Instructions and General Recommendations
for Organizers of
International Congresses of Speleology
- en -

The purposes of this revision are:

1) To correct and clarify mistakes in English language and grammar, and provide consistent usage of terms.

2) To codify UIS traditions and expectations on an ICS so organizers know more precisely what is needed and expected.

3) To update the procedures to reflect modern changes in technology and the needs of the UIS and the ICS participants.

4) To update the procedures for consistency with other UIS documents.

5) To update the procedures based on successes and failures at past Congresses in order to maximize the successes of future congresses.

Organization of the ICS

The ICS is the responsibility of the UIS Bureau.

The administration of each ICS is delegated to one (or more) of the Member Countries, under the auspices of an Affiliated Organization (known as the Host Organization), by means of a vote of the General Assembly using a secret ballot.

English is the world’s most widely understood spoken language and will be the primary language of the ICS. If the ICS organizers find that other languages will also be needed, they may use any of the other official UIS languages (French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish), as well as the language of the host country. If in the future English is no longer the world’s most understood language, this paragraph should be changed to best reflect the needs of the ICS.

Proposals for the organization of the ICS

Letters of intent to propose hosting an ICS should be submitted to the President of the UIS by 1 July of the year prior to the ICS where the proposals will be evaluated and the following ICS site selected. The letters must include brief descriptions of the organizing group, the proposed location, approximate date, and facilities for the ICS, as well as any other pertinent information.

During the one year period between the deadline for the letters of intent and the ICS where the proposals for the following ICS will be given and one selected, the UIS Bureau will review the letters of intent and capabilities of their organizers. If any organizers do not seem fully knowledgeable or their facilities fully capable of organizing an ICS, the President will advise the organizers of their deficiencies so they can either better prepare their proposal for the ICS or withdraw their letter of intent until they are capable of properly hosting an ICS. No organization that meets the 1 July deadline will be prevented from presenting their proposal to the General Assembly.

Prior to the General Assembly’s selection of an ICS, countries that intend to present a proposal for an ICS may invite a commission of the UIS Bureau or its representatives to evaluate their capacity. The expenses for Bureau representatives (minimum of two) during the evaluation must be paid by the host country.

Proposals for the ICS will be presented at the first session of the General Assembly. Proposals may be in either written, oral, slide, or video format, or any such combination, and must not take longer than 30 minutes, not counting time for questions. A list of audio-visual equipment needed to present the proposal must be given to the President or the Secretary General at least one month before the General Assembly.

Any Member Country with all membership fees paid to the UIS Treasurer is eligible to propose an ICS.

Determination of Venue, Date and Organization

The Host Organization will have 6 months to establish the Executive Board of the Organizing Committee and officially communicate the Board members’ names to the Secretary General of the UIS and the UIS President, in consultation with Bureau members, has the right to request the replacement of any of the names indicated and is then responsible for nominating the replacements to the Executive Board.

The Executive Board should consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer and a member of the UIS Bureau. If no member of the Bureau is from the host country, the Bureau will appoint someone from the host country to serve as an Invited Adjunct Secretary. The Organizing Committee can be composed of various specific sub-committees, each one consisting of as many members as necessary for the organization of the ICS, and must include a coordinator for the pre- and post-ICS excursions. A Legal Advisor should be considered for the Organizing Committee.

Once the Executive Board is nominated, its members become responsible for the ICS, under the auspices of the UIS Bureau and the Affiliated Organization. The replacement of any of these members can only be made with the authorization of the President of the UIS.

The UIS Bureau will collaborate with the Organizing Committee to establish the ICS program and will supply the Organizing Committee a copy of the Instructions and General Recommendations for Organizers of International Congresses of Speleology. If the Host Country is unable or potentially unable to successfully host the ICS, the Bureau has the right and duty to convene an Extraordinary General Assembly to review the situation and possibly change the country responsible for the ICS.

The exact venue and date for the ICS should be determined by the organizers. The date must be within the months of July or August. The pre- and post-congress excursions may extend into the preceding or following months, but this should be avoided if possible.

The UIS Bureau will request three detailed reports each year from the ICS Organizing Committee for the UIS archives and to evaluate the Organizing Committee’s progress. The Bureau may request more reports if it believes more information is necessary.

Venue requirements

Auditorium for plenary speeches and projections: Must have sound system, lighting, best international practice projection facilities (slide projector, overhead projector, videocassette, LCD projector, and screen for projection, with effective black-out arrangements for projection of films during daylight hours), air conditioning and seating for approximately 500 participants. Equipment for simultaneous translation is preferred but not required unless requested by the UIS General Secretary.

Rooms for presentation of papers: Minimum of 8, equipped with sound system, slide projectors, overhead projectors, LCD projector, and screens for projection, with arrangements for projection during daylight hours and seating for approximately 50-300 participants.

Exhibit rooms: Space sufficient for the permanent exposition of posters, maps, photographs, equipment, collections, etc., and which can be locked to protect what is on display.

Stands: Ample space with counters for the organization of various stands for selling a variety of goods; this area should be lockable to protect the contents.

UIS Room: A working room should be available for the use of the UIS Bureau during the ICS. It should be large enough to hold a UIS Bureau meeting and must contain tables, chairs, a computer with internet connection, printer, copy machine, telephone and fax facilities, LCD projector, and a screen. This room should be lockable, ready and available at least one day prior to the official opening of the ICS.

