AIDS2014 VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK
1. Welcome to AIDS2014
First of all, thank you for volunteering at AIDS2014! As a crucial part of the conference team, it is your energy and enthusiasm which contributes to the success of this landmark event. We thank you for being a part of the fight against HIV and AIDS and hope that you will have an enjoyable and memorable conference.
At AIDS 2014 you can expect to:
· Be treated with respect and in a professional manner
· Be provided with all of the information you will require to do your job
· Be supported in your role from both a Volunteer Supervisor and from the AIDS 2014 Volunteer Department
· Have an enjoyable and memorable experience at the world’s largest health conference
You are expected to:
· Treat everyone with respect and cultural sensitivity
· Be pro-active and helpful at all times
· Adhere to all AIDS 2014 standards and policies regarding shift attendance, uniform and conference procedures
· Respect and agree to the IAS Code of Conduct (confidentiality and child protection agreements)
· Ensure at all times that your behaviour and actions are in keeping with the principles outlined in the Melbourne Declaration. For more information, and to become signatory to the Melbourne Declaration, visit http://www.aids2014.org/Default.aspx?pageId=734
2. Conference Overview
The 20th International AIDS Conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 20 to 25 July 2014.
The International AIDS conference is the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt and collectively chart a course forward.
The AIDS 2014 programme will present new scientific knowledge and offer many opportunities for structured dialogue on the major issues facing the global response to HIV. A variety of session types from abstract-driven presentations to symposia, and bridging and plenary sessions will meet the needs of various participants. Other related activities, including the Global Village, satellite meetings, exhibitions and affiliated independent events, will contribute to an exceptional opportunity for professional development and networking.
For more information on the conference, please visit the official conference website http://www.aids2014.org
3. Conference Venue
The AIDS2014 conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre:
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
2 Clarendon Street
South Wharf 3006
Melbourne
Australia
Getting there:
BY TRAM
Catch any of the following trams and get off at the stop opposite the Clarendon Street entrance of MCEC:
Route 96: St Kilda to East Brighton
Route 109: Port Melbourne to Box Hill
Route 112: West Preston to St Kilda
Alternatively, catch tram number 48 or 70 and get off at the Flinders Street stop and take a short walk towards the Yarra River, across the Seafares Bridge. For further tram timetable information, visit the Victorian public transport website at http://ptv.vic.gov.au/
BY TRAIN
Take any train that goes to Southern Cross station. Get off at Southern Cross Station and catch the 96, 109, 112 trams (as above).
BY BUS
The SkyBus transports visitors directly from Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross Railway Station.
Bus 238 operates to and from Southern Cross Station to Convention Place between the hours of 10:00-15:00 from Monday to Friday. For further bus timetable information and trip planning, visit the Victorian Public Transport website at http://ptv.vic.gov.au/
BY CAR
If you are driving to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, there are four car parks available for use. For more information about car park locations and rates, visit http://mcec.com.au/visiting-melbourne/getting-there/
4. The role and responsibility of a conference volunteer
· The Volunteer Office / Check-in and Check-Out
The Volunteer Office is located in the Exhibition Centre, ground floor.
Each day upon arrival at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, all volunteers must check-in at the Volunteer Office prior to the start of your shift. After your shift, all volunteers must check-out at the Volunteer Office. Kindly note that failure to follow this procedure will result in your conference badge being automatically deactivated and you will be denied access to the conference centre.
· Volunteer Badge pick-up:
Volunteer badge pick-up will begin on Wednesday, 16 July at the Volunteer Office. In order to avoid long queues we kindly ask you to pick up your badge at the badge pick-up time you have been scheduled for. If you are unable to pick-up your volunteer badge at the badge pick-up time, please notify the Volunteer Department immediately for further instructions.
