(2nd -) 3rd March 2022
Annual General Members Meeting & Convivial Gathering
Dear ERCA Member,
Today we cordially invite you to come and join our next regular Annual General Members Meeting on the 3rd of March 2022. This event is planned to be held as satellite meeting for the first time. So, please read below how this premiere will be organised from the organisational side of the things!
The content-related part of our annual review and the management report will be presented at the members meeting, as usual.
Organisational Details of the Members Meeting
A few years ago, the Members Meeting paved the way to hold a synchronised Members Meeting in up to three European locations. We very much enjoyed the get-together with colleagues from various countries in the world. We will have such multi-national meetings in the future and we believe we will enjoy the day when this will be possible again and without complicated travel. For the next Members Meeting in 2022 we have the plan to use the idea of the Satellite-AGM to combine the benefits from a real meeting between colleagues face-to-face and not to spent extra money on long travel routes. As a side effect, networking can simply be your own mother tongue.
At the moment our plan is to hold the Members Meeting on 3rd MAR 2022 synchronised at three locations, one location in Germany (= central assembly: "Salvador-Allende-Haus", Haardgrenzweg 77, 45739 Oer-Erkenschwick), one in the Netherlands and one in the United Kingdom (venues in NL and UK will be announced in January). Besides the Members Meeting, the local organising committee will prepare opportunities for networking and some inspiring presentations to complete the day.
Taking into account the pandemic situation, the ERCA Board will decide in the week before the meeting whether this meeting will be held face-to-face in the format of a satellite meeting (see §7a of our bylaws) or as a fully virtual meeting. This decision will be announced in an e-mail to members latest on the 24th FEB 2022.
In order for us to prepare the event and to provisionally have everything ready for the online format, it is mandatory to pre-register. Registration will open in January and close on 24th FEB 2022. You will be informed as soon as the registration website goes live. Within the registration process, you can book meals or accommodation (for those arriving the evening before) in one registration step.
Furthermore, in order to participate fully in the meeting, you will need (at least) one electronic device (smartphone or laptop with activated WiFi module) for the electronic elections. The elections will be run electronically, regardless of the format in which the meeting will be held.
To prevent cancellation fees due to continuously changing conditions of the pandemic and the fact that we can only finally confirm the format of the meeting the week before, we have arranged a 9-day free cancellation period with the accommodation provider for the meeting location in Germany. You can reserve this flexible accommodation directly within the event registration. So please be aware of this and best make other travel arrangements (e.g. train tickets) in a similar way so that you can adjust your travel plans spontaneously without risking cancellation fees. For example: If possible, travel to one of the 3 locations (DE, NL, UK) with your own car and prevent non-refundable flight/ train tickets or self-arranged accommodation.
For all members who have a very long journey or are subject to travel restrictions, the meeting will also be broadcasted via live stream (however, in this case, you are not entitled to vote remotely).
To ensure that everyone feels comfortable and can register with confidence, we will announce the health & hygienic guidelines together with the registration. Please ensure that you meet the requirements and expect that these will be enforced on site.
Besides all these challenging and “new” things that need to be organised, we would be happy to welcome many of you to the meeting, with networking, convivial conversations and interesting news presented by our expert speakers.
Please find the time schedule of the days at the event website ( www.erca.uk/index.php/en/time-schedule ), the formal agenda for the AGM can be found at: www.erca.uk/index.php/en/members-meeting
For today and the upcoming New Year, we wish you peaceful holidays together with your families.
Your ERCA Board & ERCA Team