Organizing Committee Office: A room should be available for the use of the ICS Organizing Committee during the ICS. It should be large enough to hold committee meetings and must contain tables, chairs, a computer with internet connection, printer, copy machine, telephone and fax facilities, LCD projector, and a screen. This room should be lockable, ready and available at least one day prior to the official opening of the ICS.

ICS Information Office: Area of easy access, where all ICS participants can receive information; it should be equipped with telephone, fax, and copy facilities, as well as a computer with internet connections and a printer. Secretarial materials should be available, and a bulletin board should be located nearby.

Meeting rooms: Places reserved for meetings of the various UIS Commissions and Working Groups.

Parking: Place for parking, either on the street, or in a specially designated area in the vicinity of the ICS for the use of participants arriving by car; these arrangements should fulfill local police and traffic law requirements.

Snack bar and recreation area: It is recommended that space be provided for casual and spontaneous gatherings of the participants; at least one snack bar to serve quick lunches should be available.

Restaurant: It is recommended that the Organizing Committee make an agreement with a restaurant, which is located as close as possible to the location of the event, or a caterer to provide meals and/or snacks for the duration of the ICS.

Communication: The presence of public telephones, internet connections, and post office facilities for the general public is required; the Organizing Committee and the UIS Bureau should be supplied with cell phones or walkie-talkies, and the presence of a sound system is recommended so that it will be possible to locate individuals and deliver urgent messages.

Publicity and Communication

Information about the ICS should be publicized internationally in speleological newsletters, bulletins, journals, and electronic calendars and messaging systems; at least in the regular organs publicizing events in the UIS countries.

After the basic ICS information on who, what, where, and when is established, information about the ICS should be included in all issues of the UIS Bulletin.

A special website for the ICS must be set up, with links to the UIS website and that of the Host Organization. The site should be created at least three years prior to the ICS date and updated continuously as new information becomes available. During the second and the third year updating the website should be done at least every three months and more frequently if needed.

Circulars: Circulars must be written in English and at least one other official UIS language as requested by the UIS Bureau; the use of an additional language, especially the local language, is also desirable.

Scheduling of circulars:

• First circular: At least two years prior to the opening of the ICS, the first circular should be sent to all speleological organizations, Affiliated Organizations, Delegates of the UIS, and Presidents of the Affiliated Organizations, as well as the Presidents of the Commissions and Working Groups and all individuals whose addresses are submitted to the Organizing Committee by the UIS General Secretary. This initial circular should contain information about the venue and date of the ICS, as well as the kinds of participation anticipated, a description of the room and board that will be available, and an initial plan for pre- and post-ICS activities (which may include short courses). Responses to this circular should be considered only suggestions. At this time, the Organizing Committee should not require the transfer of any money from the participants.
• Second circular: At least 15 months prior to the ICS, the second circular should be sent to all people who answered the first circular, as well as to all Affiliated Organizations, and Delegates, even if they did not acknowledge the receipt of the first circular. This second circular should confirm the information furnished by the first, especially in relation to the program of the ICS and the pre- and post-ICS excursions, including any courses to be offered. This information should be definitive, and be accompanied by an explicit outline of the costs, including enrolment fees for the various kinds of participation possible, the entire cost of pre- and post-ICS activities (including food, lodging, transportation and admission), and the cost of hotels of various categories. Cheaper accommodations such as dormitory rooms, hostels, and camping facilities should also be contemplated. An answer to this circular should be considered as the registration of a participant, which will require the transfer of registration fees, as well as the payment of additional sums for other options, with the prices established according to the requirements of the Organizing Committee; the transfer of the corresponding amount of money may be either partial or complete. At the same time, the abstracts of scientific papers should be sent to the Organizing Committee. The reason for mailing this circular more than a year prior to the ICS is due to the fact that in many countries’ potential members of official delegations must present requests for financial support long before an event, often up to 6 months in advance.
• Third circular: At least 4 months prior to the beginning of the ICS, a third circular should be sent to all those who have paid their registration fees. This circular will confirm the information included in the second, provide the schedule for the ICS and furnish additional information about the pre- and post-ICS programs, as well as any other information considered necessary. It should also contain detailed explanations about train stations, airports, and roads leading to the ICS venue or the locations from which pre-ICS excursions will depart. A map of the city of the ICS venue and the location of the places where various events will take place must be included. For those making arrangements for accommodation through the Organizing Committee, additional instructions to facilitate arrival at the accommodation concerned should be included.

Brochure publicizing the UIS and the ICS: Two years prior to the ICS, a brochure publicizing the UIS and the ICS should be prepared. It should be illustrated with color pictures and be printed in more than one language for distribution at official events of the UIS or those officially supported by the Host Organization. This brochure should also be available in electronic form.

Articles: Various articles promoting the ICS should be written by the Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the UIS Bureau, and authored by the ICS and UIS Presidents. These articles should be sent to all Affiliated Organizations of the UIS, soliciting their inclusion of the articles in their respective publications. These articles should also be made available in electronic form.

Posters: Twelve months prior to the ICS, the official poster should be distributed to all Affiliated Organizations; this should also be publicized at their respective congresses or speleological events.

