and the General Assembly. A preliminary encounter between these parties is highly desirable, before a firm proposal is submitted for the approval of the General Assembly. If a reconnaissance trip to the Congress location is agreed to be necessary, the travel costs and hospitality for the officers concerned are a charge to the Host.
PREPARATORY STAGES
The deadlines mentioned in this section are established for a Congress held in the month of September, which is an optimal period for participants. Any different timetable would have to be agreed with the Executive Bureau, well in advance.
1. Each year, the General Assembly decides on, or reconfirms, the venue and timing of the Annual Congress for the following year. It also gives preliminary consideration to the theme of the next Congress. At the same time, the General Assembly considers the respective merits of fresh, and existing, proposals for Congresses in future years beyond that, and examines opportunities for sponsorship and advance collaboration with specific institutions.
2. Towards the end of January, at the latest (i.e. the January preceding the Congress), the President of the Host Section, acting in concert with the Paris Bureau, sends a letter of invitation, with dates and an outline programme proposal, to all members of the Administrative Council, comprising all the Presidents of National Sections, the elected International Members of the Council, the Vice-Presidents, the members of the Executive Bureau, the Chairs of Committees and Commissions, and all Honorary Presidents and former Vice-Presidents.
3. In February the Host presents to the Administrative Council the first draft of a preliminary programme for the Congress. This should be as close as possible to the pre-programme mentioned in paragraph 4, below.
4. At the beginning of March, the Host e-mails to the Paris Bureau (aica.office@gmail.com) a pre-programme for the Congress, with much greater detail than the outline produced in January, registration forms in all three official languages (English, French and Spanish), the names of prominent guest speakers, and a call for papers. The Bureau checks this information, then places it on the Association’s website and e-mails, or posts versions of it to the Presidents of all National Sections and the other members of the Administrative Council. The National Presidents, in turn, have a responsibility for immediately transmitting this information to all members of their Sections, in whatever form they judge to be the most convenient and expeditious.
5. In May-June, the Host sends the Paris Bureau a list of participants, as soon as possible after the closing date for registration. Thereafter, additional names are forwarded to Paris, as soon as they become known.
6. In July, the Host sends a letter of confirmation to each member who has registered for the Congress. This letter should also include the full details of that member’s hotel booking, including the name, address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address and website of the hotel in question.
7. In August-September, the Host publishes updated information about the Congress on the website and sends the same material to the AICA office, in order for it to be published simultaneously, with the same date, on the Association’s website. Updated versions of the programme should likewise be published simultaneously on the Host’s website and that of the Association, and should always carry the date of the latest revision and a note, alerting the reader to fresh, or changed, information. In September, the final programme is published on both websites.
BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE PARTICIPANTS
Important: The Congress Secretary’s Office must be open on a permanent basis throughout the few months preceding the arrival of the participants. Do not forget to mention the telephone and fax numbers, as well as the address, website and e-mail address in all correspondence ! All details of change of address, temporary staff absences, temporary closure of the office or breakdown in telephone, fax or e-mail communications should immediately be notified to the Paris Bureau.
1. Hotels
Make sure that reservations are effectively recorded by all hotels, right up to the last moment. These hotels should, preferably, be located within a limited geographical area and be close enough to the Congress site, to avoid the need for shuttles or buses. You should consider providing buses and shuttles, free of charge, on occasions where their use is unavoidable or would help to save time in the programme. Check up on acceptability, or otherwise, of credit and payments.
In cases where participants are housed in universities or schools, verify the quality of the accommodation: linen, bathrooms, ease of telephone calls, possibility of quick breakfasts and getting in late at night. Beware of any possible lack of personnel over the week-end !
Plan to have a bulletin board in each hotel, for displaying the programme and informing participants of all changes.
It is customary to lodge the (currently) three Officers of the Executive Bureau and the Administrative Secretary in the same hotel and to offer this option to any Honorary Presidents who may be attending this function on their own initiative (i.e. at their own expense). The Secretary-General, Administrative Secretary and, if possible, President will normally, at their discretion, fly out to the Host country a few days before the opening of the Congress, in order to take part in the final preparations. Their accommodation and living expenses are a charge to the Host Section.
The Host will be responsible for making and, if necessary, paying for, the local arrangements to accommodate and provide hospitality for the Director-General of UNESCO, in the event of the latter’s accepting the standard, formal invitation to attend the Congress.
