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Host the ESSM Congress 2012/2013

Download this text as PDF document.

Download the appendix for room cost calculation.

  1. General

      The European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary, academic and scientific organisation dedicated to male and female sexual function and dysfunction.

      In 1994 in Singapore, during the ISIR (now ISSM) Annual Congress, the ESIR (European Society for Impotence Research) idea was born as the European development of the International Society for Impotence Research.

      In 1995 ESSIR was born and the first Congress was held in Porto Carras, Greece. Our journey began into medical knowledge, research and innovation across Europe.

      In 1997 the second Congress was held in Madrid. The third Congress was held in Barcelona in 2000, after the tremendous earthquake that hit Turkey in 1999, where the Congress should have been held.

      In 2001 the name of the Society changed into ESSIR (European Society for Sexual and Impotence Research) in order to embrace more deeply the broad field of sexual medicine, both male and female.

      This brought also to the need of our congress to be held each year, so in 2001 the Congress was held in Rome and the year after, in 2002, in Hamburg. Starting from 2001 the Society continued its development, changing again its name into the actual ESSM (European Society for Sexual Medicine) in 2003, characterizing once again its need to improve and spread the research into sexual medicine, a field which is continuously developing across the world, bringing sexual awareness to light more and more not only in the medical field but also among people.

      The year 2005 marked the 10th anniversary of ESSM, a society which is always stronger and more deeply rooted across Europe, with 19 National Societies affiliated to ESSM and about 1.700 members. The Society continues to grow, with even more members and affiliated National Societies.

  2. Congress Information and History

      The Congress is held annually end of November/beginning of December, preferably starting the first weekend of December
      Congress history and future congresses:
      • 2001 Rome (Italy)
      • 2002 Hamburg (Germany)
      • 2003 Istanbul (Turkey)
      • 2004 London (UK)
      • 2005 Copenhagen (Denmark)
      • 2006 Vienna (Austria)
      • 2007 Lisbon (Portugal)
      • 2008 Brussels (Belgium, together with the World Congress)
      • 2009 Lyon (France)
      • 2010 Malaga (Spain)
      • 2011 Milano (Italy)

      Years open for bid: 2012 and 2013

      The congress officially opens on a Thursday noon, with pre-meetings of National Affiliated Societies starting on Thursday morning, and closes on Sunday at 1PM.

      The congress usually attracts approx. 2.000 scientists

  3. Congress Requirements

    1. Congress Venue
      Following space will have to be allocated at the congress center. Do not submit a proposal unless all space is available on a first-option basis:
      • 1 Auditorium for max. 1.200 delegates
      • 1 Auditorium for max. 800 delegates
      • 1 Auditoriums for max. 400 delegates
      • 6 smaller meeting rooms for 80 to 100 delegates
      • 2 Hospitality Suites of 50 m2
      • 1 Congress Office
      • 1 Association Office
      • 1 Registration Counter
      • 600 m2 exhibition space net for exhibition plus additional space for the poster exhibition with approx. 250 posters and the catering (lunch and coffee breaks)

        Exhibition requirements
        Please note, that the exhibition area shall be located close to the meeting rooms to make it easier for participants to visit the exhibition and to offer attractive exhibition space to the industry.

        The poster exhibition shall be placed within/near the exhibition area and the catering if possible within the exhibition to attract more visitors and to increase the communication.

        The catering shall be coffee and tea in the morning and afternoon and finger food/sandwich style buffet with water during lunches on different stations (3-4).

        Time schedule for the exhibition:
        Set-up on Saturday and Sunday, each day 06.00 - 22.00 h Exhibitions will take place from Friday to Sunday (Friday and Saturday full day, Sunday half day) Dismantling on Sunday, 13.00 - 24.00 h.

        Please indicate all prices by using the attached spread sheet.

    2. Audiovisual Requirements in the meeting rooms:
      Each lecture hall needs to be equipped with basic technical equipment:
      • Podium (on small stage, if applicable) with 1 table and 2 chairs (exception: Auditorium: 2 tables, 4 chairs)
      • 1 lectern with fixed microphone and 1 tie clip or similar
      • 1 screen
      • 1 data projector according to the room size
      • 1 table microphone per podium table
      • 1 wireless microphones (2 in Auditorium)
      • adequate number of aisle microphones
      • Laser pointer
      Please quote the costs for technicians (sound, light, video/data projection) in lecture halls and technical equipment if not already included. Please use the attached spreadsheet to indicate all costs by room, by item and by day.

    3. IT / Telecommunication
      Please quote
      • Wireless LAN
      • V-LAN / In-house network
      • Phone lines
      • Internet connections

    4. Mandatory Costs / Staff (if applicable)
      Please quote additional costs that need to be considered, such as
      • Electricity/power supplies
      • Waste disposal
      • Mandatory cleaning staff (listed per day and person)
      • Mandatory first aid staff (listed by day and person).
      • Staff for various other positions, if applicable/necessary
      • Others

      • Catering Requirement
        Please provide an offer based on the following requirements:
        • Coffee break: only coffee and tea, no water or biscuits
        • Lunch break: e.g. 1 slice of pizza, 1 sandwich, 1 glass of water / bottle 033 l per person, or similar
        • Welcome Reception: fingerfood, wine, softs, water for 1,5 hours

      • Social Events
        There are two major social events during the congress:

        • Opening ceremony for approx. 1.000 participants and a get-together for approx. 700 participants afterwards at the congress centre
        • Presidential dinner on Saturday evening for approx. 150 guests
        • “Meet-the-Colleagues”, stand-up event with approx. 600 persons in a simple rather rustic venue.