Adhesives: Twelve months prior to the ICS, the official adhesive of the ICS should be distributed to all Affiliated Organizations. The number supplied should be compatible with the size of membership, and these should be distributed at respective local congresses and speleological events.

Letterhead: All correspondence of the Organizing Committee of the ICS should contain the logotype or symbol of the ICS, the UIS, and the Host Organization responsible for the ICS.

Press coverage: One month prior to the ICS, the media (newspapers, magazines, television, radio, etc.) should be contacted to publicize the ICS. During the ICS, reports, interviews, and press releases should be provided to the media. International congresses provide the exceptionally valuable potential for widely distributing favorable publicity about speleology

Banners: Information about the location of the various activities should be publicized via banners, signs, and posters in the area where the ICS will be held.

Labeling: The facilities to be used for the ICS should be clearly labeled to identify the activity of the ICS participants, with visible arrows indicating, for example, restrooms, the offices of the ICS secretary and the UIS secretary, stands, meeting rooms, exhibits, etc. A clear map of all congress facilities must also be included in the published Program for the congress.

Badges: All badges should contain the name of the participant, country of origin, registration number, and the ICS logo. A photograph of the participant is desirable.

T shirts: The ICS should prepare an official T-shirt, which should be available for purchase from the first day of registration.

General bulletin board: A general bulletin board should be available in a highly visible location near the office of the ICS Secretary.

Kinds of participation

Full Participant: These participants have the right to present oral communications, posters, films, slide shows, and exhibits, and attend any activity of the ICS. They will receive a copy of the ICS Program, printed Proceedings, a bag, folder or binder to hold ICS materials, a certificate of participation, certificates for each paper presented that is published in the Proceedings, an identification badge, information on local shopping, restaurants and tourist destinations and facilities, and a list of pre-registered participants. The Organizing Committee has the option to provide full participants an ICS sticker, poster, and other materials. For a discount in registration price, a full participant has the option to decline receipt of the printed proceedings and an ICS guidebook, if one is printed.

Accompanying Child Participant: Children 7-17 years of age will receive an identification badge and may attend all ICS activities as long as they are well behaved. They must be a family member or supervised by an adult full participant and who will be responsible for their care. The ICS is encouraged to provide special entertaining and educational activities for children.

Special Participant: These guests have the rights of the full participant but only receive the ICS Program, a certificate of participation and an identification badge. They do not pay for registration but are invited to give a course or specific lecture. An ICS should not have more than three special participants. The Special Participant may purchase the ICS Proceedings and other ICS materials.

Day Participant: These individuals register to attend the ICS for only a single day and have the right to attend any ICS activity for that day. They will receive the ICS Program and an identification badge that clearly identifies the day they can participate. The registration rate will be one-third the cost of a Full Participant. The Day Participant may purchase the ICS Proceedings and other ICS materials.

Notes:

• Participants in courses or pre- and/or post-ICS excursions must be registered as a participant of the ICS in one of the above categories.
• All people offering wares for sale at the ICS should be registered as either a full or accompanying participant.
• Each member of the UIS Bureau and the ICS Organizing Committee will receive a special identification badge.

Registration Fees

Registration fees should be established by the Organizing Committee after consultation with the UIS Bureau.

All members of the UIS Bureau, including Past-Presidents, are exempt from the payment of registration fees. Current members of the UIS Bureau will be provided reasonable housing at or near the ICS venue.

Participation in courses or excursions available during the ICS and not available by pre-registration may require the payment of additional fees. Full descriptions of those courses or excursions will be provided and will include descriptions of the activities, times, dates, distances of travel, expenses that will be paid though the registration fees, and expenses the participants will need to pay.

Registration fees for the pre- and post-ICS excursions should include all travel expenses, i.e., food, room, transportation, and entrance to all sites. Transportation should include all transportation during the excursion, as well as that from the end of the pre-ICS activity to the ICS venue or that from the ICS venue to the location where the excursion will start.

Exhibitors and vendors will pay rent for the space and equipment used at rates determined by the Organizing Committee.

A limited number of small spaces will be provided for free to Member Counties proposing to host the next ICS, and to non-profit speleological organizations. The Organizing Committee will determine the number of spaces available and their size. The free spaces will be provided to the first Member Countries and speleological organizations that reserve them. If these groups want larger spaces, or if all free spaces have been reserved, then additional space must be rented at the rates determined by the Organizing Committee.

The Organizing Committee must provide discounts for registration paid prior to the congress and it will determine the amount of the discount and the final date that the discount will be available. That final date for a discount must occur during the calendar year of the congress.

Regulations for ICS presentations

All presentations at the ICS (papers, exhibits, oral communications, posters, films, projections of slides, etc.) must be registered prior to the deadlines established by the Organizing Committee.

Upon submission of a paper, the presenter should specify the equipment necessary for the presentation.

Upon the registration of an exhibit, the exhibitor must negotiate the amount of space necessary with the Organizing Committee.

Upon the registration of a film or slide show, the presenter should specify the equipment necessary.

Papers submitted will be reviewed by a Scientific Program Committee, determined by the Organizing Committee. Submissions which are not acceptable as they are will be returned with requests for modification. If refused, even with modification, an explanation will be offered. All papers accepted and received by the deadline are guaranteed to be published in the ICS Proceedings.

