Re: [council] Gala tickets and volunteers...

["Mary Wong" <MWong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think we all understand that the financial, venue and other logistical
issues for local hosts and organizers are difficult, particularly as the
total number of participants is constantly changing and, particularly in
the case of popular/accessible cities, growing. (BTW I didn't mean to
disparage or under-estimate the effort - and great job - that previous
organizers (including some colleagues here on the Council) had put in.)
 
I don't think the best solution is to cancel the event; and I believe
most local hosts/organizers do their best to be as inclusive as
possible. At the very least, however, for meetings where it is
reasonable to expect that there will be a large number of attendees, the
meeting website should be clear that space is limited.
 
In terms of distributing those tickets, there has to be a better way of
ensuring that those who put in the work can get to go, e.g. non-Board,
non-Council, non-Chair community members on WGs, DTs and the like. Why
not give a certain number of tickets to each SG, to distribute directly
to their members on constituency day? If for some reason a SG doesn't
use up all its tickets, it can put those unused tickets back in a pool
for general distribution.
 
More generally, perhaps ICANN and future hosts/organizers/sponsors
should be looking at more and smaller networking events rather than just
one single fancy event that is sure to generate disappointment after all
the hype. 
 
Cheers
Mary
 
Mary W S Wong
Professor of Law & Chair, Graduate IP Programs
Franklin Pierce Law Center
Two White Street
Concord, NH 03301
USA
Email: mwong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phone: 1-603-513-5143
Webpage: http://www.piercelaw.edu/marywong/index.php
Selected writings available on the Social Science Research Network
(SSRN) at: http://ssrn.com/author=437584


>>> 


From: Stéphane Van Gelder<stephane.vangelder@xxxxxxxxx>
To:Olga Cavalli <olgacavalli@xxxxxxxxx>
CC:<HughesDeb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <MWong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
<council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 6/23/2010 3:06 AM
Subject: Re: [council] Gala tickets and volunteers...
Sorry to wade in, but I find this thread surreal.

So should it be a rule at ICANN meetings that even if there are 2,000
or more attendees, as we are told is the case here, the organizers MUST
find suitable space for them? So does that mean they have to rent a
stadium or something if ICANN meetings continue to grow in popularity
and interest worldwide?

I understand and am sympathetic to Tim's desire to include everyone,
but what if that's not physically possible? Should a venue be discounted
because a 2,000 person gala event cannot be organized there, either for
budgetary or logistical reasons?


Stéphane Van Gelder
Directeur Général / General manager
+33 1 48 01 83 51

INDOM Noms de domaine / Domain names
124-126, rue de Provence
75008 Paris
France
0820 77 7000 (Prix d'un appel local) 
De l'étranger (calling from outside France): + 33 1 76 70 05 67
www.indom.com

Daily domain name industry news: www.domaines.info
Mon blog/My blog : www.stephanevangelder.com
Twitter : stephvg


----------------
Téléchargez l'App INDOM GRATUITE pour iPhone (App Store, Recherche:
"INDOM")
Download INDOM's FREE iPHone App (App Store, search for INDOM).
http://itunes.apple.com/fr/app/indom/id359401210?mt=8
----------------

Le 23 juin 2010 à 08:55, Olga Cavalli a écrit :



Hi,
I agree with Tim and Mary.
When meetings are organized, there should be a commitment made by
organizers and local partners  to allow everyone in the ICANN community
to participating in social events including the Gala dinner.
It is extremely disappointing to have difficulties in getting one of
the invitations for those not part of a SO or AC, even when they
volunteer time and effort in different working groups or are just part
of the community attending the meeting.
As new rules are being established for ICANN meetings organization, I
suggest that we address this comment to those in charge of preparing
them.
Regards
Olga

2010/6/22 <HughesDeb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



I strongly agree with Mary.
Debbie

Debra Y. Hughes l Senior Counsel 
American Red Cross 
Office of the General Counsel  
2025 E Street, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20006 
Phone: (202) 303-5356 
Fax: (202) 303-0143 
HughesDeb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

From: owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mary Wong
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:34 AM
To: GNSO Council
Subject: Re: [council] Gala tickets and volunteers...

 
I agree with Tim that it seems to defeat the purpose if the most active
volunteers at ICANN don't get an equal chance to attend the main event.

 
More broadly, I find it troubling that these events are listed as
"networking events" on the schedule, but occasionally (usually at
meetings where there are very many attendees, e.g. Paris and now
Brussels) an "ordinary" member of the community (e.g. not a Board or
Council member) is told, after traveling to the meeting and after he/she
has been asked to name his/her hotel for transport to the gala, that
he/she needs a ticket on a "first come first served" basis (BTW the
meeting website merely hints vaguely at this, saying that "Invitations
will be available ... starting on Tuesday etc.") 

 
I appreciate that this kind of decision is made by the host/sponsor for
logistical reasons, and not ICANN, but to me it could - and probably
will - be taken as a poor reflection of ICANN (especially when so much
volunteer time is being asked of the community). I also appreciate that
as a Council member I get a ticket and in advance (thank you Glen!!!!)
but if I were a non-Council but active WG member, I might be troubled by
that too.

 
It seems to me that if the host/sponsor cannot hold a splashy event
that can accommodate as many members of the community as wish to attend
(some of whom may be here for the first time or who may be funding
themselves), then either hold a less fancy/ambitious event so that more
can attend, or don't hold one at all (or at least don't advertise it as
a gala open to all).

 
All right, now someone tell me this is "outside the scope of Council"
:)

 
Have a good day of meetings, everyone!
Mary

 
Mary W S Wong
Professor of Law & Chair, Graduate IP Programs
Franklin Pierce Law Center
Two White Street
Concord, NH 03301
USA
Email: mwong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phone: 1-603-513-5143
Webpage: http://www.piercelaw.edu/marywong/index.php
Selected writings available on the Social Science Research Network
(SSRN) at: http://ssrn.com/author=437584


>>> 


From: 
"Tim Ruiz" <tim@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To:
"GNSO Council " <council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 
6/22/2010 3:00 AM
Subject: 
[council] Gala tickets and volunteers...
I learned this morning that the ATRT members do not get Gala tickets
similar to the way the Council received them. It seems to me that if the
primary social event at these meetings is going to have limited
availability that active volunteers in current working groups, work
teams, etc. of the ACs and SOs should have some preference.

 
I'm not sure if there is anything we can do about it at this point, but
Glen, is there any way that at least the ATRT members can be sure to get
tickets if any of them want them?  And going forward, this is something
that should be given some thought. It may even serve as an incentive for
participation in the work of the ACs and SOs.

 
Tim 

 








Pierce Law | University of New Hampshire - An Innovative Partnership