Detailed conditions and requirements

LACNIC summons regional organizations interested in hosting its 2009 annual meeting. This meeting will be tentatively held during the week of 25 to 29 of May, 2009 in a city within the LACNIC´s service region.

Local organizers interested in hosting this meeting must meet certain conditions and requirements detailed in this document. 

The following activities are carried out within the framework of LACNIC events: LACNIC's Annual Member Assembly, learning and training workshops, the Latin America and the Caribbean IPv6 Forum, the Public Policy Forum, the Latin American IPv6 Task Force meeting, as well as the NAPLA (NAP operators) meeting and the Network Security meeting. In addition, meetings of other important regional organizations that contribute to the development and stability of the Internet in the region such us, LACTLD (ccTLDs operators), e-COMLAC (ISP association), ISOC (Internet Society) among others,  take place simultaneously. If the agenda of the meeting allows, round tables on issues currently of interest also take place.

LACNIC meetings focus mainly on the development and stability of Internet within the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. Its target audience is extremely broad, including among others, Internet service providers, regulatory bodies, academic networks, ccTLD operators, NAP operators, civil society members and professionals from the telecommunications industry in general.

Participating in these meetings, particularly in the Public Policy Forum, is of great interest to those interested in discussing and having an influence on the elaboration of standards for the distribution of Internet number resource in the region. These forums provide the opportunity for making presentations and discussing technical issues that are significant for the regional community.

Proposals for hosting these meetings are received and evaluated by LACNIC's Board of Directors, who will decide where the meeting will be held on the basis of different factors. This document details the requirements and obligations that must be met by the local organizer in order to be able to host the meeting. In evaluating the proposals, particular attention shall be paid to the following: fulfillment of the minimum requirements, costs, location of the proposed hotel or convention center, network infrastructure (band width), and local counterpart support.

Proposals to host LACNIC XII must be sent to: meeting@lacnic.net before May 5th, 2008.

I - TYPICAL PROGRAM STRUCTURE:

• Day 0 - Meeting of LACNIC’s Board of Directors.
• Day 1 - LACNIC tutorials, meetings of other regional organizations, meeting of LACNIC's Board of Directors.
• Day 2 - Regional organizations meetings (NAPLA, LACTLD, eCOM –LAC, Network Security meeting, etc.), meeting of LACNIC's Board of Directors.
• Day 3 - FLIP-6 (Latin American Ipv6 Forum) , other workshops,  meetings of regional organizations, meeting of LACNIC's Board of Directors.
• Day 4 - LACNIC Member Assembly, LACNIC Public Forum, meeting of LACNIC's Board of Directors.
• Day 5 - Public Forum resumption and/or Round Table , ISOC meeting.

This program structure is generally the most typical, notwithstanding the fact that it may be subject to changes which will be informed with due anticipation. 

II - VENUE

LACNIC meetings are held in hotels that have the necessary facilities to organize events and conferences. It is considered an advantage that the meeting be held in the same hotel where the participants will be accommodated.

In case it is proposed to hold the meeting at a convention center, it is necessary to identify one hotel as the "main" hotel, and that this hotel be located in close proximity of the convention center, thus avoiding transportation costs, discomfort for the participants and the loss of time that commuting implies.

The hotel must preferably be located in a commercial area in which there are other hotels and restaurants, and with easy access to public transportation. The hotel must allow the temporary installation of cables (if necessary) and devices for wireless networks in the conference rooms and areas where they may be required. 

III - LOGISTIC AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

A - Meeting Rooms

Preferably the meeting rooms should be located on the same floor, even more preferably contiguous or in the same area, with the purpose of simplifying the wiring system, Internet connections, and the coordination of the meeting as a whole. It will be necessary to have several electric extensions distributed among the meeting rooms.

Secretary's Office

This room will be used by the staff of LACNIC and the organizers, and it must be available at least 24 hours in advance of day 0 and until 24 hours after day 5 of the meeting. The room must be located as near as possible to the conference room and to the other meeting rooms. It must be sufficiently spacious to accommodate 8-10 persons plus the following equipment:

• 1 work table for 8 persons, with chairs.
• 1 work table for 2 or 3 persons, with chairs.
• 2 PCs.
• 1 ink jet (or laser) printer.
• Paper for the printer.
• A telephone with a line that allows receiving and making international calls.
• Internet access, 2 UTP ports: 1 for an 8 port switch, the other for an Access Point.
• Electric outlets (capacity for 8 sockets) on each table.
• The room must admit the possibility of being kept locked when LACNIC's staff so requires.