The Scientific Program Committee will include two experts from each of the major disciplines of speleology (geology, biology, archeology, paleontology, exploration, exploration techniques, social and medical sciences). One of the two experts should be from the ICS host country and the other from a different country. Preference will be given to first invite experts from the UIS Bureau to the committee. The President of the committee will be from the ICS host country and a member of the Organizing Committee.

Papers submitted after the deadline and/or not in the required format will not be accepted.

After the deadline for the receipt of papers, a committee designated to organize the various ICS themes (determined by the Organizing Committee) will organize all submissions and establish the schedule for their presentation. Each participant must be informed individually at least two months before the ICS about the time and date of the presentation of his or her work.

Each oral communication will be allotted a total of 20 minutes, 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for discussion and questions. The session coordinator(s) will introduce the speaker to the audience and strictly control the time of the presentation.

Each poster will be affixed to a base, and its size should not exceed 1 m (width) x 2 meters (height). Each poster should contain a concise title, as well as the name, institutional affiliation and address of the author(s). It should include information about the materials and methods used, the results obtained (even if preliminary), and the conclusions reached. The poster may contain photos, figures, tables and maps. The Organizing Committee will establish the time at which the authors must be present to discuss their work with the other participants.

All exhibits should be installed prior to the Opening Ceremony of the ICS and taken down after the final plenary session, in accordance with the scheduling of the Organizing Committee. If the available space is not large enough for all posters to be displayed for the full week, the posters may need to be displayed in shifts, such as half of the posters being displayed for the first half of the ICS and the rest of the posters during the second half.

Material for projection (slides, films, etc.) should be given to the Organizing Committee soon enough to arrange their presentation; they will be returned immediately afterwards.

Slide shows should be ready at least half an hour prior to the scheduled time of projection, and slides should be removed from the projectors immediately after showing.

PowerPoint and related digital presentations should be sent to the Organizing Committee via the ICS website prior to the ICS if possible. Otherwise, they must be given to the Organizing Committee during registration.

The Organizing Committee will provide facilities for authors to preview and rehearse their presentations.

Any activity which has not been registered in advance will only be presented if there is a time slot available in the pre-established schedule. Decisions about such inclusions will be made by the Organizing Committee.

Rules for the publication of papers

All presentations should be related to speleology, but can encompass any scientific, technical, cultural or educational aspect, as long as they have been accepted by the Scientific Program Committee part of the ICS Organizing Committee.

The proceedings of the ICS will be published in the official format determined by the Organizing Committee in accordance with the following requirements.

All papers to be presented as oral communications or posters must be written in one of the official languages of the ICS, and the abstracts should be in at least one of the official languages of the UIS. The following sequence should be observed: title, author(s), institution(s), address(es), abstract, text, acknowledgements, and bibliographic references.

Papers should be formatted for A4 size paper, single-spaced in Times New Roman 10 point font, aligned on both margins, each 2 cm wide. No indentations should be used for paragraphs and a blank line should divide paragraphs. A total of 6 (six) un-numbered pages will be allowed per article. Maps, drawings, tables, figures, and illustrative photos must be included in the body of the paper. No footnotes, tables, figures, maps, bibliographic references or acknowledgements should be included in the abstract. It is preferable that the entire paper be sent digitally via the Internet in the file format specified by the ICS Organizing Committee. After the paper is reviewed, revised if needed, and accepted, the Organizing Committee will e-mail the author the paper as a PDF file (or whatever file format is most commonly used at the time of the ICS that preserves all of the layout and text and can be read by programs of any common computer operating system). The author will verify that the paper is correctly presented, and not accidentally altered by the ICS computer programs, and is ready for publication.

The abstracts should be sent electronically in the same format as the papers. They should contain the title and name, institutional affiliation and address of the author(s); the text is limited to 30 lines of Times New Roman 10 with 2 cm margins. No footnotes, tables, figures, maps bibliographic references or acknowledgements should be included in the abstract.

The Scientific Program Committee will be composed of experts in the speleological sciences, techniques, and management methods from the host country, along with experts in related fields from the international community. The international experts will include Bureau members and members of the UIS Commissions where possible. The chairman of the Committee will be from this ICS host country. The Committee reserves the right to judge the papers received, or have them judged by others; it can accept them as is, refuse them, or suggest modifications to the authors. This is true for plenary presentations, as well as publications. Publishing all received and accepted papers by the pre-set deadlines is guaranteed.

Abstracts should be sent to the Organizing Committee when pre-registration is made for the ICS, preferably via the ICS website. The full text of accepted papers accepted should be submitted at least 120 days prior to the beginning of the ICS to allow for their review, revision, and publication in the ICS Proceedings that will be distributed at the ICS.

Papers and abstracts will only be published if the author (or at least one of the authors for joint work) has paid the Full or Accompanying Participant registration fees.

The Proceedings must be published before the Congress.

Certificates

All participants have the right to receive a certificate for participation in the ICS, which should be included in their registration materials.

The certificate must contain the logo of the ICS and the UIS, and a statement about the responsibility of the UIS and the Host Organization, as well as mention of the venue and date and the kind of participation (category of participation or role on the Organizing Committee).

