Update on venue assessment process

[IETF Executive Director <[e-mail]>]

In May of 2023 the IETF LLC issued a request for feedback [1] for four possible venues for an IETF Meeting: Beijing, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen.  The feedback was such that a further consultation [2] was undertaken on proposed response to the issues raised and a final decision was announced [3] some months later.

Two of the key outcomes from this process are a revised venue assessment process that now focuses much more on lived experience of IETF participants, and a new step in this process that, under specific circumstances, requires the IESG to make a determination before the IETF LLC can proceed with booking a venue.  This new process is now documented on our website [4], and the template venue assessment report [5] has been updated and guidance added. Step 4a in this process is the new step involving the IESG.  

In addition, we have concluded our first venue assessment under this process, which is for Shenzhen, China [6].  This is an example of an assessment where the IESG step has been invoked and that is now with the IESG to consider.

Finally, a general report that this work has slowed down our normal pipeline of venue assessment, which was set back by the pandemic.  Looking forward though, we expect this work to pickup soon and we will be finishing off a number of partially complete assessments, reviewing some old assessments under the new process and looking at new cities in often requested countries such as India.

Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

[1]  https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/ietf-announce/ph216mZaUexR18dj_pkZrtWwn_k/
[2]  https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/ietf-announce/h0Aosxbo1B6JpEg2_5tYtWZqMC4/
[3]  https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/ietf-announce/-gewAEBtXqCHyAjfVWAfKSVcxYY/
[4]  https://www.ietf.org/meeting/planning/
[5]  https://www.ietf.org/media/documents/IETF_Venue_Assessment_Report_TEMPLATE_v3.pdf
[6]  https://www.ietf.org/media/documents/IETF_Shenzhen_Venue_Assessment_Report_2024-06-11.pdf

-- 
Jay Daley
IETF Executive Director
[e-mail]