The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is proposing that US-based industrial hygiene and occupational health organizations collaborate with the Central Indian Hygiene Association (CIHA) to develop and implement an Indian National Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health Conference in Mumbai, India in February 2015. Dates for this Conference would be driven by the pending dates for the Indian Association of Occupational Health (IAOH) national conference and coordinated in such a way as to enable the delegation to attend both the IAOH and CIHA Conferences. Typically, the IAOH meeting takes place in a three-day format sometime in the first two weeks of February.

Goal

Assemble a US delegation of industrial hygiene and occupational health leaders to attend two conferences in India: a CIHA sponsored Conference in collaboration with US organizations and the IAOH Annual Conference as customarily hosted by IAOH. Speaking opportunities will be sought and secured at one or both Conferences.

Who Should Attend?

Any practioner or professional staff member of industrial hygiene or occupational health organizations in the US. We encourage senior Board and staff leadership from respective organizations but the delegation is open to any active members in any related professional society.

About the IAOH and CIHA Conferences

The IAOH Conference is a 60+ year old conference organized by occupational health physicians primarily in India. The Conference is annually produced by various India State Chapters of IAOH. In February 2015 the Conference will take place south of Chennai on the East Coast of India.

The CIHA Conference debuted last year and though there was only two months to plan, execute and market the event, attendees numbered near 50.  We believe with the right combination of time and collaborating organizations, that this Conference can grow dramatically.

Return on Participation Engagement (ROE)

• Interact with current and potential India and US organization members.
• Promote membership, education, and related products and services to participants.
• Promote certification of respective organizations.

Organization Cost to Participate

In agreeing to collaborate, each organization will:

1. Contribute up to US$5k to help cover Conference direct costs (contribution amount pending further research).

2. Provide one year of free electronic membership to conference attendees (to be used in promoting Conference).

3. Send minimum of 1 delegate, but preferably 2 delegates, from organization to participate in Conference.

4. Related hotel, travel to and from India, inter-India travel, Indian visa, and hotel costs estimated at approximately US$5300 per person.

Additional Conference revenue will come from: attendee registration fees and exhibitors/sponsors to help cover related Conference costs.

In recognition for contribution, each sponsoring organization will receive:

1. Exposure in all pre-conference marketing materials.

2. Exposure in all on-site marketing materials.

3. At least one, perhaps several, slots on program to present (as practioners and/or as organization representatives).

4. Opportunity to display organization materials on table-top displays as available.

5. Several networking opportunities with specific profession segment.

6. Visits to local hospitals, clinics and industry settings.

Note: CIHA is also looking into hosting up to 3 PDCs the day before or the day after the CIHA Conference. More exploration is needed on this before finalizing. If held, contributing organizations would have the opportunity to speak on these PDCs.

Conference Management

CIHA will take the lead to develop and implement an education program that is meaningful, inclusive, and representative of what practioners in India will find useful. Further, CIHA will manage budget, conference/venue location, marketing, and coordinate inter-India conference-related logistics. Host organizations will provide CIHA funds no later than 180 days prior to Conference. CIHA will provide an accounting of expenses and revenue to Conference hosts within 180 days of Conference completion.

Contributing organizations will likely have several opportunities to speak. Where travel costs for these speakers can be covered by CIHA, they will. The speaking spots and expense coverage will be spread as equally among the contributing organizations as possible.

CIHA will accept liability for all contracts, etc.

Each sponsoring organization will promote program through usual and customary organization vehicles.

Time Line

• June 2014: Sponsoring organizations commit to participation
• June 2014- September 2014: Conference kick-off call to outline planning process, etc.;  several conference calls to produce Conference program and agenda; marketing materials approved and ready to be disseminated, etc.
• September 2014-February 2014: Conference marketing and related coordination; registration taking place with CIHA; Conference venue coordination occurring
• More details around deadlines will be provided by September 2014.
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Travel Planning and Management

Each organization is responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from India, and for any inter-India travel. This includes making own hotel reservations, securing proper travel visas, etc.

AIHA will share with participants any information it has related to visa regulations, travel itineraries of AIHA staff and volunteers, hotel contact information, etc. Group dinners will be arranged during our week in India but will be dutch-treat.

Related Information

Delegates to the Conference will have the opportunity to interact with one another and further relationships with other US-based organization, as well as develop and enhance relationships with related Indian organizations and practitioners.

Travel to Sadr Patel University in Northern India to interact with and/or teach a class to IH/EHS/Occ Health students enrolled in the Masters and Bachelors program may be an additional opportunity that presents itself. AIHA has done this before adjacent to Indian trips and it is an exceptional opportunity. That said it may be too difficult to manage and also attend two conferences.

Developing and implementing a Conference in India requires patience, trust in partners, and flexibility. Know that the Conference will be a complete success but that implementing a conference in India is different than implementing a conference in the US.

For more information, contact Peter O'Neil, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director, AIHA at 703-846-0760 / poneil@aiha.org.