Board of Directors

This room will be used by LACNIC's Board of Directors for their own meetings and/or extraordinary meetings. It must be available 24 hours in advance of day 1 and until and including day 4. It should be located within the area covered by the Access Point for wireless connectivity and have the following equipment: 

• Meeting table for 10-12 persons, with chairs.
• Telephone and telephone line that will allow receiving and making international calls and audio conferences. (The cost of the calls shall be assumed by LACNIC.)
• 1 polycom.
• Internet access, 1 UTP port.
• Audio-visual equipment: projector (minimum 1000 lumens) and 1 screen.
• 1 rotafolio or board.
• 1 additional table for placing refreshments and light coffee breaks.

LACNIC Tutorials

According to the event's program, two or three tutorials will be operating simultaneously at all times during day 1. The rooms must be available 48 hours before Day 1 (for equipment installation and test purposes). It will be necessary to have two or three rooms operating simultaneously with the following equipment:

• Layout: Classroom for 80-100 persons.
• Audio-visual equipment: projector (minimum 1000 lumens) and 1 screen.
• 1 rotafolio or board.
• Amplification: 1 wireless microphone and one wired microphone.
• Internet access, 1 UTP port

Note: If the instructor in charge of the tutorial decides so, it may be necessary to configure the rooms as classrooms, equipped with 40 personal computers operating as a laboratory. This item will be duly clarified once the details of the program are available.

Meetings of Other Regional Organizations

These rooms will be used by other organizations that will hold their own meetings in parallel with the development of the LACNIC event. They must be available 24 hours before Day 1 until and including day 4.
Three (3) rooms will be necessary, with the following basic equipment (subject to confirmation closer to the date of the event):

• Capacity for 30-40 persons, layout subject to confirmation.
• Audio-visual equipment: projector (minimum 1000 lumens), 1 screen, 2 wireless microphones.
• 1 rotafolio or board.
• Possibly video conference equipment will be required in one of the rooms; this will be informed in due time.
• Internet access, 1 UTP port.

Conference Room:

This room will be used for the following activities: FLIP-6, Workshops, NAPLA, Network Security, LACNIC's Member Assembly, LACNIC Public Forum, Round Table, and public meetings in general. It must be available 24 hours in advance of day 1 (for installing and testing the equipment) and until and including day 5. (If it’s necessary this room could be used for une of the tutorials from day 1, and maintain it from day 2 for the rest of the activities).

• Capacity: 300 persons, layout: 75% classroom in the front and 25% theatre in the back
• Podium for the presenter in the front
• Table to preside the meeting, for 6 persons, with chairs.
• Audio-visual equipment: 2 projectors (minimum 1000 lumens), 2 screens.
• 2 PCs with screen.
• 1 rotafolio or board.
• Amplification: 6 microphones (two of them a standing type microphone at the aisles of the room), the rest on the presiding table and podium.
• Simultaneous translation equipment for three languages: Spanish-English-Portuguese, with cabins or acoustic isolation that does not interfere with the meeting.
• 3 independent audio outputs towards the table used for webcasting.
• 2 UTP ports for Access Point  (preferably with a switch).
• The room must have adequate lighting, to allow the filming of the meetings, and the following equipment necessary for webcasting:
  • 2 digital cameras
  • 2 tripods
  • 1 camera director
  • 2 assistant technicians
  • 1 two-channel mixer
  • Monitors

Terminal Room

This room (which alternatively could be an open area) will be used to place PCs connected to the Internet during the entire course of the event and it shall be freely accessible to any participant. It must be available for setup and testing 24 hours in advance of day 1 and until 24 hours after the end of the event. It must be equipped with the following:

• 10 PCs connected to the Internet distributed on long tables with chairs.
• Tables and chairs for seating comfortably at least 20 persons with their laptop computers and the corresponding electric outlets.

B - Registration

A table must be provided in an appropriate space inside the reception area, or in a room where the participants will be registered, it will be collected the inscription fee, and given their personal identification, as well as informative material pertaining to the meeting. It must be operational from 8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on day 1 until and including day 5, with staff hired for this purposes. (The day 1 the table will open at 7:30 a.m).  The registration desk must be attended by 4 persons.  At least 2 of them must be bilingual or be fluent in English and Spanish.

Besides the staff for the registration table, will be provided supporting staff (2 persons) who may help in different tasks inside and outside the room, such as handing the microphone for questions and collaborating with any issue that may come up.

