SPIE Event Volunteer Guidelines

image of conference chairs and award recipient

SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light. SPIE has operated as a not-for-profit organization since its founding in 1955—connecting, engaging, and serving its global constituency.

SPIE is led by a team of dedicated volunteers, including a Board of Directors; multiple Society committees; event symposium, track, and conference chairs; as well as journal editors. SPIE’s mission involves partnering with researchers, educators, and industry to advance light-based research and technologies for the betterment of the human condition.

An SPIE event is typically chaired by a leadership team of symposium chairs and co-chairs that has term limits and an orderly rotation plan. Larger events may have conferences organized into technical tracks overseen by a track chair. Conferences have one or more conference chairs as well as program committees to help invite speakers, review submissions, and organize the sessions; and finally, each session has one or more session chairs.

This is a page of guidelines to help clarify the roles and responsibilities in serving in one or more of these volunteer roles for an SPIE event. We thank you for being involved and for contributing to the Society’s efforts to bring together researchers from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to advance the technologies of the future. 

Roles, responsibilities, and expectations for:

SPIE Symposium Chair/Co-Chair responsibilities and expectations

SPIE’s goal is to hold world-class events that are valuable to the communities we serve.  Symposium Chairs have a high level of visibility and are influential in establishing the importance of the event through reputation and acknowledged expertise in their field.

Typical symposium chair rotation is staggered with a new volunteer chair entering first-year as symposium “co-chair” in a capacity to observe and contribute, then rotating up to the main symposium chair role in the second year. The full-service term is typically a four-year commitment, depending on the rotation plan adopted for the particular event (rotation plans may vary from event to event). Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of SPIE symposium chair: 

  • Work with SPIE staff to identify, select, and confirm quality symposium-level plenary and/or hot topics speakers, and provide the welcome and introduction of these high-level speakers on stage during the event
  • Work with SPIE staff to identify areas in the program where we can strengthen the community, by adding conferences, emerging topics, and/or special technical events that will enhance networking and the exchange of information
  • Work with track chairs and/or conference chairs to avoid overlap of competing sessions, topics, suggest invited speakers, and/or suggest areas that can benefit from joint sessions between conferences
  • Promote the event to the technical community
  • Review the performance of technical tracks and conferences as needed and suggest changes or improvements to SPIE staff
  • Work with SPIE staff to suggest and/or review nominations for track chairs and/or new symposium chairs; assist with invitations to final selections 
  • Work with SPIE staff to maintain the performance and expectations of conference chairs, provide and/or review nominations for new conference chairs, and provide general input and recommendations to SPIE as requested
  • Attend the in-person event and the chair planning meetings organized by SPIE staff on site and contribute in a positive way to help make improvements for the next year
  • Attend and contribute meaningfully to periodic online steering committee meetings organized by the SPIE Event Manager
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

 

SPIE Track Chair responsibilities and expectations

A track is more broadly defined as a subgrouping of related technology or application conferences under the symposium umbrella. Most large SPIE events group technical conferences into tracks with a chair assigned for each track (two-chair maximum). Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of SPIE track chair: 

  • Work with the symposium chairs and SPIE staff to identify areas in the program where we can build community and add conferences, topics, and/or special technical events
  • Identify areas in the existing programs that need improvement and help ensure the conference groupings remain relevant and consistent with the technical focus of the track
  • Organize, with approval and assistance by/from SPIE staff, any track-wide activities or special sessions, such as a track keynote, plenary, hot topics speaker, panel discussion, etc.
  • Work with conference chairs and/or symposium chairs to coordinate the program, i.e. to avoid overlap, competing sessions, and topics, and to suggest invited speakers and/or areas to arrange for collaboration between conferences in the form of joint sessions and/or shared technical events between conferences
  • Encourage sharing and cooperation as a best practice between conferences
  • Promote the event to the technical community
  • Attend the in-person event with particular focus on the conferences in the technical track, interfacing with conference chairs, presenters, and attendees in the assigned track in order to provide feedback and suggestions to SPIE for improving the technical content
  • Attend the chair planning meetings organized by SPIE staff on site, contributing in a positive manner to help make improvements for the next year
  • Work with SPIE staff to maintain the performance and expectations of conference chairs in the track, provide and/or review nominations for new conference chairs, and provide input and recommendations to SPIE regarding any changes needed in leadership role
  • Attend and contribute meaningfully to periodic online steering committee meetings organized by the SPIE Event Manager
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

 

SPIE Conference Chair responsibilities and expectations

A volunteer may chair more than one SPIE conference provided they are not part of the same SPIE meeting. Two chairs per conference is generally most effective, and therefore a two-chair maximum is SPIE's recommendation. However, a conference may have up to three people listed under the conference chair role, provided they:

  • Are confirmed by SPIE
  • Actively participate in organizing the conference
  • Actively work in their field at a university, lab, research institute, or company (not a society affiliation) that aligns with the technical topics of the conference
    • Those who are retired, have transitioned to a new field, or have emeritus status, will not be considered for new chair roles
    • If a chair retires from their field, they should be prepared to transition the chair duties to someone actively working in the field with the start of the next meeting cycle
  • Invite and engage new members to help form an active program committee
  • Abide by and respect SPIE guidelines and responsibilities outlined for the role.

