Dear IASSIDD members
The IASSIDD Board is reaching out to you with important and concerning information about the current financial position of our organisation.
IASSIDD, like many organisations has needed to navigate the challenges of COVID. Until now, IASSIDD has successfully managed these challenges, but the delayed impacts of COVID have now caused significant financial hardship. There are now immediate financial viability concerns and without immediate action the future of IASSIDD is not assured.
For many members this will come as a shock, and we appreciate there will be many questions. Naturally the Board is open to discussing this with members, and member meetings are being planned for the first week of October 2024.
The following is a summary that provides a context for the current situation.
IASSIDD has just celebrated its 60th Anniversary at the 17th International Congress in Chicago, USA. It was a long time in the planning, with contracts originally signed in early 2019 and the Congress postponed in 2022 and 2023 due to COVID. While the Congress was a success in terms of a vibrant and progressive programme, and enjoyed by the attendees, we did not attract the expected number of delegates. The assumptions for the planning and budgeting were based on previous Congress attendance rates which predicted a breakeven point of 1200 delegates. However, only 800 delegates registered at Chicago despite substantial marketing and promotion.
While no formal anaysis has been conducted as yet, reasons for the non-attendance are believed to include the high cost of international travel, poor exchange rates, the costs of accommodation, the political climate, and concerns about safety. We expected a significantly larger number of delegates, as well as higher levels of sponsorship, and civic or government funding from North America. This additional income did not eventuate.
The Board has monitored the situation closely and, where possible, has adjusted the original contract to better reflect the emergent financial challenges. We have also been supported by an outstanding Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) who has worked extremely hard with the venue to manage costs. Unfortunately, the contract had several non-negotiable components which limited our ability to reduce the cost of hosting the congress, despite intensive efforts to do so. Cancellation of the Congress was considered, but the financial impacts were higher than holding the congress with reduced attendance. Despite all the work undertaken and mitigations put in place the Congress ran at a significant financial .loss.
The Board met in person on Friday 9th August, following the Chicago Congress, and has initiated a financial recovery plan. The Board are confident that this can be achieved, and all members are committed to supporting the implementation of this plan, and to building a sustainable approach to income generation across the organisation. Over the next weeks, you will be kept informed about a range of strategies and we will be asking all members to engage with the recovery plan to ensure IASSIDD has a future.
You are welcome to contact me on angus.buchanan@iassidd.org if you wish to seek further information.