Inside This Issue - January 2024 | |
Planning to Succeed
- By Marie Hunter, Head of IEEE Global Meetings, Conferences and Events
Stay in the Know
- Add Value to Your Next Event by Offering IEEE Certificates and Badges
- Protect Yourself and Your Event from Phishing Attempts
Organize Like a Pro
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus - Your BFFs for Event Planning
- Social Media and Sponsorship Guidelines
Meet the MCE Team
- Ryan O'Connor, Program Manager of Job Fairs and Exhibits, MCE
Available Resources
- Stay Informed With the Latest Net Zero Carbon Events Resources Available
- Organizer Insights Videos Now Available in Spanish
| | |
We recently supported a workshop hosted by our IEEE Jamaica Section, and some of the key takeaways were:
- There are many nonmembers who would welcome an opportunity to hear from IEEE members and leaders when they are visiting a locality.
- The next time you have an AdCom or conference, consider coordinating a business development session hosted by the local section.
- It can be very powerful to reach out to local industry and experts in your field of interest and have a meet-up, dinner, or lounge during a conference.
- Tap into your membership and see if there are leaders that you can connect with at your "event."
| | Add Value to Your Next Event by Offering IEEE Certificates and Badges | | |
The IEEE Credentialing Program can help you easily add value to your events by offering IEEE Certificates and digital badges to your attendees.
Offering these valuable certificates and credits to attendees of your conference may help increase attendance and the credibility of your educational events. Engineering professionals often seek out conferences that have certificates and badges with PDH credits so they can add to their professional resumes.
Technical professionals may need professional development hours (PDHs) to meet annual requirements for maintaining their professional license or may want to keep track of their training hours and highlight newly learned skills and knowledge. IEEE digital certificates and badges can show potential employers that a person has completed a course or attended an event. The credentials can be easily displayed on a person’s social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, or as a part of a person’s email signature.
| | |
How it works:
- Event organizers complete a short online application form.
- The IEEE Credentialing Team reviews and approves the learning event to receive certificates.
- The event is held.
- After the event, upload the attendee roster to our online platform.
- Certificates are issued within 48-72 hours.
Please keep in mind that all learning event topics must be educational and within IEEE's fields of interest.
| | | The IEEE Credentialing team is here to help you. For more information about how to offer certificates at your next event, please contact us at eab-ceuadmin@ieee.org. | | Protect Yourself and Your Event from Phishing Attempts | |
IEEE has become aware of email scams and phishing attempts where IEEE volunteers or professional team members are requested to send money via wire transfers or checks.
Attackers may send you an email that looks like it is coming from a legitimate source, using actual names and email addresses of high-level IEEE leaders like Society Presidents, Section Chairs, and Conference Organizers.
The attackers often perform a fair amount of research before attempting their scams. They may use websites and social media readily available on the internet to determine business relationships to customize their attacks to make them look real. For example, the attacker may claim to be an IEEE volunteer and ask you to transfer money or reply with bank account information, including account balances. In these situations, the email address used by the attacker may even attempt to look like it is coming from an @ieee.org address or an address you may be familiar with.
| | |
IEEE would like to recommend considering the following when reviewing messages related to your IEEE volunteer activities:
- Is the message requesting invoice payment or other purchases?
- Does the message request sensitive information like your personal information, account balances, or other financial information, including the process of handling payments?
- Does the message convey a sense of urgency or threaten legal action/consequences?
- Does the message request payment to avoid the exposure of compromising information?
- Is this request for payment part of your normal activities or related to a project you are actively working on?
- Is the request coming from someone you work with normally? Does it sound like how they would speak to you?
What can you do to protect yourself?
- Be familiar with and follow IEEE payment processes.
- Validate details with the parties involved - Do not validate over email, do not use any email or phone numbers included in the message, and use information that you have or can obtain from IEEE.
- Establish a validation process for the approval of financial transactions.
- Be careful of emails asking you to act immediately, especially if something sounds too good to be true. Think before taking any action.
