Meeting Host Guidelines

Introduction

This document describes the essential elements of the role of an ETSI Meeting host, and the support available from the ETSI Secretariat.

The host is the prime contact point for all local meeting arrangements both before and during the meeting week. The present document is a step-by-step guide describing the various tasks to be carried out by the host for Technical Groups, Plenary, Ordinary, Working Groups, Ad-Hoc, and Joint Meetings.

The host is requested and expected to keep ETSI TG Support staff informed of the progress of the meeting preparations, as well as any issues that may arise before or during the meeting.

The venue

The first step is to establish/secure the venue.

The hosting organisation may be able to host the meeting in their premises or negotiate special rates with a local hotel or conference centre. An alternative solution could be for several companies to host the meeting collectively.

The size of every ETSI Technical Group (TG) and the number of Working Group (WG) sessions governs the parameters, as well as accommodation, food and beverage requirements. The key is to liaise with the TG Chair or ETSI TG Support staff to determine the precise requirements.  

The key elements include the following:

• The reservation of a room with the capacity for the foreseen number of delegates
• Multiple rooms if there are WGs or breakout sessions
• Wi-Fi access and a display device (essential)
• Electrical power and a supply of extension cables
• Conference call facilities and microphones (essential), together with appropriate audio-support for delegates with disabilities. The ETSI TG Support staff shall always offer the ETSI web conference tools
• Hotels near the meeting location and with good transportation links by rail/metro and road are recommended
• Easy access to the venue, the meeting room and facilities with the necessary ramps, elevators and ideally, automatically opening doors. The host should ensure that the venue is designed to facilitate easy navigation for wheelchairs, those with impaired mobility, blind participants or for those with low vision. A printable document with the layout of the building or floor before their arrival is recommended.

The host is encouraged to do their best to accommodate accessibility requirement(s) as much as possible and to inform delegates promptly if a requirement cannot be met.

The host may also contact the ETSI Accessibility Ombudsperson, the TG Chair or the ETSI TG Support staff for any additional clarifications.

Planning needs to start as early as possible: many hotels take reservations for their conference facilities a year or more in advance.

The venue should be located within a practical distance from a major airport that either serves as a key international hub or offers reliable connections to at least one. Ideally, most delegates should be able to reach the venue with no more than two connecting flights. It should be accessible by reasonably priced public transport (train, bus, tram, metro, taxi) from the nearest airport.

It is useful to post signs at the meeting venue to ease the access. For delegates with cognitive disabilities, signage accompanied with symbols is recommended, (considering the text may not be in their native language).

Meeting room layout

The host should discuss the room requirements and layout with the ETSI TG Chair and with the ETSI TG Support staff and check that access to the meeting is possible for delegates with disabilities.

Meeting rooms and their availability

The number and size of the room(s) required depend mainly on the number of delegates. There may also be a requirement for additional meeting rooms for working groups or other smaller meetings held in parallel with the main meeting. The host should seek confirmation of room figures (number and capacity) with ETSI TG Support staff ideally 3-4 months before the meeting.

Each room should display a sign on its door indicating the name of the group or meeting, along with the scheduled meeting times, if available.

Depending on the nature and requirements of each meeting, not all rooms may be in use at all times. Consideration should also be given to joint WG sessions, where larger meeting rooms are needed.

The meeting schedule and the draft agenda, prepared by the TG Chair in coordination with the ETSI TG Support staff, should be available with 30 days before the meeting. This is in accordance with the ETSI Directives. This also enables blind participants or those with low vision to read them beforehand using their own assistive technologies.

The meeting schedule should consider participants with cognitive or intellectual disabilities who may require longer or frequent breaks. It is recommended that meetings should not start earlier than 08:00 local time and close later than 19:00 local time.

The host should check that the meeting room includes the possibility for audio descriptions or other aids that blind participants or those with low vision may require.

The host should provide a power plug for each delegate. It is also important to avoid overloading circuit breakers or fuses in the mains power supply.

Audio/video equipment

Each delegate should bring their own laptop to the meeting with a power adaptor for the country where the meeting is hosted.