All certificates will be signed by the UIS President and the President of the Organizing Committee.

On the back of the certificates there should be a space for the detailed description of the activities of the participants, such as title of papers presented, description of exhibits, coordination of paper sessions, organization or participation in round table discussions, etc.

Basic schedule of the ICS

The time involved in the organization and holding of an ICS is approximately 6 years, with one for the proposal, four for preparation and up to one year for winding up activities after the ICS itself has terminated. The ICS itself involves almost a month of activities, but only a week between the Opening Ceremony, which is always on a Sunday, and the Closing Ceremony, which is on the following Sunday. Various pre-ICS activities should be planned, but all should terminate on the Saturday prior to the official opening of the ICS. Post-ICS activities should start on the Monday following the Closing Ceremony of the ICS. The following schedule should be followed but earlier deadlines may be set by the Organizing Committee if necessary and approved by the UIS Bureau:

42 months prior to the ICS: Establishment of the Executive Board of the ICS Organizing Committee, by the Host Organization.

40 months prior to the ICS: Approval of the Executive Board by the UIS President, upon consultation with Bureau members. Nomination of a Commission of three or four members of the UIS Bureau, including one from the host country, to follow the organization of the ICS. The Commission must report directly to the UIS Bureau.

36 months prior to the ICS: Definition of the final Organizing Committee, which is the responsibility of the Executive Board of the Organizing Committee and the governing bureau of the Host Organization responsible for the ICS. The members of this committee may be substituted at any time as long as this replacement is agreed upon by the Executive Board of the Organizing Committee and the Host Organization.

24 months prior to the ICS: Meeting of the Executive Board of the Organizing Committee and the UIS Bureau. Distribution of the First Circular of the ICS in both paper and electronic format; diffusion of information about the ICS website; printing of the brochure publicizing the UIS and the ICS; production of the first article about the ICS, written by the UIS President and the President of the Organizing Committee, to be distributed to all official information media of all Affiliated Organizations of the UIS.

18 months prior to ICS: First updating of the ICS website (the website should be updated on a continuous basis as new information becomes available, but this and other deadlines below are the minimum number and schedule for the posting of new or revised information).

15 months prior to ICS: Distribution of the Second Circular of the ICS in both paper and electronic form.

12 months prior to ICS: Second updating of the ICS website and production of the second article about the ICS, written by the UIS President and President of the Organizing Committee for distribution to all official information media of all Affiliated Organizations of the UIS. Initial date to accept registrations and receive papers.

10 months prior to ICS: Updating of the ICS website.

8 months prior to ICS: Updating of the ICS website.

6 months prior to ICS: Updating of the ICS website and production of third article about the ICS, written by the UIS President and the President of the Organizing Committee, to be distributed to all official information media of all of the Affiliated Organizations of the UIS. Final deadline to accept registrations with the maximum fee reduction.

4 months prior to ICS: Distribution of the Third Circular of the ICS in both printed and electronic format; updating of the ICS website. Deadline for acceptance of papers with publication guaranteed. Deadline for confirmation of registration in pre- and post-congress excursions, including payment of relevant registration fees; after this date, further registrations can only be accepted after consultation with the coordinator of the specific excursion.

2 months prior to ICS: Updating of the ICS website; deadline for acceptance of registration with medium fee reduction.

1 month prior to ICS: Updating of ICS website. From this time on, the website should be updated daily until the end of the congress. Deadline for the acceptance of registrations with a minimal discount.

10 days prior to ICS: Beginning of pre-ICS excursions.

2 days prior to ICS: Preparation of stands and exhibit space; installation of the ICS and UIS offices; begin receiving ICS participants.

1 day prior to ICS: Saturday is the deadline for the end of the pre-ICS excursions ending at some distance from the ICS venue and requiring a day to travel to the venue. Setting up of all exhibits and stands. Opening of registration and the ICS and UIS offices.

First day of ICS (Sunday): Deadline for the termination of all pre-ICS excursions located in the vicinity of the ICS venue. First session of the General Assembly of the UIS in the afternoon, between 13:00 and 18:00. Opening Ceremony of ICS at 20:00, followed by a cocktail party. The press should be invited.

Second day of ICS (Monday): First presentation of the ICS should be a plenary address by some invited authority concerning the central theme of the ICS; this should start at 08:30 and last for one hour. The press should be invited, and for all the days of the ICS a Press Secretary should be responsible for the preparation of news items to publicize the ICS. Presentation of papers, organized in blocks of about 5 to 8 papers, with a 20-minute intermission between blocks. Ninety minutes should be scheduled for lunch. Meetings by UIS Commissions, Working Groups, and other organizations may occur during lunch or other times of the day; lunch meetings must occur in rooms where food and drink are allowed and can either be carried in by participants or delivered by participants ordering their meal at an earlier time. In the middle of the afternoon, slide and/or film presentations should be initiated, and these should run until early evening. Athletic competitions may begin and can occur throughout the week. Social activities should be planned for the evening.

Third day of ICS (Tuesday): Presentation of papers and projection of slides and films. Social activities in the evening.

Fourth day of ICS (Wednesday): Day reserved for one-day field visits; no presentations will occur. A typical festival of some sort should be planned for the evening.