2. Information and Communications
* Place signs and arrange to welcome participants, on their arrival at railway stations and airports
* Place a fully equipped and functioning office at, or near, the Congress site, at the disposal of the Secretary-General. This space must have a telephone, fax machine, photocopier, computer (to be specified), printer and sizeable, lock-up closet, for storing documents and items of value. Note: You may wish, in connection with this, to consider proposing a space-sharing arrangement with the Secretary-General and his/her staff
* Allow for extra personnel, as necessary
* Place a bulletin board near the location of the sessions, for information about the Congress, including the programme, an updated list of participants and a list of Congress staff, with their mobile telephone numbers, a map of the city, indicating the location of the sessions and of outside visits and general information, such as the location of exchange desks or banks for foreign currency, a post office, a supermarket, taxis (with telephone numbers), etc.
* Make arrangements for medical first aid (doctor, infirmary, drugs) and post information about this on the bulletin board
* Prepare cards with the names of all the speakers and moderators, in addition to all members of the Executive Bureau, for placing on the tables in the meeting rooms/lecture halls
* Distribute clearly visible signs, with arrows to indicate the direction of the Congress hall, AICA office, etc.
* Ensure that all funding bodies and individuals, including sponsors are fully credited, in line with prior agreements and understandings, in all relevant printed materials and public addresses
* Plan on numerous personnel to welcome the participants. All recruits must be informed of the overall programme, but must be exclusively dedicated to the task(s) to which they have been assigned.
ON ARRIVAL OF THE PARTICIPANTS
1 – Welcome at the Congress Secretary’s Office
* check up on the names and numbers of the members who have already registered and on the fees received, to date * collect the registration fees which have not yet been paid
* request the written text of any papers which have not already been received
* make available for the delegates copies of translations of the papers and speeches, wherever possible, in advance of their being delivered
* give each participant their hotel reservation slip on which the amount of the deposit paid is noted
* make, and distribute, distinctive badges for participants, with their name and the name of their Section, and for the different categories of Congress staff, delegates and visitors
* distribute meal tickets, if needs be (plan on a separate cashbox, to facilitate bookkeeping; bear in mind the possible dietary requirements of delegates)
* give each participant a folder or conference bag containing all the documents, including:
detailed programme, with an hourly schedule (the various meeting times and places must be duly specified so that “independents” can find the group, if necessary)
timing of meals, with some mention of who pays for them, who, on certain occasions, is the host (e.g. the Minister of Culture) and what may be the dress code
list of speakers, with excerpts from their papers or speeches and short c.v.s
alphabetical list of participants, followed by the names of their Sections and their contact details (addresses, e-mail addresses, websites and telephone and fax numbers), a list of representatives of the Host and of the Congress staff (with contact details) and a list of participants who are not AICA members. These lists, should be updated, as the Congress proceeds, and pinned to the bulletin board
map of the city, along with relevant practical information, information about galleries and exhibitions, invitations to official or social functions and free gifts, block of paper and writing materials
2. Transport and Local Travel
Instruct the chauffeurs to adhere very strictly to schedules (too bad for those who are late !) and to take instructions only from the Congress Organiser or his/her designated representative(s).
3. Simultaneous Translation and Recording on Cassettes
Make an immediate start with the following, from the very beginning of the first session:
* simultaneous translation of the full proceedings of the General Assembly and the Congress sessions into and out of the official Congress languages, including English, French and Spanish
* systematic recording of all sessions, including the General Assembly and Administrative Council meeting. The tapes are essential for the publication of the Acts. Note: At the time of drawing up contracts with the translators, make sure that they are aware that their work will be taped and subsequently transcribed, edited and printed, so that any extra charge or copyright issues arising out of this are cleared up, in advance !
* hand the cassette recordings of the General Assembly, the Administrative Council Meeting and any special session for the elections to the Secretary-General’s office immediately after each event or, at the latest, by the end of the Congress, so that work can start immediately on editing the minutes and publishing news about the Congress on the Association’s website
* the Congress auditorium needs to be equipped with booths for the simultaneous translators, properly functioning headphones for the audience, hearing loops for members with impaired hearing, overhead projection facilities, slide and video projectors, power-point facilities, and fixed microphones for the moderators and for all speakers from the platform, in addition to one or two roving microphones for speakers from the floor. Notes: A technician capable of servicing the microphones and other electrical equipment, and available to lower or raise the lights and open or close the shutters or blinds in the lecture hall should be to hand, at all times. Speakers should be invited to check in advance with him/her that power-point and projection facilities are functioning properly – including twin slide projectors, for parallel projection, if requested – and that slides are inserted into carousels, the correct way up. Note, too, that additional power may be required in the auditorium, to cope with television coverage of VIPs, or other distinguished speakers.
