ICCB 2019 Seeks Planning Volunteers

SCB wants your help in planning its 2019 International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB  2019), which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 21-25 July 2019!
 
More than 2,000 conservation and social science professionals and students are expected to attend ICCB 2019 to learn and share insights about the latest research, developments, and challenges in conservation science and practice.  
 
The Society seeks expressions of interest from individuals who want to serve in a leadership capacity as the Congress Chair or as chair or a contributing member of subcommittees that help to plan, promote, and manage ICCB 2019, including:  
How to Get Involved
If you have experience or interest in any of these areas, please complete and submit this Expression of Interest form to Kathleen Munger by Friday 23 March 2018.

We hope you will join us in helping to make ICCB 2019 the best it can be! Volunteer leaders play a key role in helping SCB plan a succusseful ICCB that has robust programmatic content, provides student advancement and professional development opportunities, maximizes equity, inclusion and diversity, and subsidizes travel costs for select Section, Working Group and Chapter grantees – all in a fiscally sound manner. Responsibilities are shared amongst a strong network of local, regional, and global volunteers, SCB staff, MCI (a globally-experienced conference management company), and SCB committees. 
 

E.J. Milner-Gulland (left), a keynote speaker at ICCB 2017, and Morena Mills, co-chair of the ICCB 2017 Scientific Committee, at ICCB 2017 in Cartagena, Colombia. The Scientific Committee plays a key role in developing the ICCB scientific program and plenary topics and speakers.  


The ICCB 2019 Steering Committee serves as the coordinating body of eight (8) conference-specific Subcommittees: Development and Fundraising; Equity, Inclusion and Diversity; Local Organizing; Marketing and Communications; Policy; Scientific Program; Student Affairs and Professional Development; and Travel Grants.  This Committee is chaired by the Congress Chair, and includes two Congress Co-Chairs (a representative from the SCB Conference Committee and the Chair of the Local Organizing Subcommittee [LOC]), and a Vice-Chair (SCB Director of Conferences and Events). The primary duty of this Steering Committee is to develop current, relevant and strong programmatic content for the ICCB 2019. This Steering Committee is responsible for oversight and coordination of these Subcommittees as well as for maintaining consistent communication with the SCB Global Executive Office, MCI, and SCB Committees, to assist with congress planning and organization.

ICCB 2019 Congress Chair: responsibilities include oversight of the Conference Steering Committee (in collaboration with SCB Executive Director); facilitation of the congress planning process (in collaboration with SCB Executive Director) to ensure that the ICCB Steering Committee’s congress planning is timely, strategic, and consistent with SCB policies and procedures, including selection of congress theme and identification of strategic priorities of special emphasis; chairing biweekly calls of the Conference Steering Committee; advising and supporting conference subcommittees and Executive Office in all facets of their conference planning efforts; and engaging and reporting to the SCB Conference Committee and SCB Board of Governors as necessary
 
 
Development and Fundraising Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Director of Development and Advancement and MCI to seek and secure Congress sponsors, travel grant funding, and exhibitors. 
 
Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Committee and MCI to refine and advance the ICCB 2017 EID strategy; implementing efforts and activities that include and encourage participation of historically underrepresented groups; and identifying resources (e.g., child-care services, breast-feeding areas, family and non-gender restrooms) necessary to accommodate attendee needs.
 
Local Organizing Subcommittee: specific to individuals living in Malaysia, particularly individuals living in Kuala Lumpur.  Responsible for assuring the Congress has a local flavor, identifying pre- and post- congress trips and activities, providing opening and closing ceremony and banquet speakers and entertainment recommendations that provide regional cultural significance, identifying and securing local volunteers, and assisting with the coordination of local logistics.
 
Marketing and Communications Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Director of Membership and Communications and MCI to create an ICCB 2019 brand; developing and implementing a marketing strategy prior to the Congress; advancing and implementing the communications strategy to promote Congress activities in real time (e.g., live-streaming, live media, social media, etc.); and identifying and facilitating media coverage after the Congress (e.g., international media, special journal volumes, etc.).
 
Policy Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Policy Committee to review accepted abstracts to identify common local, regional and international policy-related threads that can be used to connect Congress content with policy development, changes, and impacts pre-during and post-congress; and developing policy-related programming (in collaboration with the Scientific Program Subcommittee and Local Organizing Subcommittee) of local and regional importance (e.g., panel discussions and seminars) to highlight and help advance conservation policy relevant to the location and region. 
  
Scientific Program Subcommittee: responsibilities include refining and oversight of the call for abstract submission, review, and selection process; assisting in plenary speaker selections; managing session moderation and moderator selections; and developing the scientific program schedule.
 
Student Affairs and Professional Development Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Student Affairs and Education Committee and Awards Committee to develop and manage both scientific and non-scientific student advancement events; coordinating and managing short-course and professional development opportunities; and managing the student presentation/poster judging process and awardee selection.
 
Travel Grants Subcommittee: responsibilities include working in concert with the SCB Director of Development and Advancement, SCB Sections, the SCB Awards Committee, and the ICCB 2019 Development and Fundraising Subcommittee to seek and secure travel grant funding; refining the selection criteria; and overseeing the call for submissions and the application review and selection process.