4.7.1. Location comparison

The selection of a location for an APC convening is chosen after the assessment of different factors. The criteria usually are: international travel complexity for participants; country entry requirements and visa process complexity, with special attention to passports that are most discriminated against; local political situation; risks and possible safety measures; local partners who can provide support with the visa process and so on; and budget.

When it comes to venue selection, there is a more specific list of factors: environmental friendliness; labour practices; willingness and ability to accommodate participants’ special needs, such as accessibility and food allergies or dietary preferences such as vegetarian, vegan, halal, gluten-free, etc.; location and distance from the airport, train station and/or accommodation, if it is not the same as the venue location; and budget.

Location comparison

It is recommended that three locations be scouted to decide the preferred characteristics for the event. Location comparison can be done in the cost comparison section of the logistics mainsheet, guided by details such as visa requirements, visa processing time and costs, yellow fever vaccination requirements, flight ticket costs, accommodation costs, conferencing costs, destination airport transportation costs, etc. It is fine to use general quotations at this stage. It is the responsibility of the point of contact and the organising programme/team to decide the convening’s location based on location comparison.