WORLD ASSOCIATION FOR BUIATRICS

Guidelines for the preparation of a bid to hold the biennial congress

Revised: January 31, 2020

The following points form the basis of a written bid for future World Association for Buiatrics (WAB) Congresses. The electronic version of the bid must be submitted before May 1st (February 1st 2024 for WBC 2028) in any congress year to be eligible for assessment for all future WAB congresses.

  1. BID APPROVAL
    Successful bids will be approved at a WAB congress at least four (4) years in advance of the WAB congress the bid organisation is to host. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) will be signed between the successful bidding country/association, WAB and any congress organising company within a reasonable time after the bid approval.
  2. BID DOCUMENT
    The bid must be submitted from a country in which a national buiatric association is a full member of the WAB. As part of the bid, a demonstration of full support and engagement from that national buiatric association which is a full member of the WAB is expected. The bid should also demonstrate the ability to organise both national and regional veterinary congresses with a brief summary of previously organised congresses/conferences. As part of the bid, the candidate should present letters of support from any relevant entities that they feel enhance their bid (such as regional or national government). Visa requirements to enter the bidding country must be included.
  3. CONGRESS VENUE
    A layout of the proposed congress venue should be included in the bid proposal. The layout should specify at least 4 auditoriums as well as meeting rooms for the WAB committee. The venue should provide an area for sponsors to be able to present their products and services, and for all registrants to have easy access to this area. There should be suitable and large rooms for poster presentations which are easily accessible and close to the lecture and exhibition halls. The venue should provide areas for morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch – these may be within the sponsor’s area. Lower star hotels and student hostels should make up about 40% of the total available delegate accommodation. Close proximity to delegate accommodation with readily accessible public transportation or a congress associated shuttle service is critical to a successful bid. The proposed plan for delegate movement is to be included in the bid. Free public transport for delegates during the congress period is highly recommended.
  4. ORGANISING AND SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES
    The structure and membership of the Organising Committee must be defined in the Bid Document with the Chair being identified. The Organising Committee structure and membership forms an important part of the bid and will influence the selection. Because of the length of time (4 years) between bid approval and the actual Congress, it is understood that the membership of the Organising Committee may change through unforeseen and exceptional circumstances but it is expected that the structure and membership of the Organising Committee as approved at selection will not fundamentally change through to completion of the Congress. Following bid approval, the WAB must be advised of any changes to the structure or membership of the Organising Committee. The WAB reserves the right to reverse its decision of approval in the event of fundamental changes to the Organizing Committee/Bid Document.The provisional Scientific Committee and Chair should be listed in the Bid Document.
  5. SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
    The scientific programme must run for at least four (4) days. The ability to present the scientific program around a format of keynote lectures and based on all aspects of bovine medicine, surgery, production and practice is essential. The WAB Executive Committee will look favourably on a program that includes streams on all aspects of buffalo, small ruminants and exotic/wild ruminant species medicine.The scientific programme, including satellite symposia, is to be approved by the WAB Executive Committee or a subcommittee thereof prior to announcement.There must be lectures at least in four (4) auditoriums with simultaneous translation (English, French, German, and Spanish) in at least three (3) auditoriumsAll keynote lectures in full and the abstracts of oral and poster presentations must be published in English on digital/electronic media and preferably also in a printed proceedings.All presentations should be recorded as agreed upon in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and submitted to the WAB for inclusion on the educational section of the WAB website.
  6. CONGRESS BUDGET
    The congress budget should be presented as part of the bid process. The following areas of the budget should be addressed and discussed in the bid proposal.
    • The income and sponsorship contracts with any supporting companies will be the full responsibility of the local organising committee.
    • It is recommended that the initial registration fee be less than €500 (EUR). This should include lunch and morning and afternoon refreshments in the congress area. It should also include the complete proceedings of the congress.
    • The registration fee for lower-middle-income countries (B) as classified by the World Bank is to be discounted by a minimum of 25%.
    • The registration fee for low-income countries (C) as classified by the World Bank is to be discounted by a minimum of 50%.
    • A discount of at least 50% is recommended for students (undergraduate students, residents, interns, M.Sc., PhD) and retired delegates.
    • Access to congress proceedings should be included.
    • Free public transport for delegates during the congress period is highly recommended.
  7. CONGRESS CONTRIBUTIONS TO WAB
    The Secretariat of the WAB is supported by the biennial congress. The following has been decided upon by the Executive Committee.
    • The President, the Past President or President Elect, Secretary General and Treasurer of the WAB are included as invited participants and have all expenses paid. It is also a tradition that the EXCO and the WAB honorary members do not pay registration fees.
    • To promote collegiality and coordination, the Organising Committee will host a combined Organising Committee-WAB Executive Committee dinner, preferably one day before the opening of the Congress.
    • The WAB supports several awards which are presented during the biennial World Buiatrics Congress. The WAB requests that appropriate times be allotted during the WBC for these presentations. The specific awards and presentation requests will be detailed in the MOA signed with the awarded WBC Organising Committee.
    • A contribution of €15 (EUR) will be made to the WAB Secretariat via the Treasurer for each full and discounted fee paying registrant at the congress.
    • A contribution of €5 (EUR) will be made to the WAB Secretariat via the Treasurer for each daily registration.
    • The contribution will be transferred within forty-five (45) days of the conclusion of the congress.
  8. BID APPROVAL PROCESS
    The WAB Secretariat will send an electronic copy of the bid from each candidate to each member of the WAB Executive committee (EXCO) immediately after May 1st in a congress year. Eligible bids will be offered the opportunity to provide a short presentation to the EXCO at the congress of that year. The members of the EXCO will vote at the congress of that year to select the winner of the bid process.The WAB requests that the email addresses and countries of the delegates at each Congress be provided to the WAB to facilitate WAB affairs communications before and after the congress.The decision of the EXCO is final and there is no right of appeal.