View source for Meeting Strategy Working Group

{{ICANN Working Group
|Type=
|Status=Closed
|Issue Areas=ICANN Meetings
|Process=
|Date Established=
|Charter=https://www.icann.org/en/board/committees/meeting-strategy-working-group/charter-11-02-2013-en
|Workspace=
}}

The '''Meeting Strategy Working Group (MSWG)''' was a cross community Working Group comprised of members from the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), Address Supporting Organization (ASO), Country-Code Supporting Organization (ccNSO), Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), and the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO).<ref name="mswg">[https://meetings.icann.org/en/future-meeting-strategy ICANN Public Meetings: ICANN Meeting Strategy] Retrieved November 7, 2025</ref> It was formed in 2013 to discuss and propose a strategy for the structure, purpose and locations of future [[ICANN Meetings]] beginning in 2015.<ref name="charter">[https://www.icann.org/en/board/committees/meeting-strategy-working-group/charter-11-02-2013-en ICANN: Composition of the Meeting Strategy Working Group (MSWG)] Retrieved November 7, 2025</ref>

== Subjects ==

The MSWG was formed to deliberate about the future of ICANN Meetings. The following topics were up for consideration:

* number of ICANN meetings per year;
* other types of meetings and conferences (Global, regional, topic, stakeholder…);
* objectives of the Meetings and conferences;
* organization of the Meetings and conferences;
* localization (including rotation) of the Meetings and conferences;
* role of local host;
* visa and travel support;
* role of hosts and sponsors;
* expected language services to be provided at ICANN meetings and conferences;
* remote participation;
* outreach (during the Meetings and conferences).<ref name="charter"></ref>

== Members ==

The working group was chaired by [[Sébastien Bachollet]].

It was stated in the group's charter that the MSWG was to be composed of Board members, staff and community representatives. 2 to 3 Board members including the Chairman of the working group will be members of the MSWG.

ICANN published a Call for Applicants looking for volunteers for the MSWG.<ref name="charter"></ref> On March 21, 2013, he Selectors of the Meeting Strategy Working Group (MSWG) announce the composition of the working group:

* GNSO:
** [[Donna Austin]]
** [[Michelle Chaplow]]
** [[Paul Diaz]]
** [[Poncelet Ileleji]]

* ALAC:
** [[Satish Babu]]
** [[Tijani Ben Jemaa]]
** [[Eduardo Diaz|Eduardo Diaz Rivera]]
** [[Sylvia Leite|Sylvia Herlein Leite]]
** [[Sandra Hoferichter]]

* ccNSO:
** [[Keith Davidson]]
** [[Margarita Valdes|Margarita Valdés Cortés]]

* ASO:
** [[Dmitry Kohmanuyk]]
** [[Douglas Onyango]]

* GAC:
** [[Tracy Hackshaw|Tracy F. Hackshaw]]
** [[Suzanne Radell|Suzanne Murray Radell]]
** [[Ana Cristina Amoroso das Neves|Ana Cristina Ferreira Amoroso das Neves]]<ref>[https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/composition-of-the-meeting-strategy-working-group-mswg-21-3-2013-en ICANN Announcements: Composition of the Meeting Strategy Working Group (MSWG)] Retrieved Novemeber 9, 2025</ref>

Sébastien Bachollet and [[Chris Disspain]] composed the Board.

ICANN's staff members were [[Sally Costerton]], [[Chris Gift]] and [[Nick Tomasso]].<ref name="report">[http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/participation/mswg/recommendations-25feb14-en.pdf ICANN: Meeting Strategy Working Group: Recommendations for Public Comment Draft 2.5] Retrieved February 25, 2014</ref>

== Outcome ==

On February 25, 2014 the MSWG posted a draft document for public comment that outlined it's recommendations. <ref name="report">[http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/participation/mswg/recommendations-25feb14-en.pdf ICANN: Meeting Strategy Working Group: Recommendations for Public Comment Draft 2.5] Retrieved February 25, 2014</ref>

After the publication of the draft, the Report was open to Public Comment. The overall recommendations made by the MSWG for public comment were:

* continue the three-‐meeting schedule annually, but evolve the structure of the three meetings (defined as Meeting A, B, and C) to better address meeting objectives, scheduling conflicts and to use the time in a most effective way;

* continue regional rotation for all meetings and coordinate rotation to balance global coverage on a multi-‐year cycle, but evolve the rotation strategy to take advantage of the smaller mid-‐year meeting (Meeting B) to rotate through new geographic locations previously unavailable to the meetings due to the attendance and logistical requirements of the current meeting structure;

* continue to allocate adequate time for SO/AC work, but evolve the format of the meetings to afford greater opportunity for cross-‐community engagement and outreach;

* continue with the public forum at the first and third meetings in the cycle, but evolve the format by splitting the time into two portions with differing focus.
Public Comments closed on April 4, 2014.<ref>[https://itp.cdn.icann.org/en/files/new-meeting-strategy/report-comments-meetings-strategy-06jun14-en.pdf ICANN: Report of Public Comments] Retrieved November 9, 2025</ref> The Board received the working group's Final Report on April 26, 2014. ICANN then reviwed the MSWG Final Report and developed an implementation plan based on the group's recommendations.<ref>[https://www.icann.org/en/board-activities-and-meetings/materials/approved-resolutions-special-meeting-of-the-icann-board-17-11-2014-en#2.a ICANN Board: Approved Board Resolutions | Special Meeting of the ICANN Board 17 November 2014] Retrieved November 9, 2025</ref> ICANN was directed to proceed with implementation for the calendar year 2016.<ref name="mswg"></ref>

As per the group's charter, the group would be terminated three months after delivery of its Final Report.<ref name="charter"></ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Working Groups]]
[[Category:ICANN]]