Minutes of Meetings

Link to Excel planning document and BUDGET

2026 Meetings

Meeting 1: 27 Feb 25

RECORD OF MEETINGS AND ACTION ITEMShttps://fathom.video/share/f7vK2cp_vdLfLm4L1D7U1hzswbeB-bj8
1.CompletedISVEE17 Finalisation of contract Venue and establish planning meetings – February 27
2.In ProgressMeet w/ Anita + auditor re 360 conferences acct setup for ISVEE18 funds – WATCH
3.CompletedArrange contract signing w/ CTICC; prep for 10% deposit payment within 30 days – WATCH
4.In ProgressRespond to Erin/Poppy email re ISVEE17 fund transfer details – WATCH
5.Schedule monthly ISVEE18 planning mtgs; send invites to LOC members – WATCH

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Meeting 2: 25 April 2025

ITEMS TO ACTION
ISVEE meet up 1/25 -25 April 20 25Not actionedFinalize account setup w/ Anita;
Renegotiate venue payment dates 2027;
R1 228 058.75 30-APR-27
R1 228 058.75 03-MAY-27* (to be renegotiated)
Investigate social event venues w/ Lesley;
Send meeting scheduler for year – WATCH
Not actionedContact ILRI re collaboration;
Follow up w/ Galvmed & Gates Foundation re sponsorship;
Hand over contacts to Mohamed – WATCH
Not actionedPrepare sponsorship proposal & timeline for next meeting – WATCH
Not actionedSend Australian workshop management doc to Madaleen;
Discuss pre/post-congress workshop mgmt with Madeline – WATCH
Not actionedWork w/ Madaleen on marketing strategy – WATCH
Not actionedInvestigate social event venues with Madaleen; Prepare social program proposal (incl. gala dinner, tourist attractions, accompanying persons program) – WATCH

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ISVEE meeting 2 25 April 2025

Recording: https://fathom.video/share/bxcn767XeQzbDY46nbRJuZPTteNqwHWj

Meeting logistics and agenda @ 0:00

The meeting began with participants joining and Noluvuyo providing an overview of the agenda, which included discussing collaborations, timelines for different portfolios, social events, sponsorship, and marketing strategy.

Clarification on scientific committee leadership @ 10:16

Anita sought clarification on the previous decision to have Mohamed lead the sponsorship efforts while Chris Marufu could potentially assist him. Noluvuyo explained the reasoning behind the initial rejection, and Mohamed agreed to provide a recommendation for who could assist him with the sponsorship committee.

Financial updates and planning @ 16:11

Vetlink provided updates on the deposit payment from Australia, which has been covered by Vetlink, and the need to set up a dedicated bank account for the event. The group discussed the significant upcoming payments due in April and May 2026, and explored options for securing funding from SASBEPEM to cover those.

Timelines for key event milestones @ 28:24

The group worked to establish a detailed timeline for the event, including the call for abstracts, abstract submission deadline, notification of abstract acceptance, and opening of early bird registration. They aimed to have these key dates finalized by the next meeting.

Social event planning @ 31:21

The group acknowledged the need to quickly identify and book suitable venues for the social events, such as the gala dinner. Lesley and Vetlink were tasked with researching options and presenting proposals at the next meeting.

Collaborations with other African countries @ 1:02:07

Noluvuyo raised the initial plan to collaborate with other African countries, particularly Kenya, and proposed reaching out to ILRI to continue those discussions and potentially involve them in the organizing committee.

Next steps and meeting frequency @ 1:14:00

The group agreed to hold the next meeting in the second week of June, with the specific date to be confirmed after checking with John’s availability. They also discussed maintaining a meeting frequency of approximately one hour per session.

ISVEE meet up 13 June 2025

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Meeting 3: ISVEE meet up 2/25 – June 13

VIEW RECORDING – 104 mins (No highlights)

Meeting Purpose

Discuss ISVEE 2027 conference planning progress and next steps

Key Takeaways

Topics

Conference Timelines

Sponsorship

Social Events

Pre/Post Conference Workshops

African Representation

Next Steps

Action Items

  • Contact Mohamed & Jeff re scientific committee progress. Establish local & international scientific committees. Plan abstract submission structure similar to previous years.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Draft response to FAO proposal, indicating logistical preparations ongoing. Commit to concrete response by mid-September after finalizing scientific themes.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Email Andres Perez requesting proposal for Progress Vet setup with Kenyan group. Contact Erin Kelly re Australia’s sponsorship experience & lessons learned.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Review workshop management document with Madaleen. Adapt timeline & management fees for ISVI-18 context.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Research venue options for gala dinner (outside venues, 500-600 capacity). Investigate pre/post-conference social program options & tour quotations for website.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Meet with Madaleen & Katlego to review sponsorship proposal. Develop clear plan considering market, registration costs, other factors. Present at next meeting.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Add ‘Contacts’ tab to shared Google Sheet. Create columns for name, country, contact info, potential committee assignment.  – WATCH (5 secs)

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Meeting 4: ISVEE – June 13

VIEW RECORDING – 104 mins (No highlights)

Review of previous action items @ 0:09

The group quickly reviewed the action items from the previous meeting, including progress on the sponsorship proposal and plans for upcoming meetings.