C - Connectivity

Connectivity requirements have been explained for each room. In general terms, it is necessary to have a 8 Mbps Internet connection. Ideal:  10 Mbps

The installation of an SMTP outgoing server, DNS and DHCP is required. If the services are already installed, the existing facilities will be used. In case the configuration of these services is under the charge of LACNIC's technicians, they will provide equipment which is already configured.

Wired connections are needed from the point of access to the location of the Access Points and to the place where the computers for public use will be located.

It is necessary to have a local technical counterpart. The local organizer must facilitate the availability of cables for wiring from the Internet entry to the Access Points. LACNIC's technical staff can take charge of distributing and installing the necessary wiring. Availability of support technicians or staff responsible for the task will be greatly appreciated.

D - Signage

The hotel must allow placing signage in the area where the meetings are held, showing the names of the rooms where each reunion takes place, as well as signs with the sponsors' logos and the event's logo where they are required. (See specific details in reference to printed material in the section "Printed Material and Merchandising.”)

E - Security

The hotel must be responsible for the security of the equipment and all the material pertaining to the event during the time that no meetings are being held. The rooms should remain closed and security guards should be hired.

F - Accommodation

In order to provide accommodation for the participants, a minimum of 60 rooms must be reserved at the hotel where the event will be held. The local organizer shall be responsible for negotiating special rates for all the participants and obtaining free rooms every certain number of reservations. In addition, we require information on two (2) alternative hotels located in close proximity of the main hotel for those persons traveling on a limited budget.

G - Catering

During the event participants will be offered 2 daily coffee-breaks from day 1  to 5.
Please attach menu stating coffee-break options.

All participants will be offered lunch on days 1, 2, 3, and 4. The organizer's responsibilities include negotiating with the hotel special buffet lunch rates for all participants. Likewise, an alternative for lunch is to consider restaurants outside the hotel, located at a very short distance.

H - Opening Event and Social Event

The local organizer shall present two proposals for the opening event. It will be held the day 1, after the meetings end. The event will have a “welcome cocktail” style and its purpose it’s the opening of the event and offer to the participants an occasion of socialization and interchange joint with music and beverages. (For more details we recommend to consult with the LACNIC staff).

 This event is an important part of the meeting. Preferably it will be held at a venue where it is possible to sample typical foods or dishes. The social event must include some type of show for the entertainment of the participants (live music, typical dances, etc.) or any type of cultural tour. It is important that the venue be secured on an exclusive basis. Should this not be possible, an area must be designated that can accommodate all the participants with a certain degree of privacy. It is desirable to have circulation areas for the participants, so that there are more socializing opportunities.

In the same way, it will be offered 2 proposals for the social event. This event is an important part of the meeting. Preferably it will be held at a venue where it is possible to sample typical foods or dishes. The social event must include some type of show for the entertainment of the participants (live music, typical dances, etc.) or any type of cultural tour. It is important that the venue be secured on an exclusive basis. Should this not be possible, an area must be designated that can accommodate all the participants with a certain degree of privacy. It is desirable to have circulation areas for the participants, so that there are more socializing opportunities.

I - Printed Material and Merchandising

The local organizer shall provide the printed materials that will be handed out to the participants (folders, note pads, programs, pens, signage, etc.) as well as merchandizing articles that will be presented to the participants. The content, design and layout of these materials shall be specified and approved by LACNIC. The local organizer and LACNIC shall agree on a schedule the delivery of the materials so that all printed and other materials are available 72 hours prior to the beginning of the event.

IV - COSTS

Applicants must specify which costs would be assumed by their organization. We recommend contacting LACNIC's Membership Services and Communications area: meeting@lacnic.net

Accommodation and travel Costs

Each participant shall be responsible for his/her own accommodation expenses. The local organizer will be responsible for the round trip of all the participants from the venue towards the place where the social events will be held. Additionally, will offer (although is not an essential requirement), shuttles for all the participants from and towards the airport, and a schedule of daily shuttles from the alternative hotels towards the venue and vice versa.   LACNIC shall be responsible for the travel and accommodation expenses of its staff and directors.

V - SPONSORS

Both LACNIC and the local organizer shall be in charge of negotiating sponsorships. These negotiations shall be based on LACNIC's general sponsorship policy

VI - INQUIRIES

For inquiries relating to this document or for more detailed information on LACNIC meetings, please e-mail: meeting@lacnic.net or contact LACNIC at the following number:
 
Tel: +598 2 604 2222 ext. 105, with Member Services and Communications  Area.