Congress 2005 FAQs

Here are a few answers to the questions members and interested participants have been asking.

A. Congress 2005 dates

Q. When will the 2005 Congress be held?
A. The next Congress will be held during the period 21 to 25 September 2005. A more precise schedule including events and workshops will appear on our website as it develops.

Q. Why is it planned in September instead of in the spring?
A. There are a number of reasons for the new dates. A number of members expressed a desire for a time less conflicted by holidays and a better season to travel.

B. Location and venue

Q. Where will the SIETAR Europa Congress 2005 it be held?
A. We have contracted the the VVF facility, called "La Bergerie" at La Colle Sur Loup, Cote d'Azur, France. The facility includes room, board and congress facilities and is located in the country about 20 minutes from the Nice Airport.

Q. Why Nice? It's problably expensive. Will there be student rates for registration?
A. While the Côte d'Azur area can be expensive, the venue arrangements were chosen because they are very reasonable and inclusive of many expenses that one might otherwise have to seek outside the venue in hotels and shops. Theoretically this should reduce registration expenses while standardizing lodging and board. We will be looking for economies and passing them on to you as we find them. There will be staggerd registration fees for participants with more limited incomes.

Q. Are there reasonable transport options to and from the Congress?
A. Nice has one of France's best served airports. It is a regular distination for many discount airlines and is competitively served by Air France and other national carriers. In addition, high speed train service is available and reasonable from many destinations from within and from outside of France.

Q. What are the facilities like? I would not want to stay in a run-down place, share a room or bath.
A. The facility itself provides several choices for lodging arrangements. The lodgings are comfortable and economical but not deluxe. They are classified as ** in France. We are exploring possibilities and day rates for those whose budgets and desires incline them to stay elsewhere. If you desire **** conditions elsewhere, we understand that the Hotel Splendide in Nice will accommodate you nicely for between €215 and €340 per night.

Q. Will there be a common space where people have to pass one another?
A. The venue has a number of large open indoor spaces conducive to migling and social events. In addition we expect that the outdoor spaces, weather permitting, will provide us with pleasant surroundings in which to meet and stroll.

Q. Will there be a shuttle between the venue and Nice?
A. The venue will organize reasonably priced shuttle bus service both for pick up from the Airport as well as for any events that take place outside the venue itself.

Q. How is transportation to Nice (or other towns) from the congress venue?
A. Shuttle bus arrangements can be made for groups either to specific locations or to rail and bus connections for those who wish to travel or tour.

Q. Will the food be high in quality and variety? Is it full board?
A. What a ridiculous question! This is FRANCE! Actually your Board of Directors and Congress Committee has sampled the food and found it excellent. Yes, the package includes full board, generous snacks and yup, wine at both lunch and dinner. We are even putting a bit of siesta time in the schedule.

Q. Will you send us details, pictures accessible on websites, the location specifics etc., as soon as possible?
Yes. There is a full set of pictures of the venue on the congress website under the link Venue.

C. Congress 2005 Program

Q. Who is going to be the main organizer? Who will be in charge?
A. SIETAR Europa in collaboration with SIETAR France has the responsibility of organizing the 2005 congress. In effect, that means all of us. A steering committee has pursued information and preprations. A full congress committee representative of the European SIETARS is in charge and taking into account those who have volunteered and those who will volunteer. Since we have chosen a full service venue, the work that remains for the committee will be liaising with them but its main work will be more focused on quality and variety of the program.

Q. What will be the overall theme and topics for the Congress?
A. The theme "My culture, Your Culture, Our Opportunity" has been chosen to focus on the role of intercultural studies, practices and arts in addressing the pressing cultural issues of our time: politics, religion, terror, violence and genocide, social shifts, reducing the effects of past colonialism, and certainly developing a larger role in these matters for "the New Europe."

Q. Is there some free time planned to explore the surroundings?
A. We will be offering a number of options for tours and excursions. Also, we might suggest, given the time of the congress that you think of the possiblity of extending your stay to visit the many extraordinary natural and artisinal resources found in the area. More information about this will be provided in the congress website.

Q. When does the submission for papers and workshops begin and end?
A. The call for papers has been issued. The final deadline for submission is May 15, 2005. Proposals received after this date will not be considered. Start thinking about your interests for involvement now.

Q. Will presenters have to pay participation fees?
A. Yes. This is one of the most difficult questions we are now facing. Most professional congresses do not pay fees or give reductions to presenters of papers, though they may pay for keynote speakers. We hear two messages from our members. One is that they think speakers should be given a privilege; secondly, they want a less expensive congress. The only way to make this happen is by creating a fundraising campaign for scholarship funds for those with less resources and a sponsorship program for congress materiel and events which would lower our direct cost on the congress. We cannot do this alone, so we ask that the local SIETARs discuss how they may support the effort by providing or seeking scholarship funds, and we ask individual members who are connected to or willing to find sponsors to come forward and be part of the fundraising effort by contacting the sponsorship committee at sponsorship@sietar-europa.org.

Q. What are the criteria for presentations and presenters?
A. Adhrence to the specified theme of the congress, timely completion of the proposal forms will be basicrequirements. In addition members have been askng for a better assessment of quality and a clear statement for the level of expertise expected of the audience. We will conduct a peer review online of the proposals for the final selections. In addition, we propose that some presenters be specifically invited if the membership so desires. See the Call for Papers.

Q. Will there be local presentations in French? Will the German SIETAR prepare some events?
A. SIETAR Congresses have traditionally been open to presentations in other languages than English. This one will be no exception. Generally speaking the location of the program in a specific country increases the number of participants from that country and hence the need for presentations in the language of the country. Voila!

Q. How could a member take part in the proccess of preparation?
A. Glad you asked. We intend to continue to work with the membership online to solicit your opinions and plans as we proceed. In addition volunteers of all kinds will be needed both in the preparation and delivery of the congress. If you have not already done so, please contact Christine Longé, Administrative Secretary at the SIETAR Europa Office (Tel: +33 6 03 86 04 94 email: office@sietar-europa.org) telling her how you would like to be involved and what amount of time you might have to spare to work on the congress.

Q. How will we involve more participants or papers from the minorities, e.g., more Muslims, blacks and Chinese presenting their views, rather than Europeans talking about those issues?
A. The Congress Committee will be discussing how to invite as well as how to market to these groups. The best guarantee of their involvement in a Congress, however, is the active inclusion of such people in your local SIETAR groups. Do you have an initiative or a process for this locally? If you do, please let the SIETAR Europa Office know about it. It will be one of our roles to use the newsletter and other resources to share best practices among the SIETARs.

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