Call for Expressions of Interest for running the next IPPA Congress

It is time to start planning the next IPPA conference. It is scheduled for 2018, as per the four-year cycle described in the IPPA Constitution. 2018 may seem like a long time in the future, but to have a successful meeting we need all the time we can get for planning and preparation.

If you are interested, please discuss the idea with your local colleagues before responding to me. The congress in Cambodia earlier this year attracted almost 1000 people in total and was a major logistical exercise with several very serious issues to deal with. In this context, one of the most important factors, other than a suitable venue with a range of accommodation options, is substantial financial support. To keep IPPA affordable for regional colleagues, we rely very heavily on government assistance. This support comes not only through allowing local colleagues to work on IPPA matters before, during and, for some, after the Congress, but also in providing a substantial amount of money as well as various sorts of ‘in-kind’ material support to help cover costs. In Cambodia, the National Government and various authorities were very generous in both ways, which is one reason the meeting was such a success. The same goes for previous congresses. Very few external agencies can provide help on the scale required. Wenner Gren is always supportive, but can grant us a maximum of USD20,000, which does not go far. Intensive efforts to find other external sources of money for the Cambodian meeting were not successful, but should always be considered as well.

The IPPA Executive is not seeking detailed bids at this stage, only expressions of interest. Please think carefully about the foregoing matters before responding. If you wish to nominate, please submit your expression of interest by FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 2014.