Blog post by IAIA President Gaby Factor
Dear IAIA Members:
In this ever-changing virtual world longing for personal interactions, the Board and HQ team would like to share some news about the AGM and IAIA23.
Annual General Meeting
In late 2022, we surveyed our members on their preferred modality of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Although an in-person AGM edged out a virtual AGM (56% to 44%), the comments overwhelmingly reflected an interest in making the AGM accessible to as many members as possible, whether they could attend the conference or not.
Both IAIA HQ and the Board weighed various options, including holding a hybrid meeting to accommodate both in-person and virtual attendees. After considering the cost, bandwidth, and staffing required to hold a well-functioning hybrid AGM onsite in Kuching, the Board found it prohibitive and decided to hold the AGM virtually. This will allow the entire membership the opportunity to participate in the AGM as well as meet our new CEO, even if they will not be attending IAIA23. We look forward to seeing you all this year at the AGM.
While a date and time have not yet been set, the Board decided to maximize attendance by holding the meeting at least 2-3 weeks prior to IAIA23 so that it would not interfere with members who might be traveling early to Kuching. As per IAIA’s bylaws, the date and time of the AGM will be announced to the membership at least 30 days in advance.
After IAIA23, the Board will evaluate when and how to offer the AGM for 2024.
IAIA23
Based on the IAIA22 post-conference survey results, IAIA decided not to offer any livestreaming or virtual component for IAIA23. Feedback from those who attended IAIA22 only virtually indicated that IAIA did not offer enough live/virtual sessions, nor did we offer enough sessions in individuals’ particular interest areas. Many wanted to have a larger selection so they could pick which sessions they participated in remotely. Considering the diversity of interest of our conference delegates, that means IAIA would need to record or livestream multiple sessions during each time slot. Unfortunately, given the logistical challenges and cost, a hybrid event of that magnitude is not viable for IAIA at this time.
Knowing the value and importance of information shared and discussed at conferences, the IAIA HQ team are exploring innovative ways that some conference content could be used post-conference to further not only information sharing but also networking among our members. Stay tuned!
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