Author(s): Donald M. Heath
Date: 1998.4.12
Committee: Executive Committee of BoT
Document: 98-022
Revision:
Supersedes:
Status: Revision 1
Maintainer: D.M. Heath
Access: Unrestricted
Meeting was called to order by ISOC Chair, Frode Greisen at 1:30pm ET USA.
Participants:
Frode Greisen
Scott Bradner
Vinton G. Cerf
George Sadowsky
Donald M. Heath
Marty Burack
1. INET’98
Purpose of the meeting was limited to discussion of INET’98 and the associated Networking Training Workshop (NTW).
Sadowsky reviewed the history of the conference regarding the financial and personnel status. He pointed out that the original projections from the Geneva organizing committee for sponsorships of well over $1,000,000, were well short of their mark; and, accordingly, in January, we were compelled to take action to consider a change in venue. The amount raised by that date (January) was essentially nil. With the announcement of that action, the Geneva committee has been taking steps and has obtained sponsorship promises which, if realized, would bring the total closer to the targets in the revised budget.
Sadowsky also noted that the Geneva organizing committee had never met their agreed commitment to establish a technical coordinator for the NTW. He stressed the vital importance of this critical position, noting that in each of our previous conferences this individual was the pivotal person in achieving the success of NTW (Lassiter – Hawaii, Greenberg – Montreal, Rafee – Kuala Lumpur). As a result of there still being no technical coordinator identified for the Geneva NTW, Sadowsky expressed serious concern whether the NTW could be held. This concern was echoed by Heath and Bradner.
The Executive Committee asked Sadowsky to convey its request that the technical coordinator function be filled immediately. The sense was that the NTW was an integral part of the INET conferences and that if we were unable to properly conduct the NTW, it would have extremely serious consequences for INET.
Sadowsky then summarized the investigation of an alternative venue. France was the only probable location due to its having been the other choice when the location for INET’98 was originally determined. Both industry and government sectors in France were contacted and, while they wanted in made clear that they did not want to take away from Geneva, they would be aggressive supporters, financially and otherwise, if we chose to change venue.
ACTIONS: Sadowsky will attempt to tie down the financial commitments cited from Geneva; identify (with Geneva) the technical coordinator for the Geneva NTW. Burack will clearly identify the costs associated with cancelling the INET conference. Sadowsky, Burack, Brazell will tie down specific logistic and financial details of the France option.
Executive Committee will have another conference call Tuesday morning, 14 April 1998, 8:00am ET USA, when it will review the action items. The Executive Committee will urgently need to make a decision whether to go forward with NTW/INET’98 in Geneva, change venue to France, or cancel INET’98.
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