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November 2016
"The busy man is never wise and the wise man is never busy."

~ Lin Yutang
Year-End Finance Action Items for IEEE Conferences 
2016 year end
The IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE) Business Operations team requests the assistance of all organizers involved with open financially sponsored conferences to accomplish the following year-end 2016 goals:

* Submission of transaction level financial details: To avoid conference disruption in the event of an audit, auditable documents are needed for input into NetSuite. Review details on auditable documents.

Conferences not using NetSuite to log financial activity throughout their event should send transaction support to the Conference Business Operations team immediately.

* Timely closure of all financially-sponsored conferences: IEEE policy requires all financially sponsored conferences to submit all documents and close within six months of the conference's conclusion.

* Updated financial information: An updated financial forecast is requested from all conferences prior to the end of the year. Updated financial reports should be submitted using the Conference Financial Reporting Form .

If you have already logged all of your financials in NetSuite, please contact MCE Business Operations to confirm that you are complete,   and we will update the projection for the conference on your behalf.
 
* Submission of 1099/1042 reportable payments: To meet tax regulations for companies doing business in the United States, IEEE must report conference payments made to individuals that would be classified as income (expense reimbursements should not be included).
  • Conferences taking place in the U.S. should report all such payments made to U.S. citizens and resident aliens (1099) and non-U.S. persons (1042)
  • Conferences taking place outside the U.S. are required to report payments made to U.S. citizens and resident aliens only (1099).
If you have any questions about the schedule of tax payments or how to submit it ,  please contact IEEE MCE Business  Operations. The team is eager to assist organizers in reaching these goals.
 
Year-End Contracts Processing Cutoff: 28 November 2016
contract
Due to the high volume of contracts received for year-end processing, IEEE Conference Contracting cannot guarantee that contracts received
after Monday 28 November 2016 will be reviewed and signed by year-end.

Please be sure to review all of your pending conference-related contracts to ensure that they are submitted in a timely manner to accommodate due dates.

All contracts require SME (subject matter expert) and legal review and possible further negotiations.

     Contact MCE Business Operations       
In This Issue
MCE Conference Education Program 
IEEE MCE Conference Education provides learning opportunities for conference organizers of all experience levels, IEEE units or role.
    
Learning options available:        
  
 
  
Resources are in the IEEE Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE), accessed with your  IEEE Account .       
     
   Contact  MCE   
Quick Tips
Did you know? 
Quick tip image
 
MCE provides templates with standard legal clauses:
 
- Meeting-management       agreements
   
- Generic hotel contracts
   
- Specific hotel chain  contracts
 
  Learn More  
Getting to "YES...AND": 
Improv Techniques to Help  You Think on Your Feet Like the Pros
improvise
We all need to be nimble, confident and creative these days to thrive while inspiring others. The same is true of Improv Theater performers. Surprisingly, the skills that make improvisers so successful are the same ones that make non-performers successful.

Improvisers and IEEE members are helped by being able to think on their feet, co-create unexpected solutions to problems, relate to others in a cooperative way, let go of things they cannot control, and enjoy and value working with others.

Joining an Improv group is not on everyone's must do list. Yet, the application of the Improv principles and practices that lead to the improvisers' achievements can benefit IEEE members. This approach to skill development, using Improv theater principles for non-performers, is known as Applied Improv.

The most widely Applied Improv concept in the professional world is "Yes, And." This "magic bullet" allows improvisers (and the rest of us) to differentiate between acceptance and agreement.  For improvisers, it is how they're able to respond so quickly to suggestions from the audience or other players. "Yes, you've called out an idea, And, we'll accept it right away." No hesitation, no modification, just forward moving action.
 
For the rest of us, it's a way to engage even when we may not like or expect what another person says or does. It's in our best interest to deal with what is real rather than what we would like to see, allowing us to explore differences of opinion without dissolving into conflict.  "Yes, you believe that, and I believe this so let's examine where our differences are," is a more productive approach than "Yes, you believe that, but I believe this, so let's see who is right."
 
Here's how to develop the skill:
 
Step 1:  Notice how often "Yes, But" is used by you when in conversation with others.
Step 2:  Notice your gut reaction when "Yes, But" is used by others in a conversation that is emotionally charged for you.
Step 3:  Practice making "Yes, And" your default conversation response mode.  Here's how: "Yes", (paraphrase what the other person says), "And" (add your reply.)
Step 4:  Experience what one IEEE participant described after attending an Applied Improv session. "When you're meeting things habitually with 'yes, and' ...you transform the way people perceive you..."
     
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The authors, Izzy Gesell and Bob Korin presented their Improv program at the 2016 IEEE Panel of Conference Organizers (POCO) in Montreal. www.ieeepoco.org

Izzy Gesell, MS.Ed, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), coach and keynoter. Author of publications on improv, humor and personal and organizational effectiveness. 

Bob Korin, is a preferred IEEE hotel supplier at the Hilton Waikoloa on Hawaii's Big Island and Improv performer.

Upcoming Services Disruption - 11 November
service outage
Users of IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events (MCE) applications will experience a planned service interruption on Friday 11 November. 

To allow for system upgrades and routine maintenance, the IEEE Conference Application, Financial Reporting and Publication forms will not be accessible for the period from 10:00 AM ET US until 5:00 PM ET US Friday 11 November.
 
Please plan IEEE conference activity with this timing in mind. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
 
If you have any questions or comments, please contact MCE.

Conference Education Program: Updates 
Upcoming Webinar Topics
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Wednesday, 9 November 2016:   
   
Audience Development: Growing Your Conference Attendance  
 
Learn how to expand your conference audience by utilizing basic marketing techniques including Social Media, Web Presence and Mobile Optimization. 
We'll also provide a first look at new Audience Development resources from MCE.
    
Time:11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
 
 
Time:3:00 - 4:00 PM - Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
    

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T hursday, 1 December 2016
   
10 Simple Ways to Innovate Your Next Conference
 
Looking to invigorate your next conference? Want to attract new attendees? Interested in introducing new elements to create interest in your current event? 

Join this session for a conversation that will share insights, lessons learned, opportunities and ideas from innovative programs that IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events has been piloting the past three years. Attendees will walk away with low-cost, practical solutions that can immediately apply to your next event.
 
Time:11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
  

Time:3:00 - 4:00 PM - Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
    
       
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