1. AIAA Aerospace Sciences Group TC Presentation
GNC, AFM, and Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conferences
Portland, OR
8-11 August 2011

2. Welcome and Introductions Issues
Overview
Welcome and Introductions
Issues
AIAA-Related Issues
TAC-Related Issues
Aerospace Science Group-Related Issues
TC-Related Issues
Reminders
Questions/Issues for TAC??

3. Welcome and Introductions
AIAA staff:
Aerospace Sciences Group

4. AIAA-Related Issues Background: TAC annual net and AIAA budget:
TAC positive net pays for other institute activities (e.g. Student Programs, Public Policy)
Currently only ~four TAC conference with a consistent positive net!
AIAA Staff initiatives:
Continued effort to reduce Institute costs (Example: Reducing printed material and starting to use recycled material; however, attendees will be able to print customized programs through new system))
TAC leadership initiatives
Looking at TAC products and how to improve margin for AIAA
Looking at expenses to see where expenses can be reduced (Example: Food is largest cost for TAC events (61%) and conferences (50%) and A/V is second (14%))
Enforcing minimum registration fee to cover conference expenses
Encouraging TCs to select affordable meeting locations and hotels
Looking at new conference models (See next slides)
TC maximum membership (More on this in a minute….)

5. TAC-Related Issues: Conferences - Background
TAC generates largest AIAA positive margin for non-revenue generating areas of Institute (e.g. Student Programs, Public Policy)
TAC top margin-generating conferences in order of positive margin generated:
ASM and JPC (ASM and JPC together generate 85% of net margin)
Space (2010 net was ~zero)
GNC/AFM/Modeling and Simulation (2010 net was negative)
Fluids (2010 net was ~zero, 2011 net ~zero)

6. TAC-Related Issues: Conferences – Background (cont’d)
AIAA is perceived in the Aerospace Industry as a high-technology, focused organization
Good: Industry technology leader
Bad: Conferences are a “niche market”
Most AIAA conferences attract “one layer” of attendee: the technologists
Other organizations are hosting conferences with multi-layer attendance (e.g. AUVSI) where the attendees include technologists, mid-level managers, and executives; plus LARGE exhibits that generate considerable positive net
Niche market showing signs of waning
Aging AIAA membership?
Limited travel budgets?
AIAA cannot support the breadth of activities to its members without successful conferences with positive nets

7. TAC-Related Issues: Conferences – Way Forward
Revamping AIAA conference models is essential for both the conferences and the Institute to survive as we know it
The era when presenting at a conference was an important way to make yourself and your research known among national peers is in danger of becoming obsolete. (UTube can do that now)
The current AIAA conference model may not be viable in 20 years because there will not be enough of the current members still in the workforce to make it work
Goal is to position the Institute for inevitable changes to our business model
Potential changes to AIAA conference structure are being discussed
TAC is working on a set of slides to communicate why this change is needed from an Institute perspective, not from an individual or group perspective
TAC does not want to force anything that does not make sense for AIAA and wants to include the TCs in the new model development process 
Whatever is decided needs to benefit the Institute as a whole
Will most likely require change for many
TAC working to make sure the change is positive for the Institute

8. AIAA Forum Proposal Concept:
A drop box on the AIAA web site would be open year round for authors to submit papers.  These papers would not be connected to any conference. 
The papers would be pulled quarterly (or triannually?) and adjudicated for their quality and relevance by Program Committee and Technical Committee members. 
Once the paper is accepted, the author is notified and has to pay a handling fee to get the paper into the AIAA system, where it would be made available for purchase online and a time would be set up for the author to give a standard ½ hour presentation with a ½ hour for Q&A. 
The paper and the times for the virtual presentations would be posted on the AIAA web site so potential attendees could buy and review the paper ahead of the virtual presentation. 
The paper presentation is done virtually with the slides being viewed with the author speaking (i.e., not a video of the author giving a presentation). 
This presentation would be made available on line after the presentation and a thread (using the AIAA paper number) would be set up for discussing the author’s paper in the new, “AIAA Forum”, which would have to be created. 