Fifth day of ICS (Thursday): Presentation of papers and projection of films and slides; social activities in the evening.

Sixth day of ICS (Friday): Presentation of papers and projection of films and slides; social activities in the evening. If the ICS is held in conjunction with the congress of the Host Organization, the banquet of Host Organization should be held this evening beginning at 20:00.

Seventh day of ICS (Saturday): Presentation of papers in the morning. Preliminary settling of accounts between the President and Treasurer of the Organizing Committee and the General Secretary/Treasurer of the UIS in the afternoon. Social activities in the afternoon. Closing banquet begins at 20:00.

Eighth day of ICS (Sunday): Conclusion of preliminary settling of accounts between the President and Treasurer of Organizing Committee and the General Secretary/Treasurer of the UIS. Second session of the General Assembly of the UIS (10:00-14:00), including election of a new UIS Bureau and the country which will organize the next ICS; installation of the new President of the UIS.

First day after closing of ICS: Initiation of post-ICS excursions.

10 days after closing of ICS: Deadline for end of post-ICS excursions.

1 month after closing of ICS: Deadline for final settling of accounts between the President and Treasurer of the Organizing Committee and the General Secretary/Treasurer of the UIS. Disbanding of the Organizing Committee of the ICS if an extra volume of the proceedings will not be published, otherwise, the final accounting will occur no later than one month after the extra volume is printed and distributed.

6 months after closing of ICS: Preferred deadline for the printing and distribution of any additional volume of the proceedings that may prove necessary.

1 year after closing of ICS: Last acceptable deadline for the printing and distribution of any additional volume of the proceedings.

Meeting two years prior to ICS opening

Twenty-four months prior to the opening of the ICS, there should be a meeting of the ICS Executive Board with at least two members of the UIS Bureau, to check the state of organization, official support, and the venue of the ICS, as well as the quality of the accommodations for the ICS participants, the possibilities for one-day excursions, the programs for the pre- and post-ICS excursions, and the unity of the speleology in the country. Activities could include contacts with interested politicians, the writing of documents with the support of the UIS Bureau for the Organizing Committee, an introduction to the ICS website, and principally the checking of the final version of the first circular of the ICS. The expenses for room and board and internal transport of the representatives of the UIS should be paid by the ICS Organizing Committee.

Since the UIS has an annual meeting of the Bureau, one of these meetings should be arranged during the meeting of the ICS Executive Board with the UIS Bureau. It is also desirable that some international speleological event be planned at this time to encourage the members of the UIS Bureau to participate in that event.

The President, upon consultation with Bureau members, of the UIS will determine whether a second meeting is necessary to check the progress of the organization of the ICS, and can request such a meeting up to 6 months prior to the opening of the ICS.

ICS activities

Programs for pre- and post-ICS excursions:
Excursions to visit regions or institutions of the Host Country (or neighboring countries) should be planned to provide an opportunity for ICS participants to get acquainted with the region and meet the people. These programs may have technical, scientific, cultural, social or sportive objectives. Each ICS should offer a variety of programs, each with an individual coordinator and a support team, but all programs should follow the guidelines determined by a single coordinator who will be a member of the Organizing Committee. The cost of each program to be paid by the participants must cover all costs for transportation, food, and lodging from the beginning to the end of the excursion.

Courses:
Theoretical or practical courses of short duration, at the level of university extension courses or extracurricular courses, could be offered as a pre-ICS activity. They should be taught by invited instructors, in conjunction with universities or research institutes. The duration, exact number of hours, and program should be agreed on by the Organizing Committee and the instructor.

Exhibits and Projection of slides and films:
Exhibits and projections of various kinds involving the theme of speleology should be encouraged, supported, and organized, whether or not in the form of contests. Exhibits could include photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures, handicrafts, songs, poems, books, magazines, newspapers, post cards, stamps collections, coin collections, exploration equipment, surveying equipment, and any other equipment or materials relevant to speleology. Projections include motion and still photography in film, printed, or electronic form.

Exhibits should be on display throughout the period of the ICS, set up prior to the Opening Ceremony, and taken down after to the final plenary session.

Projections should be planned for previously announced times.

Sales:
Space must be available at the ICS for setting up stands for the sale of articles of interest to speleologists: books, magazines, publications, equipment, T-shirts, post cards, magazine subscriptions, etc. The Organizing Committee should provide such a stand for the sale of ICS publications, official T-shirts, and souvenirs. Space should also be allotted to the Affiliated Organizations of the UIS, so that each has a place to sell its products and provide information on its activities. Space must be provided for sponsors who wish to sell products or services.

Space used for sales must be rented from the Organizing Committee, which will determine a rental fee per square meter, and the space available for free to certain groups before a fee is charged. All commercial vendors must pay a fee for the entire space they use. Affiliated Organizations and ICS sponsors will not have to pay a fee up to a certain size, but will pay the standard fee per square meter for areas exceeding their free space. The Organizing Committee will determine the amount of free space available to each sponsor based on the amount of the sponsor’s contribution to the ICS.

One-day excursions
On Wednesday, during the week of the ICS, there will be no presentation of papers, and all ICS participants will be invited to participate in one-day excursions. These excursions may be of a scientific, technical, cultural or sportive nature, and should last the whole day. Each ICS participant may choose no more than one excursion and must register before Wednesday so that the Organizing Committee can coordinate the transportation and furnish the necessary guides.