4. Parties – Receptions – Visits
Plan for pauses of sufficient length and avoid schedules that are too heavy: participants very much like going back to the hotel to telephone, talk, change their clothes and get some rest. Give careful consideration to planning the programme, which should include visits to a selection of leading museums, publicly funded and commercial art galleries, artists’ studios, etc., not forgetting that many members also have a strongly developed interest in architecture and issues of display. Wherever possible, try to ensure that responsible museum and gallery (etc.) staff are to hand, to talk about their collections, exhibitions and other activities, to introduce the artists and curators of special shows, and to answer questions. You are encouraged to arrange special exhibitions, events and publications, which include artists from the region, or which deal with a special theme, of relevance both to a local audience and to the international guests. However, do make sure that you are selective, in what you decide to include in the programme for delegates ! They want to see the best that is on offer, so do not subject them to anything that you cannot personally commend. Routine cultural tourism may be less interesting to them than a chance to meet a local artist, or have a swim or a drink in the bar !
5. Press and PR
Be sure to maintain a good Press Service throughout the Congress ! The Host should send copies of all press documents to the Secretary-General’s Office, to help with the preparation of reports and for filing in the Archives. Participants should be asked to send reports to the Host, after their return home, and to furnish the Host with copies of any material which may have appeared in the media.
Important: the Host bears ultimate responsibility for all information provided to delegates and for all details of the programme and changes to same, whether arbitrary or caused by force majeure, and regardless of whether an outside tourist agency, or similar, is also involved in the arrangements.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Administrative Council & General Assembly
Adequate time should be set aside for both the Administrative Council meeting and the General Assembly, each of which requires a total of six hours. No parallel activities of elements of pre- or post-Congress tours should be scheduled at the same time as the Administrative Council meeting or General Assembly.
A session at the General Assembly must be planned for the election of Vice-Presidents, International Members, and, if needs be, officers of the Paris Bureau. This session is for Members only, to enable each candidate to present his/her programme, and all participants to vote, as necessary. A blackboard and ballot box is to be made available by the Host Section, for this purpose.
Visas and financial support
Certain countries require visitors to apply for entrance visas, several months in advance. Members may experience problems with obtaining visas and should seek the Host’s advice or help with sorting these out.
Many Members need to raise financial support in their own countries, to enable them to participate in the Congress. Such support takes time to arrange and may be dependent on acceptance by the Organisers of their proposal for a paper. Remember to send out official letters of invitation or of acceptance of a paper as early as possible, even if certain details of the Congress programme have yet to be determined. Official letters of invitation or acceptance must be clearly and accurately formulated, and addressed to the applicants, with copies to the Presidents of their National Sections.
Certain National Sections can sometimes benefit from government grants, for Members attending the AICA Congress. In such instances, it is essential that they receive, as early as possible – ideally, three months before the end of the calendar year preceding the Congress – an official letter of invitation to the Congress on the stationery of the Host Section, signed by the President of that Section.
Official invitations
The Host must invite the Director-General of UNESCO to open the Congress, as soon as the firm dates are known and, in any case, no less than three months before it is due to start. This rule has not always been strictly observed in the past, but is essential for the Association’s maintenance of good relations with that organisation, on which it depends for goodwill and occasional financial support. For this reason, please be sure, also to copy correspondence with UNESCO to the Executive Bureau.
Remember that the highest possible representation of National Sections, and the presence of a large number of members from both the host country and abroad, are the best guarantees of success ! We encourage Hosts to invite senior politicians or high-ranking officials to attend the opening ceremony and deliver welcoming addresses. Likewise, we encourage Hosts to invite leading personalities from the fields of the arts, education and the media to take part in the proceedings of the Congress itself and in social activities, including visits to exhibitions (see Regulations, Article III.1). Charging local visitors a modest admission fee to certain events may provide a small source of additional income.
Notes on the Registration Form for the Congress and on accompanying material to be placed on the Host’s and AICA’s Website. Individual Members to be alerted to this by the Officers of their National Executives.