FAO proposal for partnership @ 2:19

Mohamed presented a proposal from FAO to be a strategic partner and sponsor for the conference, including providing a keynote speaker, organizing special sessions, and offering financial and technical support. The group discussed concerns about FAO potentially dominating the agenda and agreed to review the proposal in more detail before responding.

Updating conference timeline and themes @ 2:46

The group reviewed the proposed timeline for the conference, including key dates for abstract submissions, keynote speaker announcements, and registration. They agreed to finalize the themes and scientific committee by early 2026.

Organizing pre-conference workshops @ 7:22

Peter presented a detailed timeline and process for organizing pre-conference workshops, based on the approach used at the previous ISVE conference. The group discussed venue options and logistics, aiming to have 3-4 workshops running concurrently.

Planning the gala dinner and social events @ 1:00:06

The group debated whether to include the gala dinner in the registration fee to encourage higher attendance. They agreed the gala should be held at an attractive off-site venue to create a memorable experience for attendees.

Finalizing the sponsorship strategy @ 1:22:13

Mohamed, Madaleen, and Katlego will meet to review the sponsorship proposal and pricing, considering lessons learned from the previous conference. The group agreed to have a single sponsorship structure rather than separate local and international tiers.

Expanding the local organizing committee @ 1:32:10

The group discussed expanding the local organizing committee to include representatives from different African regions, to help promote the conference and increase attendance from underrepresented areas.

Next steps and action items @ 1:43:19

The group agreed on several next steps, including Madaleen and Noluvuyo meeting to hand off conference materials, and Mohamed, Madaleen, and Katlego meeting to finalize the sponsorship proposal.

Action Items

  • Contact Mohamed & Jeff re scientific committee progress. Establish local & international scientific committees. Plan abstract submission structure similar to previous years.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Draft response to FAO proposal, indicating logistical preparations ongoing. Commit to concrete response by mid-September after finalizing scientific themes.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Email Andres Perez requesting proposal for Progress Vet setup with Kenyan group. Contact Erin Kelly re Australia’s sponsorship experience & lessons learned.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Review workshop management document with Madaleen. Adapt timeline & management fees for ISVI-18 context.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Research venue options for gala dinner (outside venues, 500-600 capacity). Investigate pre/post-conference social program options & tour quotations for website.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Meet with Madaleen & Katlego to review sponsorship proposal. Develop clear plan considering market, registration costs, other factors. Present at next meeting.  – WATCH (5 secs)
  • Add ‘Contacts’ tab to shared Google Sheet. Create columns for name, country, contact info, potential committee assignment.  – WATCH (5 secs)

Meeting 6: ISVEE – November 14

VIEW RECORDING – 69 mins (No highlights)

Apologies and updates @ 0:00

Noluvuyo Magadla opened the meeting by apologizing for the lack of meetings in recent months. She shared that Madeleine is currently in the hospital but is expected to recover soon. The group also acknowledged Mohamed’s need to leave the meeting early for another commitment.

Scientific program themes and keynotes @ 3:29

John Grewar presented the proposed themes for the scientific program, which included climate change, epidemiologic methods, frontline/participatory epidemiology, one health, economics, digital epidemiology, and health policy/capacity building. The group discussed merging some of the themes to have a total of 5 themes with 1 keynote each. They also agreed to explicitly include antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a sub-theme under the one health topic.

Keynote speaker considerations @ 23:31

The group discussed potential keynote speakers, with a focus on having a gender-balanced lineup and representation from Africa. They agreed to finalize the keynote speaker list by January 2026.

Conference logistics @ 32:12

The group reviewed the status of the venue, registration app, and sponsorship packages. They agreed to have a separate meeting to further discuss the venue and sponsorship details.

Next steps and meeting schedule @ 1:06:02

The group decided to continue discussions via email and hold the next full meeting in the second-to-last week of January 2026, likely on January 22nd.

Action items

  1. Themes submitted by John for comments https://docs.google.com/document/d/184XfeGye-U4eC1D4WxahD9Oq6WkVasAa/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116869824295255161118&rtpof=true&sd=true
  2. Keynote speaker list to be finalised in January
  3. Separate meeting for conference logistics eg. venue and sponsorship (Sponsorship options here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x2ES-FwH_ogItbDHq8WHU6S_ArgT9feU_68DnaI_y_U/edit?gid=1705128259#gid=1705128259)