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MEDINFO 2015
COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY
PLAN
This document presents a preliminary worldwide general action plan with the objective of
communicating to the interested public all relevant information about the World Congress of
Medical Informatics (MEI!"#$% to be held in &ugust '(1)% in *+o ,aulo% -ra.il/
Version 1.0 June 22, 2014
The creation% supervision and e0ecution of this ,lan shall be under the responsibility of an ad1
hoc Communications Committee (CC$% attached to the 2ocal Committee (2#C#M$ and under
direct overview of the MEI!"# '(1) ,resident/
The appointed Chairman of the Communications Committee is ,rofessor 3enato M/E/
*abbatini% ,h% C,4IM*% *tate 5niversity of Campinas% Edumed Institute and 426 Institute
-ra.il/
AIMS

To carry out activities of publicity% divulgation% advertisement% announcements% etc/% to the
potential attendees% sponsors% authors and presenters at MEI!"# '(1)% with the aim of
ma0imi.ing the total number of participants in all categories/
To broadcast relevant information about MEI!"# '(1)% before% during and after its
occurrence% to the general and speciali.ed public% via printed and on1line publications% radio
and T7% websites% etc/
ACTIONS

2.1 PRECONFERENCE PUBLICITY

,reconference publicity actions will be carried out along three main lines8
irected to the memberships of IMI& and its regional and national affiliates/
irected to the memberships of other related federations and learned and technical
societies and associations% not affiliated to the IMI& structure9
irected to the potential public in general% i/e/ to the non1members% outside these
societies
'

2.1.1 ASSOCIATIONS AND SOCIETIES

Initially the CC will build an e0haustive list of all organi.ations% including learned and technical
associations and societies% federations and confederations% governmental% non1governmental
and commercial entities in any way associated with -iomedical and 4ealth Informatics (-4I$%
including its addresses and contacts/ The IMI& *ecretariat and the regional and national
associations affiliated with IMI& may help in this endeavor/
SPECIAL ACTIONS WITH AFFILIATED NATIONAL SOCIETIES
We will contact each and every regional federation and national organi.ation currently
attached to IMI& and purvey at least one contact person of the CC% in order to help with
further actions along this line/
The contact person will help with8
1 Information Cascade8 *econdary communication and publicity of all MEI!"# '(1)
information% such as news% publicity% folders% messages% announcements% banners in
websites% etc/9
' #ffer of special promotions% discounts% sweepsta:es and other benefits to their
membership9
; Information about its publications and events% whereby they could be used by the CC
directly and indirectly to publici.e MEI!"#9
< Identification and recruitment of potential authors and presenters9
) 2iaison with the ,rogramme Committee to organi.e events by the society in =uestion
during MEI!"#/
*ince MEI!"# is held for the first time in the region% a specific action drive will be performed
with all :nown health and biomedical informatics societies in the *outh and 2atin &merican
region (e/g/% Me0ico% Costa 3ica% Cuba% -olivia% ,eru% Colombia% 7ene.uela% Chile% &rgentina%
5ruguay% -ra.il% and others$% such as8
1 & subcommittee of all presidents of the regional societies% including IMI&12&C is being
formed9
' & communication and publicity subcommittee and plan for the region will be identified
and assembled% as per indication of presidents9
; Communication material in *panish and ,ortuguese/
ACTIONS WITH OTHE FEDEATIONS AND SOCIETIES
&fter compiling a list% the ma0imum possible e0tent of federations% societies and other groups
of interest in the fields of e1health% m1health% 4ealth '/(% telemedicine and telehealth% health
information standards% biomedical and clinical engineering% computers in medical imaging%
medical decision ma:ing% biomathematics% bioethics% etc/ will be contacted and propositioned
to help with the divulgation of MEI!"# '(1)% following the same guidelines as stated above
for the IMI& community/
;

2.1.2 PARTICIPATION IN OTHER MEETINGS

&n effort will be made% if budget allows% to include a participation of the CC actions in the
future scientific and technical meetings% e0hibits and fairs% promoted by sister societies/ This
may ta:e a range of possible actions% from a full or mini1booth% to co1participation in the
promoting society>s booth% distribution of MEI!"# folders inside participant>s bags and
formal distribution points% etc/
& list of worldwide meetings will be compiled and one or two specific members of the CC will
be assigned to the tas: of ma:ing contact% raising information about the meeting and how
could we participate% costs involved% etc//% as well as the logistics of sending materials%
arranging for booths% and so on/
We can name of very special interest and earmar:ed for urgent action the largest meetings in
2atin &merica in the ne0t semester8
4IM** 2atin &merica (*+o ,aulo% -ra.il% *eptember$
I!"#2&C 3egional Meeting (Montevideo% 5ruguay% #ctober$
-ra.ilian Congress of 4ealth Informatics (*antos% -ra.il% ecember$
#ther large worldwide meetings of special interest will be8
MIE '(1< (&ugust% Istanbul% Tur:ey$ and '(1) (May% Madrid% *pain$
4IC '(1< (&ugust% Melbourne% &ustralia$
&4IM& '(1< (*eptember% *an iego% 5*&$
4E2I!& '(1< (#ctober% &ccra% ?hana$
&,&MI '(1< (!ovember% !ew elhi% India$
&MI& '(1< (!ovember% Washington% 5*&$
4IM** (&pril '(1)% Chicago% 5*&$
e4ealth Canada (May '(1)$