Caving trips
A variety of trips should be offered for ICS participants to visit caves near the ICS. Registration for these trips will be available only at the ICS, where information about the caves and trips will be provided on a bulletin board. The information should include the departure time, estimated return time, equipment needed, degree of difficulty, cost for the trip, expenses included in the cost, other expected expenses that participants may need to pay, arrangements for meals, maps and photographs of the caves, and minimum and maximum number of participants for each trip.

Non-ICS activities
A program of activities must be provided for ICS participants and their families who do not want to attend part or all of the ICS and would like to visit cultural, historic, or other tourist venues in the ICS area. Tourist visits should be organized and offered by a local tour company under an agreement with the Organizing Committee.

Social programs
Week nights during the ICS should be used for the promotion of social events. Some activities should also be provided at the end of the afternoon. These social events should include:

• Opening cocktail party: This should be offered Sunday evening, right after the Opening Ceremony of the ICS, and nothing should be charged for participation.
• Typical festival: This should be an opportunity for fraternization and should include food, music, and typical dances. The ideal night for this would be Wednesday, after the one-day excursion.
• Closing banquet: This should be offered to all ICS participants on Saturday night, in conjunction with the Closing Ceremony. Normally this banquet is sponsored by a local authority or institution.
• Launching of new books: Such ceremonies should be planned at the end of the afternoon or at an evening cocktail party.
• Gymkhanas: These athletic competitions between teams should be organized for one afternoon.

Paper presentation sessions
Each session should have a coordinator who will present the speakers, control their allotted time, and moderate discussions. The coordinator should be chosen among the experts of the session’s topic and should belong to a country different from the hosting country.

Each session should have a secretary, who will be responsible for providing support to the coordinator, distributing material to those attending the session, collecting questions, and operating the projection systems. This secretary should be chosen among the experts of the session’s topic from the hosting country and must be able to provide any possible local assistance.

The session coordinators and secretaries must be determined prior to the congress and approved by the people asked to serve in those positions prior to the congress.

Different sessions will be planned simultaneously, but those involving the same general topic should not coincide.

Simultaneous translation at these sessions is desirable but not required. Translations can be made by volunteers, especially if portable equipment is available, but no extra time will be given for such presentations.

The complete schedule of sessions and the respective coordinators should be supplied in the ICS Program. Any changes to the schedule should be provided to the Organizing Committee at least 24 hours ahead of time and announced to the participants by the ICS bulletin board and, if available, by an ICS newsletter and the website.

It is strongly recommended that someone familiar with the operation of all projection equipment be assigned to operate the equipment in each session room or be available nearby in case of difficulties. This person would insure all of the presentations are ready and efficient repair of the equipment if problems occur.

General sessions
At every ICS, some sessions are designed for larger participation, generally of an especially solemn, honorary, or important nature. These sessions are the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, General Assemblies of the hosting national organizations or federations, and the General Assembly of the UIS.

The Opening Ceremony of the ICS is coordinated by the Organizing Committee, presided by some local authority, with the table composed of the UIS President and General Secretary, the President of the ICS Organizing Committee, the President of the Host Organization responsible for the ICS, local authorities, possible guests suggested by the UIS Bureau, and other guests of the Organizing Committee

The Closing Ceremony of the ICS should also be coordinated by the Organizing Committee, and should accompany the closing banquet. This session officially closes the technical and social activities of the ICS, leaving only the second General Assembly of the UIS and the post-ICS excursions to be conducted later.

General Assemblies of national organizations or federations will be convened if the ICS coincides with these respective congresses or are convened by these organizations at that time.

The General Assembly of the UIS is regulated by the Statutes of the UIS and is divided into two sessions, which are held during each ICS. The first session takes place a few hours prior to the Opening Ceremony of the ICS, and is the time when reports on the progress of international speleology since the last ICS are presented; candidates for hosting the next ICS are also presented. The second session is held after the Closing Ceremony, normally the morning after the closing banquet. In this session, solutions for administrative problems are proposed, and voting of all kinds is conducted (motions, approval of accounts, elections, choice of country for next ICS, etc.)

Meetings
Meetings on a wide variety of topics and with a broad range of objectives related to speleology can and should be carried out during the ICS, since this is an excellent opportunity to meet with the most varied group of speleologists. These should include meeting of the UIS Bureau, Commissions and Working Groups, the ICS Organizing Committee, various federations (FEALC, BSU, SFEC, etc.), plus meetings with the press and any informal meetings.

Round Table Discussions
Themes of interest to the international, regional or national speleological community can be discussed more widely through the scheduling of Round Table Discussions. Each Round Table Discussions is open to anyone interested in the topic, directed by a Coordinator, has an agenda and a Secretary who records the discussion. The results of a Round Table Discussion may become a recommendation or even a motion to the General Assembly of the UIS.

Symposia
Papers on the same topic can be grouped into International Symposia. Each symposium should have a coordinator, opening presentation, closing ceremony, and should generate a final report as a document. The document could be in a post-congress proceedings volume, an independent publication, or a paper or group of papers in a journal.