        The space for the opening ceremony and get-together shall be blocked at the congress venue. During the bid procedure no pre-bookings etc. need to be made for the presidential dinner, however, you may include suggestions of possible locations.


  4. Hotels

      Please provide a hotel room capacity of approximately 1.200 hotels rooms with the following allocation:
      60 % of the rooms in 4-star hotels
      25 % of the rooms in 3-star hotels
      15 % of the rooms in deluxe / 5-star hotels

      Please state the average price for a single room in each category with the indication whether breakfast is included.
      Also indicate the distance to the congress venue either by walking or public transportation.

      Please make use of the attached spreadsheet to provide all requested information.

  5. Planning Process / Bidding Procedures

    1. Only Societies formally affiliated to ESSM may host the Annual Scientific Congress
    2. The host Society shall be chosen by the Annual Business Meeting three years in advance of the scheduled Congress
    3. Potential applicants are strongly advised to seek the advice and the assistance of the President and EC, and of the Society’s professional congress organiser before making an application
    4. The call for bids will be announced on time on the ESSM website www.essm.org
    5. Applications should be received by 30th June 2010.
    6. Only applications with an existing congress venue at the time of the application can be accepted.
    7. Applicants are strongly advised to present the content of the bid book as required in item no. 5 of this document.

      8. Applications shall be sent electronically and also by mail with one copy each to the ESSM secretariat and to our core professional congress organiser at below addresses. Only ESSM national affiliated societies in good standing (who also have paid their membership fees) are eligible to apply to:

      ESSM Secretariat
      Lavinia Ricci
      c/o AIM CONGRESS - AIM Group
      Via Ripamonti 129
      20141 Milan • Italy

      Telephone: +39-025-6601 289
      Telefax: +39-027-0048 577
      E-Mail: admin@essm.org

      Core professional congress organiser
      CPO HANSER SERVICE
      Hanser & Co GmbH
      P.O. Box 12 21
      22882 Barsbüttel • Germany

      Telephone: +49 40 670 88 20
      Fax: +49 40 670 32 83
      E-Mail: essm@cpo-hanser.de

      The receipt will be acknowledged in writing.

      The choice of venues will be made, amongst others, based upon the following selection criteria:
      • Suitability of meeting rooms
      • Good accessibility of the city and the congress venue
      • Availability of hotels within walking distance and no more than 30 minutes distance by public transportation
      • Cost aspects, i.e. competitive and feasible prices compared to previous ESSM Congresses with a maximum higher difference of 20 % to previous ESSM congresses.

    8. Any requests from ESSM or our core professional congress organiser to the applicant for additional information will be made within 28 days of receipt of the application.
    9. If it is clear from the initial application that the criteria in the technical specification cannot be met, the applicant will be informed by 31st July. This decision will be made by the congress organiser working together with the Executive committee of the ESSM.
    10. If the initial application is satisfactory, a representative of ESSM and our core professional congress organiser will communicate with the applicant or their representative and review their application in detail; this may involve a site visit to the proposed venue.
    11. If, subsequent to this meeting, an application does not meet our technical specification, the applicant will be informed as soon as possible and no later than 15th October.
    12. If the applicant is dissatisfied with a decision made regarding their application, they will have the right of appeal to the full Executive Committee; an appeal should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 31st October; the appeal will be considered and decided within fourteen days, and a written response will be provided to the applicant; in this case, the decision of the Executive Committee will be final.
    13. There is the opportunity for national affiliated societies to influence policy on the selection of Congress venues through their EC representative and/or, the Chairman of the NAS Advisory Board; Dr. Carlo Bettocchi.
    14. The ESSM board makes a pre-selection of the bidding cities according to the feasibility of the requirements.
    15. The selected applicants will receive an invitation to present their bids to the ESSM General Assembly which is held during the annual ESSM congress. All ESSM members are allowed to participate in the vote.

  6. Bid Book Content

    1. a description of the host organisation
    2. proposed dates booked on 1st option
    3. detailed description of the congress venue
    4. overview of
      • the host city and its international flight connections
      • infrastructure, public transportation, distance from congress venue to hotels (please indicate transfer time), leisure attractions, climate
      • visa restrictions and visa requirements especially for EU participants
      • security aspects
      • information about any possible restrictions for the pharma industry to present their products/to exhibit or to invite delegates
    5. hotel room capacity for approx. 1.200 rooms in 3 to 5-star category with prices and reasonable distance to the congress venue
    6. detailed cost calculation of the congress venue including cost for technical equipment, AV, mandatory staff costs and catering, as per attached spreadsheet.

    We kindly ask to present the venue in a detailed written report based on the on the above numbered items 6.1 to 6.6.

Should you have any questions, please contact he ESSM Secretariat.