* exact dates of the Congress and of any pre-Congress or post-Congress events
* note of registration fees payable by participants in the Congress as a whole or in separate parts of the overall programme, with preferential rate(s) and closing date(s) for early registration, where applicable. Indicate clearly the timing of payments and of the currencies and methods of payment, such as credit card, bank transfer and cheque, that are acceptable. Also make some mention of the registration fee payable by non-members and of any special terms which may be applicable to them. Note: It will be for you, to decide whether to charge the members of your own Section a registration fee, and to bear in mind, both that many members’ institutions will be able to pay this (thereby, providing minor sponsorship of the event) and that guests – whether professionals or not – may be charged separately, or at a different rate, from members of the Association
* accommodation request form, with full contact details (including home page, where relevant), of available, and approved, hotel and other approved accommodation at all prices, by category, together with the price of single or double rooms per day (to include breakfast, service and local taxes), a note of any special terms that are available to participants in the Congress and, wherever possible, brief outline descriptions of geographical location, in relation to the conference venues and city centre
* note of the deposit payable for all accommodation reservations, at the time of registering for the Congress. Notes: You will be well advised both to ask a travel or booking agency to negotiate special – possibly, sponsored – rates for block bookings at Congress hotels and to do the same yourself, by making initial approaches to more hotels than you will eventually need. Bear in mind, though, that the travel or booking agency does its work more or less free, as its services are paid for with the commission it receives from the hotels. Hotels may offer different deadlines for the confirmation of a core number of bookings and for the finalisation of all details. Delegates may be asked to pay for an advance deposit on hotel bookings, but this should not be in excess of the payment for one night. In order to minimise bank charges, you are recommended only to request one pre-payment, including the Congress fee, any eventual pre- or post-Congress fees and any hotel deposit that may be required. All payments must be net of bank charges and currency exchange commissions
* section for recording delegates anticipated dates of arrival and departure, and whether/by whom they will be accompanied. Note: the information accompanying the accommodations request form should also include details of travel to accommodation, on arrival in the country, together with an indication of costs, whether by public or private transport
* note of the closing date for registration, after which applicants will cease to be automatically eligible for any concessionary rates and may be expected to make all their own arrangements with hotels, direct, if the Host is unable to help further, at this stage. Note: the Host should, however, show an awareness and understanding of the problems which can arise, when delegates experience delays, in having their abstract accepted and securing funding of the back of this
* date before which the registration fee and the deposit for accommodation may be refundable, in case of withdrawal
* space for bank details, including account number where the payments must be made. Do not forget to mention “free of bank charges for the receiver” !
* date, time and location for the registration of delegates and for the Administrative Council and General Assembly meetings
* Details of pre- or post-Congress tours, where relevant (dates, programme, costs, closing date[s] for registration) and available modes of payment. Notes: pre- and post-Congress tours are to be regarded as parts of the intellectual programme, as a whole, as well as offering delegates the chance of seeing other parts of the country. What is needed here are well planned, professional programmes, including visits to museums, art galleries, artists’ studios, interesting architecture and the suchlike. Contract art professionals as guides, not the usual tourist guides, and please bear in mind the need to cater, as best may be, for the Association’s three official languages, English, French and Spanish ! Members of the Host Section’s Board, Organising Committee and Section members are expected to be present on these tours and to play an active role on them. Likewise, the members of the Paris Bureau will expect, whenever possible, to take part in these tours, at the Host’s expense. It is the responsibility of the Host to ensure that the correct quota of single and double rooms has been set aside, and that participants are not forced at the last moment, and contrary to their expectations, to share rooms. Different options for the pre- or post-Congress activities have to be spelt out, in advance, so that participants are able to indicate and prioritise their individual preferences. If there is only one pre- or post-Congress tour, the Host has to make sure that all members signing up by the given deadline are guaranteed a place on that tour
* note of the average price of any meals that are not covered by the Host Section
* practical information: optional or compulsory inoculations, visa requirements, airport taxes, currency regulations, seasonal temperature and climate, clothes, etc.
* note on the availability of fare reductions, with full details of airlines, travel agents, etc. for information only (i.e. not legally binding)
* in February, at the latest (at the time of the Administrative Council meting): call for papers, the timing of which will vary, according to circumstance, but which must be in two stages – first, the submission of abstracts and then for the submission of the full paper – and must allow successful candidates adequate time, after the acceptance of their abstracts, to secure funding for their trip and complete the full text of their paper. Appropriate deadlines might, for example, be mid-May for abstracts and end- September or, in any case, not later than ten days before the opening of the Congress, for receipt of the full-length paper by the Host’s offices.