9. AIAA Forum Proposal (cont’d)
Concept (cont’d):
The virtual presentation would be linked to this thread so an AIAA member or non-member could view it to boost paper sales. 
Individuals would be able to log into the AIAA forum and use the paper’s thread to comment on the paper and ask the author questions.  
AIAA members will be able to post questions or comments for free.
Non-AIAA members can post for a fee, but must register and include a credit card when the register to keep the automatic posts and forum “trolls” out.
Additionally, allow papers that are given at an AIAA conference to be given virtually after the conference using the same format as the virtual papers
Therefore, all AIAA papers will have, at a minimum, a thread and a virtual presentation if the author chooses.
This should create more interest in the papers and garner more $$ for non-member posts.
Also makes the paper more of a “living item” since the paper presentation is available for viewing.  (How long might the virtual presentation be available for?  Perpetuity?)
Viewing the paper presentation and abstract are free for members and non-members.  Members and non-members must buy the virtual papers.  (Conference papers stay as they are now.)

10. AIAA Forum Proposal (cont’d)
Possible Benefits:
Allows for quicker publishing of research results not tied to a conference planning cycle or a journal publication cycle.
Serves as an incubator for new conferences, journals, and professional development offerings.
Provides a member benefit that has tangible professional value.
Serves as a “home” for new communities or communities within AIAA that do not currently have an outlet through a conference, journal, etc.
Provides an alternative way for sharing technical information and networking not connected to a conference.
Positions AIAA better for the future by offering a virtual, less costly way to present information to attending a conference.
Serves segments of the AIAA membership that might not be able to travel to conferences to present (i.e., internationals, early careerists).
Might provide model for virtual interactions for other AIAA programs (i.e., Professional Development, STEM K-12).

11. AIAA Forum Proposal (cont’d)
Staff Recommendations: 
The AIAA Forum should be developed as a collaboration between the Technical Activities Committee and the Publications Committee because it has aspects of AIAA’s traditional models for conference presentation and journal publications.
Cross-division staff team led by Director, Business Development should be formed to work the development and implementation of the AIAA Forum. Tasks would include but not be limited to:
Conducting a survey of select group of members (i.e., TC and PC members) to see if the AIAA Forum would be of interest to them and would provide them professional value.
Discussing idea with ScholarOne to see if the AIAA Forum approach can be supported by the system and to better understand associated costs.
Developing a strategy for the AIAA Forum that includes marketing both participation and purchase.
Determining how to create communities around the AIAA Forum.

12. TAC-Related Issues: Workshops
Two types
Part of conference program (included in conference planning and expenses)
Before or after conference (can be included in conference planning and expenses but have not been in many cases)
Issue: Financial risk to Institute
Please include in conference planning form so workshop expenses can be accounted for ahead of time and meeting space is covered
Workshops strongly supported by TAC!!

13. ASG-Related Issues: TC Funds
ASG is still leaving TC funds on the table each year ($6,000/Year Total for ASG)
Need good, creative ideas (with technical content) from TCs so we can utilize the funds for what they were intended!!!
Recent approved items
TC Polo shirts (TAC paid ½)
Student recognition (e.g. Student Paper Award Fee)
Some FY11 monies still available!

14. TC-Related Issues: Several
TC Member Responsibilities
Help Recruit New TC Members
Help Submit Names for AIAA Awards
Help Submit Names for AIAA Elected Offices
Propose Membership Upgrades
Propose Session Papers for AIAA Journals
Conference Site Selection
Need to set up conference location 3-4 years into future (Preferred date flexibility & more competitive hotel contract)
New emphasis on more-affordable sites and hotels

15. TC-Related Issues: Several (cont’d)
Technical Committee size and makeup
Additional cost to AIAA when TC membership goes above ~50
Food costs
Larger rooms require audio visual and speaker systems
50 TOTAL Members
Up to 35 Regular Members
Associate members 34 years old or younger
International members
New membership category: Alumni members
Must get approval of ASG Director or Dep. Director to extend TC member beyond 3 year term 15

16. TC-Related Issues: Several (cont’d)
AIAA Information Systems Group (ISG) is:
Updating and refining our definition of Information Systems(IS) to keep pace with the evolving technological landscape, and in particular what “IS” means within the framework of the Aerospace Industry
Identifying how well the ISG and AIAA are covering all the IS-related topics
Developing a plan to address any gaps in AIAA’s coverage of Information Systems
TC Chairs may be contacted to request some information about IS-related topics with which those TCs might be involved

17. Questions/Issues??