The TEI Conference and Members’ Meeting is organised collaboratively by the:

• Programme Committee, whose Chair is appointed by the TEI-C Board, and which contains representation from the Local Conference Organising Committee, to oversee the development of the academic conference programme
• Local Conference Organising Committee, whose Chair is selected locally, and oversees the logistical and administrative details involved with hosting a conference including seeking sponsorship

The Local Conference Organising Committee coordinates with the Programme Committee in terms of establishing a conference theme, how to showcase local innovations, strengths and interests, choosing at least one keynote speaker, and participating in the process of reviewing proposals. 

The chairs of the Programme Committee and the Local Conference Organising Committee usually serve as the guest editors of a special issue of the Journal of the Text Encoding Initiative, which publishes selected papers from the conference.

The TEI-C Board appoints a Board member or other individual to serve as Conference Correspondent to be the main point of contact between the Board and the Programme and Local Conference Organising Committees.  When possible, the Conference Correspondent will be someone who has had past experience serving on either the Programme or Local Conference Organising Committees. 

The TEI-C provides a conference registration and reviewing system to ensure a properly curated intellectual record of the conference.

The conference format usually includes the following types of sessions though the Chairs of the Programme and Local Conference Organising Committees should not feel restricted to these sessions alone: 

• Workshops are usually scheduled as pre- or post-conference events and should not extend the total program by more than 2 days. 
• Special Interest Groups (SIG) meetings more recently have been incorporated as part of the main conference schedule with meetings varying in length, depending on the activities of any given SIG.  For SIGs with longer meeting requirements (half-day or full-day), consider organizing those as a pre- or post-conference event that should not extend the total program by more than 3 days.
• The main conference (papers, posters, panels) is usually organised into one strand or into parallel sessions depending on the number of accepted submissions.
• The Business Meeting or AGM of the membership is a required component of the conference and should be included as part of the main conference schedule with an average of two hours dedicated to the meeting. 
• The Local Organising Conference Committee should also make arrangements for meetings of the TEI-C Technical Council and TEI-C Board both individually and jointly. TEI-C Technical Council meetings are usually scheduled for two to three days. The TEI-C board meeting is a closed session that does not require more than a couple of hours to meet.

The host of the annual meeting takes responsibility for profit or loss. However, the TEI Consortium is willing to cover documented expenses of the host with a subvention of up to $7,000 USD if the conference does not break even. A conference registration fee is charged to attendees, to offset conference expenses; see examples of fees from recent meetings: 

http://members.tei-c.org/Events/meetings/archive.  

Local hosts agree to a significant discount on the advertised registration fee for TEI-C members. The idea (to encourage membership) is that it is cheaper to become a TEI-C member and pay the reduced conference rate, than it is to register as a non-member. Local hosts may elect to waive or discount registrations for other categories of registrants as well (e.g., students), and local hosts may decide when and whether to have a discount for early registration.

 

If the local host uses its own banker, then the subvention may be requested up to 30 days after the end of the conference. The expenses that this will cover should be documented by the host to the TEI.

 

At the host’s discretion, the TEI-C can bank payments for conference registration and can pay conference vendors. If the TEI-C is the conference banker, allowable conference expenses include travel and lodging for keynote speakers, food and drink for the attendees, space rental, IT support, marketing and communications, entertainment, and staff.  Any other categories of expenses should be discussed in advance with the TEI-C Treasurer.  If the TEI-C has banked conference receipts, the Treasurer of the TEI-C will provide the host with a financial report on those receipts within 15 days after the close of registration, and the host will provide the TEI-C with a full report of all conference income and costs, within 30 days after the end of the conference. If the conference makes a profit and the TEI-C is acting as the banker, any profit remains with the TEI-C. Any questions about conference finances that are not answered to the host’s satisfaction by the TEI-C Treasurer should be directed to the TEI-C Board. 