Notes: The abstracts of papers will thus be requested sufficiently far in advance for your Section to be able to establish a programme of work sessions appropriate to the subjects to be treated, and contact a moderator for each session, in good time. Another way might be for you to announce the names of the moderators for the different sessions at the time of sending out the call for papers, on the principle that it may be worth paying extra, to secure the best moderators. The full-length papers should then be delivered, in time for them to be translated and excerpted, for publicity and other purposes. The excerpting, which is not the same as making an abstract, should, preferably, be carried out by the authors themselves. You should ask applicants submitting the texts of abstracts and papers in a language which is not their own to ensure that the wording has been carefully checked by someone qualified to do this work. You may still wish to reserve the right, unilaterally to introduce any further changes that may be required, strictly for the sake of greater clarity or better understanding, but should always, in this case, immediately inform the lecturer. At the outset, you should clearly announce the maximum length for both abstracts and full-length papers and the time available in the programme for delivering the latter, complete with illustrative material, where relevant. You should also ensure that you negotiate the copyright for publishing the speakers’ papers, in any language, in the published Proceedings of the Congress, with due regard for AICA’s prior right to publish this material and obtain the appropriate credits for it, in any outside publications. You should advise the authors of papers that they will be given an opportunity for correcting the final version of their texts, before these are printed in the Proceedings. You should send the moderators copies of the abstracts that have been accepted and the full-length papers, as soon as they become available, together with c.v.s of the speakers and their full contact addresses. You should also inform moderators, in advance, of how much time is available for discussion and for questions from the auditorium and notify them immediately of any change in the timetable or composition of the participants in sessions for which they are responsible. At the time of hiring the simultaneous translators, you should agree with them when they may expect to receive the full-length papers in the original language and, possibly, in translation. Any proposed changes or modifications to the format of the Congress should first be discussed, and agreed, with the Executive Bureau * when it comes to considering possible themes for the Congress, please ensure that they are precise, well formulated, but sufficiently broad to attract contributions from members in all parts of the world. Monographic themes and areas of limited special interest should be avoided, and abstracts should be either rejected or renegotiated, if they do not meet the requisite high standards of originality and intellectual rigour
The Secretary-General’s Office will always, of course, be available to help the Host with addresses and suggested modes of invitation.
HOST SECTION’S EXPENSES
In preparing your first draft budget, be aware that costs can change during the year. You are advised to present a realistic budget and applications to the local authorities, sponsors, foundations, etc. Then you can establish an internal, shadow budget, where you can be more optimistic. Remember that low price airlines can go bankrupt or land you in unforeseen expenses, including hidden costs. There must, in any case, remain the firm commitment to pay the flights and local costs of the Executive Bureau members and guest speakers. You are advised to include a 10% contingency item on the overall budget, to cover unforeseen expenses and factors such as inflation or currency devaluation.
Costs which you will incur before, during and after the Congress, include the following:
*printing the general programme for the Congress and related documents submitted by the Secretary-General’s office and by individual speakers, well in advance of the event, together with the cost of printing or duplicating documents submitted direct to the Hosts by individual speakers at the Congress, translation expenses for written texts (see Article III.3 of the Regulations) and the cost of transcribing texts and excerpts, before, at and after the Conference. Note: texts, layout, logos and credits must be cleared with the Secretary-General’s office, both well in advance and at the proof stage
* secretarial expenses before and during the Congress (see Regulations, Article III.3)
* simultaneous translation in the three AICA languages and, if needs be, the language(s) of the Host country, for all working sessions of the Congress and for the whole of the General Assembly (though not the Administrative Council meeting). Negotiate with the Executive Bureau the possible need for consecutive translation during visits to exhibitions or for other parts of the social programme
* conference room rental, if applicable, in addition to any rental for other rooms used for Commissions and working groups
* international and local travel expenses, hotel accommodation and subsistence for the International President, Secretary-General, Treasurer and Administrative Secretary of the Association (see Appendix 1 to the Regulations)
* travel costs, accommodation and subsistence (meal allowance) for any discretionary visits paid to the Host country by the International President and/or Secretary-General and/or Administrative Secretary, in the course of preparing for the Congress
* ditto for guests, including guest speakers, invited by the Host Section to attend the Congress, in keeping with the terms offered to the members of the Executive Bureau (see above). (see Article III.1 of the Regulations).
