patth@ccnysci (Patt Haring) (05/21/89)
1st East-West Online Information Meeting 11 - 13 October 1989 Moscow, USSR Preliminary Announcement Invitation to Exhibit Organized by: Learned Information Ltd. and International Centre for Scientific & Technical Information (ICSTI) Why an East-West Online Information Meeting? Learned Information Ltd. and the International Centre for Scientific Information (ICSTI) announce the 1st East-West Online Information Meeting which will take place at ICSTI premises in Moscow on 11-13 October 1989. This unique Conference and Exhibition is made possible by the relaxation of rules and regulations which the open climate of Glasnnost and Perestroika has brought. The objective is to enable East-West information professionals to establish new business relationships and ventures and to create a forum for mutual cooperation in information activities of all kinds. The Conference will be accompanied by an Exhibition of information systems, technologies and services - including online and optical products. Exhibitors from the West will have the opportunity to describe their products and services in depth to Soviet and other East European/CMEA information managers and decision makers faced with the challenge of becoming self-supporting in the era of unprecedented freedom of enterprise. Western Exhibitors will, in turn, benefit from this unique opportunity to learn about East European information systems and services. Objectives of the Conference The main aim of the Conference is the promotion of broad scientific, technical and business information contacts between organizations and companies in the participating countries from the East and the West. This covers the exchange of information between East and West conference participants and the discussion of mutually beneficial cooperation in information services and products. It is expected that this innovative Conference will result in the establishment of new East-West business relationships and ventures within the international information community, embracing commercially-available databases, new information technology, and information services and systems. The 1st East-West Online Information meeting is intended primarily as a "getting to know you" working Conference rather than as a scholarly, theoretical information science Conference. The emphasis will be on the Exhibition: Exhibitors will be offered the opportunity to present their products, services and systems in depth. Each Exhibitor will have approximately 30 minutes to describe their products. These product-orientated papers will be supplemented by a small number of carefully-selected presentations discussing such topics as national policies, government roles in information; information industry trends; and information markets for online and optical information products. It is expected that there will be 150-300 decision-makers from approximately 100 organizations in the Soviet Union and other CMEA countries, with a further 300-500 delegates from the Moscow region. In addition some 1000 people will visit the Exhibition. Doing Business in the Soviet Union A special session on doing business in the USSR will review the history and geography of the Soviet Union; information policies and information resources; what is and what is not possible under perestroika and glasnost; the lifting of restrictions for conducting business and establishing joint ventures; and the new rules and regulations for foreign exchange, foreign company ownership and the like. Exhibitors with specific questions about doing business in the USSR are invited to submit these as early as possible to Learned Information so that they may be taken into account by ICSTI when preparing the session. Deal Making Session As well as the opportunity to arrange and negotiate joint ventures and business deals during the conference and exhibition itself, there will also be a special Deal-Making session to encourage further interaction with colleagues from the Soviet Union and other CMEA countries. Practicalities Since conference and hotel accomodation in Moscow is both controlled and limited there i9s a limit of about 40 Western Exhibitor stands and 200 Western participants (including Exhibitor staff). Learned Information, through ICSTI, will arrange hotel bookings, though particpants are responsible for their own travel arrangements. Participants are also responsible for applying for a visa to visit the Soviet Union for the purpose of attending the Conference and ICSTI will ensure that visa applications will be processed smoothly by the various Russian embassies. While Exhibitors must obtain whatever local papers are necessary for the export and re-import of equipment necessary for demonstration purposes at the Conference, ICSTI, via Learned Information, will give whatever assistance is required. About the Organizers Learned Information is the sponsor and organizer of the highly respected International Online Information Meetings held in London each December and the National Online Meetings held in New York each May, as well as the Optical Information Meetings and the Expert Systems Conferences. Learned Information also publishes a wide range of journals including The Electronic Library; Online Review; Electronic and Optical Publishing Review; Information Today; Information World Review; Expert Systems - The International Journal of Knowledge Engineering; a*nd The International Journal of Neural Networks. ICSTI is an inter-governmental organization devoted to the provision of many different scientific and technical information services to organizations in Council for Mutual Economic Aid (CMEA) countries and also carries out R & D in information technology. In addition, ICSTI is the publisher of a number of scientific journals such as Problems of Information Systems; Engineering and Automation; Science and Technical Progress in Mechanical Engineering; Computer Optics; and Computer Technique, Systems, Management. If you are interested in Exhibiting and/or presenting a paper please complete this form and return to Jean Mulligan, Learned Information as soon as possible and by 19 May 1989 at the latest. Please also submit, at the same time, an abstract of your Product Review and/or paper. The extended (2-5 pages) Product Review and/or full paper will be required by 31 July 1989, together with a brief biography and details of your company and products, services or systems for the Conference Programme and Deal-Making session brochure. ____ I am interested in Exhibiting and presenting an extended Product Review (title, synopsis attached). Please send further details. _____ I wish to offer a full paper (title, synopsis attached). _____ I would be interested in attending the Conference. Please send further details when available. N.B. Important: I would consider bringing ______ (give number) members of my family with me to Moscow. _____ Please send further details of Online Information '89 to be held in London 12-14 December 1989. My address is as follows: (BLOCK letters please) Prof/Dr/Mr/Ms (delete as appropriate) Given Name_______________________Surname____________________________ Organization________________________________________________________ Department__________________________________________________________ Postal Address ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Post Code___________________Country________________________________ Tel: ______________________________________________________________ Fax: ______________________________________________________________ Please attach a synopsis of approximately 300 words Return to: The Conference Department Learned Information Ltd. Woodside, Hinksey Hill Oxford OX1 5AU, England Tel: (0865) 730275 Telex: 837704 Fax: (0865) 736354