 

In all cases, the TEI-C will pay the licensing cost for the web-based conference registration and reviewing system it uses each year, and will give the conference host administrative rights in that system.  This system can direct registrants to external payment services, such as a local conference services unit, if the TEI is not acting as banker for the conference. If the TEI-C is banking registration fees, it will accept payment by credit card, or wire transfer, and it will not normally refund registration fees in cases of non-attendance or similar. If the TEI-C is the banker for the conference, it will also contract with major vendors at the request of the local host, for things like meeting space or catering services.  Even when the TEI-C is the banker, it often makes sense for host institutions to directly underwrite expenses that are easier to arrange locally, such as:

• pre-meeting workshops
• receptions, dinners, entertainment
• payment of travel, lodging, or honorarium expenses for plenary speakers
• childcare

The Local Conference Organising Committee may use the TEI-C name and logo to seek support from local institutions, commercial sponsors, or individuals, as appropriate, and if the TEI-C in the banker for the conference, the TEI-C can accept such donations on behalf of the host.

After a host has been selected, members of the TEI-C Board of Directors, through the Programme Chair and Conference Correspondent, work together with the local hosts to ensure the conference timeline and milestones are met. The following timeline gives a rough schedule for the essential events in the planning of the TEI Conference and Members’ Meeting (depending on proposed conference date):

1. February: Launch conference web site, including key dates and specific venue locations, especially if the conference setting is not centralized; implement conference registration/review platform (Local Conference Organising Committee)
2. March: Call for papers, arrangement of keynote speakers (Programme Committee)
3. May/June: Announcement of conference registration; information available concerning hotel and travel arrangements  (Local Conference Organising Committee)
4. May/June: Proposal acceptance/rejection notifications; update schedule with accepted papers/presentations (Local Conference Organising Committee)
5. June–August: Registration reminders (Local Conference Organising Committee)
6. June/July: An optional call for late-breaking research proposals (Programme Committee) 
7. August/September: Final conference schedule posted to the web site (Local Conference Organising Committee)

In some years the application process starts with an 'Expression of Interest' period in which fewer details need to be confirmed before making the expression of interest. If this EoI is accepted, then a fuller proposal may be needed. This fuller host application requires thorough logistical, fiscal and other information from the prospective conference host(s) to enable the TEI-C Board of Directors to review the applications with special emphasis on:

• the level of support and underwriting (financial and logistical) the institution can offer to ensure the success of the meeting; 
• the venue itself and its suitability for a meeting of this size and type (including rooms, technology, and capacity); 
• the possibilities of hybrid virtual participation or recording of sessions; 
• internet access (wireless), robust presentation projection and technologies, and AV support in meeting rooms are essential
• the kinds of support and personnel the organizers can draw upon locally to ensure the logistical success of the meeting. 

The application should include the following:

• Contact information for institution(s) including name, address, etc.
• Contact information for the individuals submitting the application
• Proposed dates for the conference
• Proposed conference theme
• Information about the host institution(s) and location, including its fit with the TEI-C
• • This section contains information about the host institution(s) and why the institution(s) is/are particularly suited for hosting the annual TEI Conference and Members' Meeting.  Please note important information about the conference location, both the geographic location especially in terms of access, and local considerations especially in terms of TEI research, scholarship, and outreach.  Make sure to mention local partners who would also contribute to the conference in some fashion.
• Conference logistics
• • Details about the conference venue, rooms and facilities, AV, and wireless support
  • Information about hybridity, live-streaming, or recording of sessions where this is a possibility
  • Food and catering options
  • Lodging/Accommodation options
  • Proposed social events
• Budget and Sponsorship
• • Include a line-item draft budget that reflects anticipated expenses as well as anticipated contributions through sponsorship, local partners, etc.  The budget may include up to $7,000 USD provided by the TEI-C as a subvention where the conference does not make a profit.  Registration estimates would also be encouraged, both registration costs and anticipated income.  For conservative estimates, most of the total registrations should be considered discounted (TEI members, student, etc.). 

Applications should be submitted to chair@tei-c.org.