Notes: a. ensure that speakers are made aware that they will not be paid an extra fee, for the publication of their papers in the Acts of the Congress. b. guest speakers – of whom there may be five or six – may need to be booked up to 6-9 months in advance of the event. Speakers should be selected on their own merit, but also with an eye to a variety of factors, including gender, language and geographical distribution. All speakers, whether AICA members or not, should expect to be offered a fee net of local taxes, in addition to hotel accommodation and subsistence and, in certain cases, travel costs. It is incumbent on the Host to check up on local tax law, in advance of agreeing any fee terms with the speakers. The guest speakers need to be booked far enough in advance for the Host to including their names in the March programme with the registration details, in order to the enrolment of members
*The Host will be responsible for making and, if necessary, paying for, the local arrangements to accommodate and provide hospitality for the Director-General of UNESCO, in the event of the latter’s accepting the standard, formal invitation to attend the Congress
* access to, and the operating expenses for, equipment (including international telephone, computer with e-mail and Internet connection, fax and photocopier) needed by the Administrative Secretary and the Secretary-General for their work, in the run-up to, and throughout the duration of, the Congress
* transport and local travel costs, including items such as the hire of minibuses and transport of some guests to and from the airport, which are usually subsidised by the Host City (or Cities), and taxis, where required, in order to ensure that members of the Executive Bureau, Congress staff and representative(s) of UNESCO arrive in time at the different venues
* cost of organising and paying for meals and receptions, to the maximum amount affordable from the local budget. Note: it helps greatly, to be able to provide free coffee and/or other refreshments for the breaks between sessions, as this saves time and helps the organisers to adhere to their schedule * the folder or conference bag, plus all documents
* publication of the Acts of the Congress in at least one of the official languages of AICA, plus any other languages that may be required, together with publication of all lectures in their original language (where not English, French or Spanish). Notes: a. publication to be over the AICA imprint and carried out in collaboration with AICA’s Publications Commission. b. Acts to appear within one calendar year, at the latest, of the Congress to which they relate. Note: make sure to include the estimated costs of translating, proof-reading, editing, designing, printing and distributing the Acts in your first draft budget for the Congress !
* presentation and distribution of the Acts, free of charge, to all speakers at the Congress, all members of the Administrative Council, AICA Paris (min. 10 copies), all sponsors, including the Secretary-General of UNESCO and, if possible, wider afield (e.g. to all participants in the Congress), in addition to all costs associated with marketing the publication and securing its distribution. * cost (including all taxes) of hiring staff.
Notes: During and immediately before the Congress you will need plenty of people around, to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The members of your Section should be able to help with many administrative tasks, but you will also need to take on paid employees, on a temporary basis. Use volunteers, too, by all means, but look after them well, even if you are only able to pay their expenses ! Students and unemployed people will, quite reasonably, expect to be paid for their services and may need extra recognition, such as a certificate or letter of recommendation to a future employer.
* optional extras, such as a contribution to the cost of special exhibitions, events and publications, involving artists or institutions in the region, for which the costs and organisational responsibilities need to be clearly defined, and agreed, in advance
HOST SECTION’S INCOME
There can be no question here of putting a figure on the overall budget, since the cost of living and the level of the Host Section’s resources vary from one country to the next. However, it should be noted that the Host Section is expected to raise adequate funds to cover the full costs of the Congress outlined above, and to be able to provide evidence to the Paris Bureau of its ability to do so, before sending out the initial letter of invitation to all National Presidents in, or before, January.
The Host is exempted from paying any Individual members’ dues to the General Treasurer, for the year concerned. These dues thus become available, to assist the Host with the cost of organising the Congress.
The registration fees requested from each participant (with the exception of the invited guests, including the members of the Executive Bureau and the Administrative Secretary) are also retained by the Host Section. Please note, though, that AICA traditionally charges its members lower registration fees (in the region of 100 Euros) than most comparable Associations, on the grounds that many of them are free lance critics, or otherwise self-employed. It is worth bearing this in mind, if your local funders should advise you to increase the registration fee, as a means of balancing the budget !
We advise the Host to make separate bookkeeping arrangements for the Congress and to hire a certified accountant to supervise this work from the time of drawing up the first draft budget. Note that some institutions and foundations request a professional audit of accounts after the end of the Congress, and that funds for this should be earmarked, in advance. The Host is also encouraged to seek the advice of the Executive Bureau and the relevant AICA Commission for fund-raising, in relation to strategies for raising money from international foundations and other sources. The Host should keep the Executive Bureau continuously updated, concerning progress with putting together the Congress budget, planned fund-raising activities, money transmitted to the Host’s bank account, etc. in order to avoid potential clashes of interest or reduplication of effort.
Revised, August 2004