· Volunteer Kick-Off Meeting
The AIDS2014 Volunteer Kick-Off Meeting will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday, 18 July from 13:45-18:00. Attendance at the Kick-Off Meeting is mandatory for all volunteers and volunteer supervisors. During the Kick-Off Meeting you will receive relevant information about the conference such as security and emergency procedures, logistics of the conference as well as information about your volunteer role. After the Kick-Off meeting you will have a briefing on your specific task followed by a walkthrough of the venue. Please arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.
· Volunteer Supervisors
Each volunteer will be assigned to a Volunteer Supervisor. The main role of a Volunteer Supervisor is to be the main point of contact for volunteers, to supervise your volunteer activity, to monitor your performance, schedule your break times and assist when you are presented with challenges or crucial issues.
The Volunteer Supervisor will report to a Volunteer Coordinator. Volunteer Coordinators are the main point of contact for supervisors and they will report directly to the AIDS2014 Volunteer Team.
· Volunteer Safety and Security
For security reasons, you must wear your conference badge at all times. Access to the conference venue will not be granted without a name badge.
Please report immediately to your supervisor in case of:
- You are asked to work above a height of 3 metres or a high structure
- You are given an unsafe activity such as electricity, lighting, build up etc.
- You are asked to take over a task which involves cash handling
- You are allocated a duty that is not suitable with your health condition
We recommend that you do not bring any valuables or bags to the conference as there is no secured area to leave personal belongings. The conference organisers are not liable for any damages or any lost/stolen items.
· Dress Code
All volunteers will receive two conference volunteer t-shirts. Please wear your t-shirt when you are on duty, preferably with dark-coloured trousers or a skirt (denim is fine). Remember to wear comfortable shoes! Please do not wear your volunteer t-shirt when you are not working.
· Scheduled Break Times
As a volunteer, you are given one 15 minute coffee break during your shift. However, we do ask for your flexibility as taking breaks during busy periods will be challenging. Please check with your supervisor before taking a break.
You are also offered one free lunch per day. You will be able to have lunch either after your morning shift or before your afternoon shift. You will receive a lunch voucher upon check-in at the Volunteer Office each day and you need to hand this voucher to the staff member in the volunteer area when you collect your lunch.
· Bag Packing
We will schedule as many volunteers as possible to help with packing the conference bags. The bag packing will take place on Wednesday, 16 July, Thursday, 17 July and Friday, 18 July. If you are scheduled for a bag packing shift, please check-in at the Volunteer Office before starting your shift.
· Volunteer Photo
Wednesday, 23 July – time and location to be communicated onsite.
· Volunteer After-Party
In appreciation for volunteering, the Volunteer Department is hosting a Volunteer After-Party for all participating volunteers. Details of the party will be given closer to the conference date. Please remember all volunteers must bring a valid form of ID and/or passport for entry. Photocopies will not suffice.
5. AIDS2014 Conference Areas (for opening hours, please see Appendix 3)
Please find below some useful information about the key areas of the conference:
· Registration
The registration area for the conference participants is located on the ground floor of the Exhibition Centre, past the Global Village. All participants need to collect their name badge in the registration area.
· Global Village
The Global Village can be accessed from the Clarendon Street entrance to the main conference centre. The Global Village is a diverse and vibrant space where community gathers from all over the world to meet, share and learn from each other. It is a space for community to demonstrate the application of science and good leadership. It is also a space that invites conference participants to see how science translates into community action and intervention.
The Global Village promotes networking between north and south, east and west and provides a space for displays, discussions and performances from throughout the world. The Global Village is open to the general public and conference delegates and admission is free. The Global Village will be open from 2pm on Sunday, 20 July; however the official Global Village and Youth Programme opening ceremony will take place on Monday, 21 July at 11am.
· Youth Programme
At AIDS 2014 young people will play an active role in all aspects of the conference.
Young people will not only be delegates, but activity organizers, speakers, leaders and peers. The Youth Programme will include a variety of activities designed for and by young people including cultural and educational performances, presentations, workshops and panel discussions. The Youth Pavilion and Youth Positive Lounge will provide spaces for young people to network collaborate and showcase achievements from around the world.
