PCIC Conference Etiquette Rules for Vendor Entertainment
1. SCOPE
The purpose of these rules is to maintain the PCIC at a high professional level. Vendor participation is encouraged and welcomed to emphasize the technical and professional aspects of the PCIC conference. . Conduct shall be in accordance with the following to prevent any conflicts with the PCIC Conference program
2. Pre-Conference Advertising
a) Vendors are encouraged to send email invitations to potential PCIC Conference attendees for vendor-sponsored functions such as dinners, receptions and hospitality suites, provided these functions meet the requirements of this section and such email notifications do not include advertising of products and services within the same notification.
b) Vendors are permitted to send email notifications of tutorials and technical papers the vendor is participating in, provided such email notifications do not include advertising of products and services within the same notification. The email notification should also include information about the PCIC Conference, including the PCIC Conference logo, dates and location, and shall include the title, paper number and full list of authors as indicated in the PCIC Conference technical program.
3. HOSPITALITY ROOMS
a) Vendor hospitality rooms are allowed and are a means of entertaining customers, making and renewing acquaintances, and for commercial discussions on an individual basis.
b) All vendor personnel participating in the vendor’s hospitality room(s) shall be registered as attendees of the PCIC Conference.
c) The principal member responsible for the vendor’s hospitality room(s) shall be a member of IEEE in good standing and a member of the Industry Applications Society of which the PCIC is a Committee.
d) Vendors shall not receive guests to hospitality rooms during official PCIC Conference program hours, including the time set aside for PCIC events such as technical meetings, subcommittee meetings, banquets, luncheons, social functions, or like affairs.
e) At least one-half hour before official PCIC Conference affairs, vendors shall close their hospitality room(s) to guests, including those already present. The rooms shall not reopen until such PCIC Conference affairs are officially closed.
f) An attempt shall be made to close all hospitality rooms by a reasonable hour so as not to interfere with the following day’s program.
g) To provide a more pleasing and professional appearance, hospitality room identification will be listed by the Local Conference Committee in the Registration area. An identifying sign will be provided by the Local Conference Committee for use at the hospitality room location. All signs are to be returned to the Local Conference Committee at the end of the PCIC Conference.
a) Literature and products for demonstration and discussion on a personal and individual oriented basis in hospitality rooms must be consistent with the technical communication objectives of the PCIC Conference.
b) All vendors that are to have hospitality rooms open to general attendance shall give prior notification to the Local Conference Committee as suite assignments within the PCIC Conference hotel is to be managed by the Local Conference Committee.
4. VENDOR OFFSITE ENTERTAINMENT
a) Vendor luncheons, social functions, and other vendor coordinated activities shall not conflict with the times allotted to the official conference program, and official PCIC Conference luncheons, banquets, and social functions.
b) At no time during the PCIC Conference (Monday 7:00 a.m. through Wednesday 5:00 p.m.) shall any company (including subsidiaries) take more than 25 registrants (not including guests, PCIC Emeritus, visiting dignitaries, or host company personnel) away from the PCIC Conference hotel for any purpose.
5. COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING AND CONDUCT
a) No commercial displays, including signs, posters, banners, etc. shall be displayed on common conference premises.
b) Group oriented displays of commercial equipment or product presentations will not be allowed outside vendor hospitality rooms.
c) Commercial products shall be confined to hospitality rooms in order to emphasize the official technical nature of the conference.
d) Commercial literature shall be distributed only in hospitality rooms.
e) Commercial / promotional literature shall not be included in conference attendee registration packets. Logos and names of sponsoring companies are permitted as approved by the Conference Chair.
6. DELIVERY OF FLYERS TO HOTEL ROOMS
a) Distribution of material to PCIC attendees’ hotel rooms will be done only by the hotel staff.
b) The Local Conference Committee is tasked to administer this activity based on the Local Committee Guide
7. Non-compliance penalty
Vendors who violate the requirements of this section may be subject to one or more of the following penalties, to be decided by the PCIC Advisory & Awards (A&A) Subcommittee:
a) Vendor removed from consideration for conference hospitality rooms.
b) Vendor removed from consideration for conference sponsorships.
c) Vendor authors removed from consideration for future technical paper selection.
