Call for RIPE 87 and RIPE 88 Hosts

Do you want to host RIPE 87 (27 November - 1 December 2023) or RIPE 88 (13 - 17 May 2024)?

A RIPE Meeting is a five-day event where Internet industry experts, Internet service providers (ISPs), network operators and other interested parties from all over the world gather.

When a RIPE Meeting takes place outside of the Netherlands, the RIPE NCC is dependent on a local host. While this is quite an undertaking, the exposure that the Host will receive and the benefit of the support they provide to the RIPE community should far outweigh their efforts. Our Host is expected to provide general support during both the preparation and delivery of the RIPE Meeting. This includes providing:

• Internet connectivity (minimum 300 Mbps, ideally 1 Gbps) to the meeting venue
• Help to scout for the meeting and social event venues
• Administrative support – for example, visa invitation letters for participants
• Some on-site technical and registration desk support during the meeting
• Assistance in finding local sponsors

For further details, please refer to the description of RIPE Meeting Host Requirements.

Benefits of Hosting a RIPE Meeting

Hosting a RIPE Meeting provides your organisation with excellent visibility to the RIPE community. It will be made very clear to the RIPE community, from the onset of your organisation being approved as Host, that you are playing a vital role in the RIPE Meeting.

• Your organisation's name will be mentioned in the Opening and Closing Plenary of the meeting;
• Your organisation will also be given the opportunity to make a five-minute welcome speech during the Opening Plenary and have one representative as part of the RIPE Programme Committee and therefore being actively involved in the preparation of the plenary programme;
• Your logo will be prominently displayed on the RIPE Meeting website, in printed meeting materials, on the participants' badges and on-site roll-up banners. 

Interested?

If you would like to host a RIPE Meeting, please email us at meeting _at_ ripe _dot_ net. Your host proposal should be as detailed as possible and we require the following information from you:

• The name of your organisation and a short motivation text explaining why you would like to become a RIPE Meeting Host.
• The city in which you are proposing to host the meeting - include some highlights that explain why RIPE Meeting attendees might wish to visit this city.
• Accessibility to the city (airport, airlines, railway, etc.).
• Information on any local requirements, laws, policies, etc., in the proposed meeting location that might affect the meeting or its organisation. For example, you must let us know about any special visa requirements, any permits we would need to obtain to hold a meeting in the proposed location, and so on. This information will help us assess your proposal.
• If known, an outline of how you propose to arrange connectivity to the meeting venue.
• A list of at least two suitable meeting venues (hotels and/or conference centres) that have availability during the proposed dates and the weekend before, as well as:
  • A plenary room of at least 700 seats “theatre-style”
  • A breakout room of at least 300 seats “theatre-style”
  • A breakout room of at least 150 seats “theatre-style”
  • A coffee break area for 500 people
  • A restaurant (or restaurants) that can host a seated lunch for at least 400 people
  • Three boardrooms for 30-35 people
  • Four boardrooms for 10-25 people
  • At least 250 standard guest rooms (at the venue or nearby)
• A list of venues that can host social events (museums, clubs, restaurants, etc.) with a capacity between 450 and 500.

For further details, please refer to the description of RIPE Meeting Venue Requirements.

You are also invited to provide any additional information that you think would support your proposal to host a RIPE Meeting.

What Happens Next?

The call for proposals closes on 11 November 2022. Please email us at meeting _at_ ripe _dot_ net and we will consider all proposals sent before this date.

As part of the RIPE Meeting location selection process, we may ask you follow-up questions that will help the RIPE Chair make the best final decision.

If you have any queries about hosting a RIPE Meeting, please contact meeting _at_ ripe _dot_ net.