Parallel events
The ICS should be scheduled to coincide with the national congress of the Host Country, or with a congress of a regional federation. When this happens, the ICS Organizing Committee and officers of the Host Organization and/or officers of the regional federation may decide to consider this a joint congress.

ICS publications

ICS publications include the Program, Proceedings, and guidebooks for the pre- and post-ICS excursions; they may also include course materials and an extra volume of the proceedings.

All publications may be provided in paper and electronic format, but this does not eliminate the need for a printed copy.

The Proceedings of the ICS will contain the full papers and should be printed and distributed to the participants who have the right to obtain it when they register. In order to guarantee uniformity, it is suggested that the size be standardized as A4 (21.0 x 29.7 cm). The proceedings should be organized in the following order: cover, presentation/message (optional), index, UIS Bureau, Organizing Committee, sponsors and support, acknowledgements, and the individual papers.

The ICS Programs primarily contains the abstracts for the oral and posters papers, and is distributed to the ICS participants who have the right to receive it when they register. Recommendations as to format and size are the same as the Proceedings. Other information that should be included in the Program includes the ICS schedule, including all presentations, maps of the venue and its buildings showing the location of ICS events and facilities, descriptions of the events, maps of the town and region showing places of interest, and any safety or other information that may be important to ICS participants.

The extra volume of Proceedings is composed of the results of the ICS, including a complete list of participants, reports of the pre- and post-ICS excursions, the results of competitions, reports of Round Table Discussions, motions approved by the UIS General Assembly, minutes of the meetings of any national or regional federations, minutes of the meetings of the UIS Commissions and Working Groups, and minutes of the UIS General Assembly. This volume may also include any papers which were actually presented, even though they were not registered prior to the deadline.

Materials for the pre-ICS courses should be printed ahead of time and distributed to the participants of the courses at the beginning of the activities.

The Guidebooks for the pre- and post-ICS excursions should be printed ahead of time and distributed to the participants at the beginning of the excursion.

The cover of the publications must include the identification of the ICS (number, venue, date, etc.) and the logo of the ICS, UIS, Host Organization, and any major sponsors. The covers of course materials must also include the title of the course and the name of the instructor.

After the distribution of the ICS publications to those participants who have the right to receive them and reservation of copies for the archives of the UIS, those which are left can be sold by the Organizing Committee during the event. After the dissolution of the Organizing Committee, whatever financial or material assets that remain is left will become the property of the Host Organization.

Rights and responsibilities

At the Opening Ceremony of the ICS, the master of ceremonies should invite the following to sit at the table: the UIS President and General Secretary, the President of the Organizing Committee, the President of the Host Organization responsible for the ICS, the presidents of the regional federations (if present), and local authorities. The President of the UIS may suggest the invitation of other individuals. The order in which these people should be called and the order in which they are invited to speak should follow the norms of etiquette of the Host Country.

At the Closing Ceremony of the ICS, the master of ceremonies should invite the following to sit at the table: the UIS President and General Secretary, the officers of the Organizing Committee, and the President of the Host Organization. The President of the UIS may suggest the invitation of other individuals as well.

The ICS Treasurer and President will make a preliminary accounting to the UIS Treasurer in a meeting on the Saturday of the ICS. The final accounting should be completed and presented to the newly-elected Treasurer of the UIS within 30 days of the close of the ICS if an extra volume of the proceedings will not be published, otherwise, the final accounting will occur no later than one month after the extra volume is printed and distributed. The transfer of funds from registration fees, from the account of the ICS Treasurer to the UIS Treasurer should take place prior to the final meeting for accounting. If the ICS is able to publish an extra volume of the Proceeding and pay the amount owed the UIS, this should be completed within 30 days after the end of the ICS. If the ICS is uncertain of its ability to do both, pending payment of the printing, shipping and associated costs of the final volume, payment to the UIS will be delayed until after the volume is distributed and all income and expenses are known.

All participants have the right to have a description of their activities on the back of the certificate of participation.

Session coordination will be listed on the back of the certificate for those who effectively coordinated a Round Table Discussion, session, or symposium.

All guests who will teach courses have the right to receive 5 extra copies of the materials used.

The functions executed by the members of the Organizing Committee should be specified on the back of their respective certificates.

It is the obligation of the Organizing Committee to arrange for funding to pay the expenses of the ICS

The Organizing Committee is an autonomous body but has the right to assistance from the UIS Bureau.

All ICS archives will be transferred to the UIS General Secretary, and the originals of the papers will be placed in a special file.

Finances

The ICS should make its own financial arrangements.

It is the responsibility of the Organizing Committee to obtain resources, sponsorship, financing, and any other means of support necessary for the ICS.

Sources of financing may include but are not limited to the following: registration fees, private, business, and governmental sponsorships, rental for the use of space for the stands, sale of speleological materials (T-shirts, stickers, etc.), and sale of ICS publications.

Five percent of the total income from the ICS registration fees, but not less than US $5.00 per person for registration, should be paid to the UIS. This does not include the fees paid for courses, housing, meals, or pre- and post-ICS excursions.

Other situations

Any situation omitted from these instructions should be solved by the Organizing Committee of the ICS, with the approval of the UIS Bureau.

[ UIS Home ] [ Top ] [ Admin ] [ Download PDF (123 KB) ]