Subject: [98reg] Request for Feedback on US-Based Meetings

From: Ray Pelletier <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 11:13:02 -0500

As the realities of global travel continue to change, the IAOC is
endeavouring to monitor the situations that will impact all of our
participants. We met this week in the United States, a country that
has made moves to change its visa and visitor requirements abruptly
and significantly in recent weeks. Prior to the meeting, we received
input from people who would be unable to attend the meeting in
Chicago. We are interested in hearing whether or what unusual or
additional challenges people faced as they prepared their travel
and/or crossed the border to come to the Chicago meeting.

To that end, we have created a form for providing input. Please
share your thoughts here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WMNH9PS

Your contribution will be kept confidential within the IAOC and its
Meetings Committee. We are only asking you to identify yourself if
you are willing to be contacted for follow up.

Context:

We have more meetings booked in the US in the upcoming years, and
are reassessing these. We continue to monitor the situation for
people traveling to this country (as we do for travel to other IETF
meeting host countries), and will make updates as and when
necessary. We are also conscious, however, that travel requirements
may make it difficult for US residents to travel to a non-US IETF
meeting with a reasonable expectation of a smooth return home. They
may be only able to attend US meetings.

In all cases, our aim is to provide a meeting venue that will
support the work of the IETF — including accessibility for
participation. With the unpredictability of US immigration laws, it
is difficult to assess whether holding IETF 102 in San Francisco (as
currently scheduled) will yield the level of accessibility the IETF
expects and plans for its meetings. However, if we are to secure a
suitable alternative location, we need to decide to do so in the
very near term.

Your input in the form would be most helpful.