· Exhibition Area
The Exhibition Area is located on the ground floor of the Exhibition Centre and features exhibitions from organisations wishing to showcase progress, products and services in the field of HIV and AIDS. The exhibition has both commercial and non-commercial areas and is open to all conference delegates.
· Positive Lounge
The Positive Lounge is an area dedicated to people living with HIV and AIDS attending the conference. The lounge is intended as a meeting space and a relaxation area for delegates living with HIV and AIDS to break from the often tiring pace of the conference. The Positive Lounge is located on Level two of the Exhibition Centre.
· Media Centre
The Media Centre will serve the needs of print, broadcast and radio journalists covering AIDS2014. Access to the Media Centre is strictly limited to accredited journalists only, who will be wearing a media badge. The Media Centre is also located on the ground floor of the Exhibition Centre.
· Conference Programme
The official conference programme will begin with the Opening Ceremony at 19:00 on Sunday, 20 July in the main Plenary (Plenary 2).
The programme includes a variety of session types including:
Non-Abstract Driven Sessions: These sessions address a variety of current viewpoints and issues and are developed by the programme committees with stakeholder input and take on a variety of formats:
-Daily Plenary Sessions: The daily plenary sessions feature some of the worlds most distinguished HIV scientists, policy specialists and community leaders. Plenary sessions bring all conference delegates together at the first session of each morning.
-Special Sessions: Feature presentations by some of the world’s key research leaders, high level AIDS ambassadors and policy specialists.
-Bridging Sessions: Link the four tracks, providing opportunity for multi-disciplinary multi-perspective dialogues on cutting edge topics.
-Symposium: Address critical issues that defy simple solutions. Focusing on a single, clearly defined topic or issues, speakers and delegates will share experiences, contribute relevant research findings and brainstorm ideas to identify possible ways forward.
-Professional Development Workshops: The workshop programme is aimed at increasing the capacity of delegates to implement and advocate for effective, evidence-informed HIV policies and interventions in their respective communities and countries. AIDS 2014 will offer 50 targeted work-shops that will promote and enhance opportunities for knowledge transfer, skill development and collaborative learning. Workshops can be 90 or 180 minutes in length. All workshops have a limited participant capacity and seating is offered on a first come, first serve basis.
-Rapporteur Summary Sessions: The summary session synthesises presentations made during the week, focusing on critical issues addressed, important results presented and key recommendations put forward.
Abstract Driven Sessions: The abstract driven component of the conference offers the highest calibre of state-of-the-art knowledge and peer-reviewed research. Around 2500 abstracts have been selected by members of the scientific programme committee for inclusion in the conference programme.
-Oral Abstract Sessions: These sessions are organised into themes which address new developments. Oral abstract sessions are 90 minutes sessions that consist of five oral presentations of ten minutes followed by a five minute question and answer session.
-Oral Poster Discussion Session: These sessions held daily between 13:00-14:00 are 60 minute sessions featuring 4-6 oral presentations of five minutes each. Abstracts discussed at these sessions are on display for the duration of the conference next to the main rooms.
-Poster Exhibitions: Organised by track and covering a wide-range of topics, the poster exhibition includes approximately 1000 pieces. Each poster is displayed for one day and presenters will stand by their posters at scheduled times to answer questions and provide further information.
· Satellite Sessions:
Satellite sessions take place in the conference centre, but are fully organised and coordinated by the organisation holding the satellite. The satellite sessions take place all day on Sunday, 20 July and in the morning and evenings from Monday, 21 – Thursday, 24 July.
· Affiliated Independent Events:
Many registered conference attendees, representing groups or organisations, have scheduled events affiliated with the conference. A variety of events have been approved such as symposia, meetings, workshops and receptions. Events may be open to the public, to delegates or by invitation only.