The host should also clarify before the meeting which assistive devices and enabling technology may be used by delegates with disabilities, verify that the venue provides necessary connectivity (e.g. power outlets and Wi-Fi^®) and technical support and Wi-Fi/data connectivity for these devices, and inform the TG Chair accordingly.

The ETSI TG Support staff will ensure the availability of the connection details for web conferencing and online meeting tools.

The host should check that the meeting room includes the possibility for audio descriptions or other aids that blind participants or those with low vision may require.

Meeting content

Any digital content shared during the meeting, i.e. slides and documents, should be compliant to the current rules for digital accessibility according to:

ETSI EG 204 061 ETSI Guide Accessibility of ETSI Deliverables and Improvement of the Development Process of Deliverables

WCAG 2.2 AA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 - Level AA Conformance

EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services

The Host, TG Chair and TG Support staff should ensure that all delegates take into account the foreseen attendance of participants with specific accessibility requirements so that contributions and presentations to the meeting are accessible to all.

Deaf delegates and those with hearing impairments may request that one or several sign-language interpreters be present during the meeting.

Display device

Screens should be visible to all the delegates.

Projectors should be bright and clearly readable from anywhere in the meeting room.

Each meeting room should have a monitor screen and a projector connected to a laptop to display the meeting documents. The video cable should be within reach of at least one table seat. Check if the most commonly cable and adapter are available (e.g. USB-C, VGA or HDMI) or mini-DisplayPort cable will be required by the TG Chair.

Internet connectivity

The provision of free internet access is mandatory (usually via Wi-Fi); network set-up and support are the Meeting Host's responsibility.

The host should consider the foreseen number of delegates when dimensioning the internet connections.

The Wi-Fi quality should allow people to meet in a hybrid mode without interruptions.

The delegates must be aware of any possible limitations of the wireless LAN at the meeting venue.

The internet service shall not be subject to firewall, traffic shaping, packet limiting, billing equipment, and unnecessary routers which might limit the number of simultaneous connections and reduce the effective bit rate. Many delegates will wish to run VPN back to their employers’ networks, and there should be no limitation on such connections.

On-site network Support: An IT technician responsible for the network setup should be on-site at least the first two mornings to provide immediate support and troubleshoot any potential network problems.

Microphones and speakers

Depending on the audio setup in the meeting room, each delegate in the meeting room should be able to easily use a microphone.

Hearing-impaired participants may require the provision of dedicated on-site audio systems with speakers and microphones that interface with their assistive technology (e.g. Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)). If requested, the host should confirm in advance whether the venue is equipped with ALDs.

The meeting room should have audio-speakers connected to the web conferencing tool(s) and the sound should be of good quality to run a hybrid meeting in good conditions.

Meeting invitation

The host, given their knowledge of the location, should work with the ETSI TG Support staff and the TG Chair to prepare the meeting invitation.

ETSI TG Support staff, will send a pre-filled meeting invitation template and visa invitation letter to the Meeting host with meeting dates, venue and hyperlinks to the meeting registration page on the portal. The host will customise the invitation with details of the venue hotel and any local information that could be useful for the participants.

It is also preferable to provide an indicative cut-off date for registration (for security purposes, catering, badges).

If requested by delegates with a hearing impairment, the meeting invitation, along with other meeting contributions, should be provided to a nominated sign language interpreter in advance, to prepare the necessary information and vocabulary. Any costs for a sign language interpreter would not be covered by ETSI or by the host.

See Annex 2 for the meeting invitation checklist.

When should the invitation be sent?

The ETSI Technical Working Procedures require that a plenary meeting invitation be available to delegates at least 30 days before the start of the meeting.

As some delegates may need to undergo lengthy formalities to organise their travel, and minimise travel costs, it is recommended to issue the meeting invitation at least 90 days in advance.

See Annex 1 for the meeting invitation template and visa application letter.

Registration

The Meeting host can monitor the registrations at any time on the ETSI portal, following the hyperlink in the meeting invitation (using the ETSI-On-Line account that can be obtained via ETSI TG Support staff).

During registration, a delegate is able to indicate a need for accessibility support, as a drop-down list permits them to specify their needs and submit a request.

