Section 4
Site Selection Procedures

Final responsibility for the series of World Orchid Conferences and for the choice of venue rests with the WOC Trust.  Prospective hosts should observe the following Trust procedures and requirements.

4.1

Site Selection Committee - Composition and Meeting Time

Decisions on the location of future Conferences are taken up by the Trust after receiving detailed proposals from prospective hosts.

The Trust will invite experienced representatives from orchid societies throughout the world to join them in forming a Site Selection Committee to consider proposals.  We anticipate that the next Site Selection Committee will meet in Singapore in 2011, to consider invitations to host the 22nd WOC and to make recommendations to the Trustees.  Invitations to participate in the work of the Committee will be distributed a few months prior to the Conference.

In deciding among the applications to host the Conference, the Trust will be guided by four main considerations -

4.2

Bid Presentations

Prospective hosts are required to make a formal presentation to the Trust and the Site Selection Committee to provide detailed information about all aspects of the Conference; in particular -

Applicants are also likely to be questioned about travel facilities, social or cultural events, local tours, etc.  While the heart of the Conference is the lecture program and the show, it is also a major international event around which many people build holidays.

Organizations considering issuing an invitation to hold the Conference should contact the President of the Trust as early as possible and consult him about their plans.  Although it is not mandatory, it is advisable for prospective applicants to invite the President of the Trust, perhaps with other Trustees, to visit the proposed location for consultation and to review facilities.  This visit should take place before any relevant Site Selection Committee meeting.

4.3

Sponsors

There has been a tendency recently for applications to be originated and promoted by Tourist Boards, Conference Centers and similar bodies.  While the support of such bodies is to be welcomed and will in many cases be invaluable, the Trust expects invitations to hold the Conference to come from orchid interests in the country concerned and will always require solid evidence that an invitation has the enthusiastic and effective backing of orchid organizations - scientific, amateur and commercial.

4.4

Supervision by WOC Trust and Progress Reports

The Trust will normally announce the selection of the prospective host at the closing ceremony of the World Orchid Conference where the bids were presented.  The successful bidder must understand that this selection is only "prospective" and will not become final until the World Orchid Conference immediately preceding theirs.

Successful applicants are required to keep in regular touch with the President of the Trust or another appointed Trustee and must submit written reports at least annually or more often, if requested, on the progress of the Conference planning.  The reports should show, in increasing detail as time advances, what is planned and what has been achieved in every aspect of the Conference - financial and administrative arrangements, the Conference program, the show, social events and tours and CITES and customs arrangements.

Confirmation of the venue will only be finally given at the Conference immediately preceding the proposed Conference.  Confirmation will reflect the quality of the reports submitted in the intervening period.  The prospective host will be required to make a further formal presentation to the Trust at this Conference.  They are strongly advised to invite the President of the Trust, possibly with another Trustee, to visit them again in the six-month period before this formal presentation.  In extraordinary circumstances confirmation may be granted earlier if sufficient progress can be demonstrated to the Trustees by the organizers.

4.5

Financial Responsibilities

All expenses for visits made by WOC Trustees to proposed or selected sites are to be borne by the local organizers.

The Trustees stand ready to provide assistance and advice on all aspects of a Conference.  Their experience has proved a valuable resource for local Conference organizers in the past, especially in the more technical aspects of the Conference - for example, the lecture program and the judging schedule.  The Trustees are also well placed to help with the job of publicizing the Conference among the relevant international public.