SPIE encourages rotation of conference chairs and is working to establish active rotation for both renewal and continuity in conference leadership. Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of SPIE conference chair:

  • Build a program committee that reflects diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, and geography, as well as a range of expertise to span the subject area, including active professionals in the field from academia, government, and industry. The inclusion of early career professionals is encouraged
  • Engage with your program committee, and actively review participation and commitment of program committee members and renew its membership each year
  • Submit a call for papers to SPIE that accurately captures the topics, mission, and character of the conference, reviewing and refreshing yearly to remain current and relevant
  • Identify and contact potential sponsors who may be eager to support the conference if financial support is needed (funds received in sponsorship may be used for travel and registration fee support, awards, and/or catering)
  • Work with track chairs and with chairs of other conferences to avoid overlap of competing session topics and/or to arrange joint sessions
  • Identify and invite speakers in the field who will enhance the technical program; enlist the program committee to solicit and review abstracts
  • Organize a conference program with engaging session topics relevant to the overall conference topic and confirm session chairs to ensure a smooth-running conference program at the event
  • Attend the in-person event and the chair planning meetings organized by SPIE staff on site and contribute in a positive way to help institute improvements for the next year
  • Work with the SPIE staff proceedings coordinator to help ensure that speakers submit a manuscript for the conference proceedings
  • Assess and approve manuscripts with optional assistance of the program committee for publication in the conference proceedings
  • Respect and adhere to the relevant conference and submission deadlines to help SPIE effectively promote the event and keep speakers and authors updated
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

SPIE Conference Co-Chair responsibilities and expectations

A conference chair may assign up to two conference co-chairs. The conference co-chair role is a sub-role listed under the main conference chair role and is intended to be a mentored/learning position with the intent of rotating into the full conference chair role. There is a two-year maximum for volunteers in the co-chair role. Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of SPIE conference co-chair:

  • Support the conference chair(s) in the organization of the conference and publication of its proceedings
  • Work to learn the responsibilities and expectations for the position of conference chair
  • Respond to requests and be fully engaged with the conference organization
  • Work respectfully with others and adhere to the deadlines conveyed by SPIE staff so that SPIE can effectively promote the event and keep speakers and authors informed
  • Attend the in-person event and contribute in a positive way to help make improvements for the next year
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

SPIE Conference Program Committee responsibilities and expectations

The program committee is integral to building a diverse program and is formed by the conference chair(s). A well-structured program committee will have a range of expertise to span the subject areas, including acquaintance with well-established and recognized leaders in the field from academia, government, and industry. To remain on a conference program committee, one must be consistently engaged. Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of SPIE conference program committee:

  • Be available and responsive to conference chairs and SPIE staff, giving technical input as requested
  • Be aware of emerging trends in the field
  • Assist conference chairs in publicizing the conference, identifying key speakers, and soliciting submissions to the conference
  • Review assigned submissions
  • Engage with the conference leadership to build a successful conference by contributing in the following ways:
    • Serve as session chair
    • Submit and present paper(s)
    • Ask questions during Q&As
    • Engage with other participants
    • Regularly publish work in the conference proceedings
  • Maintain engagement with the conference throughout its cycle
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

SPIE Session Chair responsibilities and expectations

A session chair plays a key role in ensuring the smooth-running of an SPIE conference. The session attendees will be more engaged if the session chair proactively leads and has done homework in advance about the speakers and their expertise. Below is a list of tasks and responsibilities for the role of an SPIE session chair:  

  • Introduce the session topic, speakers, maintain the schedule, and be prepared for the unexpected
  • Ensure that the session starts on schedule and that each speaker stays within their allotted time limit for both the presentation and related questions and answers (Q&A)
  • Create a sense of coherence throughout the session with smooth transitions from one speaker and topic to the next
  • Introduce each speaker in a warm and welcoming manner, making an effort to pronounce their name clearly and correctly, mention which institution they are from, and perhaps their educational background and research interests
  • Manage the timing of the speakers and the session. If a speaker is running long with their presentation, respectfully interrupt to declare their time is up so the session can stay on time
  • If, in spite of efforts, the session is falls behind schedule, weigh the best options for getting it back on track; e.g., reduce Q&As, shorten introductions, or run into a scheduled break if that is an option
  • Manage the Q&A period by encouraging questions, mediating interactions, and keeping track of the time by announcing the number of minutes remaining
  • If a speaker fails to appear, fill the open time with a standby paper, specific discussion topics, question and answer session, or an open discussion
  • Represent SPIE in a professional and ethical manner. Promote diversity in all aspects. Review and familiarize yourself with SPIE code of conduct and anti-harassment policy
  • After the session, submit the session report via the SPIE mobile app (or emailing SessionReports@spie.org), or by returning the printed Session Report Form to the SPIE Chair Services Desk or Speaker Check-In Desk.

For more information on how to prepare for and chair a session see the guidelines on chairing a session