ETSI Portal screenshot: options displayed when Accessibility need is equal to YES

When a delegate submits an accessibility need, the TG Support staff receive an automated notification that must be forwarded to the host. It is recommended that the host together with the TG Support staff contact the delegate to ensure a full understanding of the need, ascertains if the accessibility request(s) can be fulfilled and then informs the delegate in a timely manner of the available resources.

For transparency, a disclaimer is also included in the drop-down list.

Administrative / IT support at the venue

It is important for the meeting host to ensure:

• a smooth registration at the beginning of the meeting.

• an interface with the hotel/conference centre/host organisation’s reception on any matters (i.e. rooms requirements, catering, security)
• assist the delegates with non-IT-related problems (travel, taxis, local information)
• accessibility requirements are taken into account
• the administrative support staff can speak English and act as interpreter, especially with hotel or conference centre staff.
  

The IT technician(s) on-site will be responsible for the network and audio/video support. They should be able to intervene quickly on any installed equipment (router, access point…) in case of a problem and be able to provide support to delegates experiencing difficulties to connect.

Meeting badges

The host should provide badges for delegates physically attending the meeting.

The participants’ list is available from the ETSI portal meeting page and can be exported to CSV for the printing of the meeting badges, as shown below:

ETSI portal meeting page screenshot

Security

High priority should be given to ensure that delegates will be safe during the meeting.

The location of meeting hotel(s) and meeting venue shall be carefully selected.

Locations with known major safety/security issues should be avoided, it is recommended to check the French government website on any potential restrictions in a given country or location.

It is advisable to inform delegates of the security measures at the meeting venue. If security cannot be guaranteed during meeting breaks, delegates should be informed of the risks of leaving their equipment and documents unattended.

Catering

Drinking water, coffee, tea, and refreshments should be available during coffee breaks.

The host should inform ETSI TG Support staff & delegates whether lunch will be provided, and if not, a list of restaurants/sandwich shops within walking distance of the meeting site is recommended.

The host should clarify with the blind participants or those with low vision if any particular assistance may be required for breaks, lunch and social events.

Assistance should be offered discreetly to any participants with a disability, respecting their preference for independence. It is important to create an accessible and inclusive environment.

Social event

There is no obligation to organise a social event. If a social event is planned, it is useful to announce it as soon as possible.

The expenses for a social event may be covered by the host or by sponsors, or self-funded by the delegates.

Dietary restrictions or preferences should be accommodated.

Annex 1: Meeting invitation template

Meeting invitation template

Annex 2: Meeting invitation checklist

For the host to check that all the required information has been included in the invitation.

Information in the invitation	Mandatory/ Recommended
Venue address (city, country)	M
Closest airport	M
Clear indications on how to access the venue from the airport (train, underground, bus, taxi) including distance and duration information	M
Guidance for delegates with accessibility requirements	M
List of recommended hotels, including distance from the meeting place and room price	R
Negotiated hotel room rates and the cut-off date for reservation	R
Name and contact details of the host (and hotel/conference centre staff if applicable)	M
Lunch options/sandwich shops close to meeting venue	R
Information for visa application letter (see Annex 1)	R
Optional: Local currency information, weather information.	R

Some delegates may require a personal invitation letter to travel outside of their home country. See annex 1 for a visa application letter.

Annex 3: Template: visa application letter (for Host)

Letter for visa application

Annex 4: Meeting checklist

For use by the host and ETSI TG Support staff during the meeting preparations:

Meeting Checklist

Meeting rooms (number of meeting rooms & their capacity)

Tables and chairs (and their configuration)

Wi-Fi connection

Display device (projector/beamer) with a cable for connection to a laptop

Power sockets with extensions (and adapters for foreign power plugs)

Microphones and audio-speakers that can be connected to the web conferencing system

Web conferencing/telephone bridge for remote participants

Audio and visual requirements for delegates with hearing impairment or low vision who use ALDs

Badges for participants (with meeting name, delegate’s name and company) for distribution at check-in

Coffee/tea/water for coffee breaks (typically 1 break each half day)

IT Technician staff

Annex 5: Abbreviations

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

• ALD - Assistive Listening Devices
• TG - Technical Group
• WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• WG - Working Group