Behind the Scenes at INFORMS

There are many professionals in the world who remain the “invisible workers” of a job well done. I’m not thinking about jobs that get done in the wee hours of the morning when most of us are asleep; rather, I’m thinking of the work done by our team members who plan INFORMS conferences and meetings. When meeting professionals do their job splendidly, one tends to minimize what they actually do – I have experienced this first-hand. When I first met my wife, she was the meeting planner in charge of many of the large IEEE meetings. As a regular (ignorant) meeting attendee, I assumed meeting planners just ordered food, made sure the projectors were plugged in, handed out registration packets, etc. Once I learned more, I was amazed and impressed with the complexity of the profession. Yes, it is a profession with many certifications (e.g., Certified Meeting Professional, Digital Event Strategist) and levels of expertise. Attendees see just the tip of iceberg of what meetings professionals do and not the precision of all the behind-the-scenes activities that go into executing each event. 

At INFORMS, we have six full-time employees who are experienced and skilled meetings professionals. While INFORMS may only have a few weeks’ worth of actual conference days each year, the meetings staff works throughout the year to make those days run smoothly so that the attendees have the best experience possible. The meetings team is responsible for developing, managing and leading all aspects of INFORMS’ three to five major annual meetings and conferences and provides support for many additional INFORMS community meetings. This includes managing all aspects of conference planning, adhering to strict deadlines and budget demands, nurturing and building relationships with vendors, exhibitors, sponsors and venues to design and implement creative and logistical aspects of INFORMS meetings, staying current on event design and production trends, and complying with complex legal, insurance, health and safety regulations.  

Of course, there are two sides of any coin, and both sides are essential. Our meetings team works in close partnership with our member volunteer committees and community leaders to deliver the conferences we sponsor and host throughout the year. Everyone’s experience and insight are crucial to delivering the high-caliber programs our attendees expect and deserve.  

Although I led this column with the meetings team because our Annual Meeting is coming up this month, there are another approximately 50 individuals running the business of INFORMS and working in partnership with our dedicated volunteers as we focus on our mission and our goals. This includes:  

• Publications: Our publications team manages the editorial, production and distribution of INFORMS’ 17 peer-reviewed journals, two magazines and other content collections. The team is staffed by seasoned publishing professionals with collectively more than a century of experience in scholarly publishing and are on track to produce nearly 25,000 pages of content this year!  
• Membership and Subdivisions: The membership team creates and supports strategies and programs to engage current members and lead prospective members to the decision to join. A major objective of the team is to develop effective leaders and promote positive member engagement and collaboration across INFORMS’ societies, sections, regional chapters, forums, student chapters and related committees. Visit informs.org/Benefits to see all that your INFORMS membership offers.  
• Education and Industry: Education & Industry Programs (EIP) encompasses professional development/continuing education, certification, education outreach and industry outreach. The mission of EIP is to promote O.R. and analytics in education and industry; support educators and practitioners; and provide professional development and learning opportunities for anyone interested in O.R./analytics and related fields. EIP’s portfolio includes Early Career Professionals’ Network, Combined Colloquia, CAP Prep courses and Meeting of Analytics Program Directors, to name a few.  
• Professional Recognition and Development: The professional recognition and development team manages all INFORMS-level prizes, awards, competitions and scholarships, which includes launching the submission process and working closely with each award committee every step of the way through the awards ceremonies, both at the Analytics Conference and Annual Meeting. The team also manages the development program, which currently includes endowments and donations, as well as sponsorship of new industry programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.  
• Marketing: The marketing team is responsible for marketing the many different programs, products and services that INFORMS provides, and amplifying the incredible stories about how our members are saving lives, saving money and solving problems around the world. Their work includes developing and managing websites; creating and executing well-integrated marketing campaigns; maximizing our social media presence; designing collateral; and many other activities.  
• Sales: The sales team has a wide range of responsibilities for selling various programs and products, including journal subscriptions to individuals, universities, and other organizations; sponsorship and exhibit packages for INFORMS meetings and conferences; and advertising in OR/MS Today and Analytics magazines. The team also manages the INFORMS Career Fair and online Career Center, as well as a variety of other related sales work.  
• Public Affairs: The public affairs team (including our external consultants) comprises both government and media relations. Their work focuses on showcasing our members, the impacts of the decision and data sciences, and INFORMS as an organization, with policymakers and the media. This includes shining a spotlight on newsworthy research that is published in INFORMS journals, positioning INFORMS members as prominent thought leaders who can react to current events through the lens of O.R. and analytics, and providing insights and context for journalists and policymakers alike.  
• Information Technology: The information technology (IT) team provides the backbone of INFORMS, including managing our association management software and business operations software and systems. IT helps in improving the efficiency of operational processes and oversees the collection, storage, management and utilization of data. They also manage the hardware, networks and information security of our systems, and maintain GDPR compliance.  
• Financial Administration: The finance team provides all accounting and banking services for INFORMS, collaborating with other teams on budget planning and management, and oversees the association’s investment reserves. Additionally, our customer service team is part of the financial administration group given the important role they play in working with members and customers on many different types of transactions.  
• Human Resources: Human resources is responsible for managing all of INFORMS’ staff-related policies and procedures, payroll and insurance, and many other aspects of employee services and office support.   

As INFORMS executive director, I’m honored to work with our exceptional professional staff, and the many volunteer committees who work hard on INFORMS’ behalf, as we strive to advance the mission of INFORMS and accomplish our strategic goals.  

If this topic interests you and you want future articles to dive deeper into INFORMS professional staff who work side-by-side with members and volunteers, email me at [email protected]. I’m always happy to talk about our great team, new ideas and ways you can be involved.