- Trust your instincts. If a request appears to be coming from someone you know but just doesn’t feel right, contact that person using a different method (e.g., if the unusual request comes through email, call them on the phone). Use the IEEE Online Roster for contact information. https://rosters.ieee.org/home.html
| | | If you need assistance at any time, please reach out to MCE. | | Convention and Visitors Bureaus - Your BFFs for Event Planning | | |
Partnering with a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is like having a local friend to call on for insider tips for planning your event. CVBs can assist you with finding vendors, hotels, venues, RFPs, and more. By connecting you with all of the best amenities their city has to offer, CVBs make planning a memorable event easier than ever.
Convention and Visitors Bureaus can help you create authenticity for participants by connecting you with your host city's local community. Introducing experiences that tap into local culture builds relationships and helps participants feel connected on a more personal level. If you are looking for ways for your event to give back, CVBs can also identify opportunities to build social impact initiatives into your program.
As the events world is paving the way for a more eco-friendly approach, buying and sourcing locally is a great way to get started. A CVB is well-informed about sustainable practices and resources that are available from local venues and suppliers. They can also connect you with local organizations specializing in waste management, upcycling, or food donation to help you meet your sustainability goals.
To learn how CVBs can enhance your next event, check out our Cities We Love resource on the MCE website.
Contact MCE if you have any questions or need help connecting with a CVB.
| | Social Media and Sponsorship Guidelines | | |
There is a lot to consider when it comes to digital media sponsorships. Working with sponsors can benefit your event, but sponsored content needs to be disclosed to your audience. It's helpful to strategize how your digital platforms, including websites and social media, will showcase your sponsorships and sponsored content.
| | |
Digital Channels for Sponsorships
While not all sponsorships will be the same, these are the recommended types of categories you should discuss with your sponsor.
Website
Your website should host a web page or blog that communicates the sponsorship based on your agreement. The page can include:
- Sponsor logo
- Link to the sponsor's website
- Blog/article
- Tailored content for your audience
Social Media
Your social posts with the sponsor should be placed on your social channels with clear messaging. It can include:
- Posting of sponsor logo
- Video from the sponsor
- Repost from the sponsor's social channels
- Specific language provided by the sponsor promoting a specific product or call to action
Best Practices for Sponsored Social Posts
1. All social posts should follow the IEEE Social Media Overview guidelines.
2. In the copy, make sure to highlight that they are a sponsor by including one of the following:
- Thank you to our sponsor XX
- #sponsoredpost
3. The post(s) should not only mention the sponsor's technology but also how it benefits humanity
4. Images should be kept simple and follow brand guidelines
5. The copy should not mention more than one sponsor per post
| | | Ryan O'Connor, Program Manager of Job Fairs and Exhibits, MCE | | |
Ryan was recently hired as a Program Manager of Job Fairs and Exhibits for the IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE) team. He has been brought aboard to bring his knowledge and experience to streamline and optimize these components of IEEE events taking place around the world.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Ryan has a global perspective, is fluent in multiple languages, and has spent over 15 years overseas. Holding degrees from McGill University in Montreal and the National University of Singapore, he also has over ten years of event management and business development experience, with an emphasis on international conferences and exhibitions. He looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with MCE.
| | | Stay Informed With the Latest Net Zero Carbon Events Resources Available | |
The latest update offers the ultimate guide to sustainable event planning, consolidating best practices from various Net Zero Carbon Events workstreams.
This comprehensive resource provides valuable insights, strategies, and checklists to enhance your event planning with a strong focus on environmental responsibility.
| | |
As of December 2023, new resources include guidance on the following topics:
- Smart Production & Waste Management
- Venue Energy
- Events Logistics
- Food & Food Waste
- Travel & Accommodation
- Carbon Offsetting
- Measurement Methodology
| | | Don't forget to check out these great resources! | | Organizer Insights Videos Now Available In Spanish | |
Visit the MCE website to view all-new Spanish translations of our IEEE Conference Organizer Insight videos. Each video features Spanish audio voiceovers and subtitles. Check out the videos to view IEEE Conference Organizers sharing their success stories, tips, and lessons learned for leading at their events.
| | | |
IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE)
445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
Phone: +1 855 340 4333 (Toll-free US & Canada)
+1 732 562 3878 (Worldwide)
| | | | | |