2.1.3 PROMOTION VIS--VIS EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

#ne important goal of the Communications Committee will be to recruit the ma0imum
number possible of participants from the several sectors (academia% industry% government and
non1government$/ The participation @bottom lineA shall be the number of enrolled and paid
participants% which is an important metric for the financial and scientific success of MEI!"#
'(1)/

Therefore% one important strategy of the CC is to adopt measures and strategies to reach out
to all potential participants and convince them to come to the event/

In relation to this% we plan a two1pronged approach8
Enter in partnerships with educational and research% development and innovation
institutions and groups active in -iomedical and 4ealth Informatics (-4I$ throughout
<

the world% with the aim of providing information to their students% researchers%
developers% officers% etc/ and to convince them to participate/
*end out invitations to all participants of former MEI!"#s% especially those who
presented papers or any other form of participation% and encourage them to submit to
MEI!"# '(1)/
Time permitting% the same will be performed with authors of articles and papers in the more
than B( journals and maga.ines devoted to the area/
To this end% a thorough listing of institutions% authors% participants% etc/% including mailing lists
provided by the IMI& offices% containing previous participants% will need to be achieved% and%
again% a specific coordinator of the CC will be assigned these tas:s/

2.1.4 ACTIONS IN SOCIAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA

3egular announcements and press releases about MEI!"#% with a re=uest for publication in
the 5pcoming Events and !ews sections will be sent to a selected list of8
#n1line professional social networ:s and interest groups% such as "aceboo:% 2in:edIn%
etc/
Electronic newsletters and mailing lists% such as Cahoo?roups% ?oogle?roups% etc/
,rinted and on1line speciali.ed periodicals in health and biomedical informatics and
related areas
*peciali.ed blogs% microblogs (such as Word,ress% Twitter% etc/$
In preparation for the communication media campaign% a list of worldwide publication outlets
will be compiled and one or two specific members of the CC will be assigned to the tas: of
ma:ing contact% raising information on how to submit information% costs% etc%
PAID ADVETISIN!
epending on budget allowance% some "#i$ #$%er&isin' (#nners may be considered for
publication in high1impact media/
A)*uisi&ion o+ &#r'e&e$ ,#i-in' -is& for a repeated electronic email campaign may be also
considered/
3. TOOLS

3.1 PRESS OFFICE

)

It is recommended that a ,ress #ffice be outsourced to a *+o ,aulo company speciali.ed in the
technical area/ This company will wor: in close contact with the CC and the 2#C#M% and will
be hired to perform customary services such as8
,roduction of press releases copy and distributing them9
,roduction of advertisement and viral videos for social sites such as CouTube% aily
Motion% 7imeo% etc/9
&rranging for contacts with the national press in order to publicise the event9
&rranging for press conferences with organi.ers% :eynotes% etc% before and during the
event9
&rranging for journalistic coverage during and after the event/ Including the generation
of interviews and reports in several formats (audio% video and te0tual$9
,roduction of a MEI!"# printed and on1line daily newsletter for distribution during
the event9
,roduction and operation of a daily internal and on1line T7 channel (real time video
with subse=uent on demand recorded short pieces$9
Invitation and identification of press contacts and press representatives during the
event% including the accreditation and distribution of free press passes9

3.2 WEB SITE

The MEI!"# '(1) web is intended to be a major information resource for everything about
the event/ *pecifically% we devise that the site should have an information1rich and tool1rich
su(si&e +or .ourn#-is&s, (-o''ers% etc/% in order to encourage spontaneous divulgation of the
events/
The CC will have a specific coordinator for the web site% in charge of evolving and maintaining
continuously it% as well as promoting It throughout the Web/
SITE PO/OTION STATE!IES
*everal strategies should be adopted in order to optimi.e the site and ma0imi.e its
dissemination widely and deeply the website through the search engines% social networ:s% etc/
&n ade=uate budgetary allowance should be made for buying #$0or$s in these search engines
and social networ:s/
3.3 PRINTED LEAFLETS AND FOLDERS

-esides the on1line and electronically distributed information and communication material
about MEI!"# '(1)% a policy of production of printed leaflets and folders for handing out at
meetings% sending out by mail% etc/% will be pursued in consonance with the 2#C#M goals/ &
specific member of the CC will be assigned to this important sector% and a separate plan will be
developed for it% with a stringent chronogram% due to the larger delays for printing and
physical logistics which are characteristics of these media/
D

3.4 PRE-REGISTERING

&n interesting strategy that might wor: for boosting the number of interested participants is
pre1registering/ This is a no1compromise on1line registering form for people who would li:e to
submit a paper before the deadline% but who is not certain yet/ & potential author can submit
how many titles heEshe feels li:e/ 2ater on% the CC will communicate bac: via email with the
pre1registered persons and as: for a confirmatory enrollment into the conference and formal
submission of one or more of the planned papers/ #f course% only a percentage of the papers
and of the authors will achieve this% but the motivational factor involved in pre1registering may
have a boost effect in comparison to no similar endeavor/
COMPOSITION OF THE AD-HOC COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

?eneral Coordinator
E0ecutive *ecretary
Coordinator of Media 3elations
Coordinator of &ssociation 3elations
Coordinator of Company 3elations
Coordinator of Educational 3elations
Coordinator of 3esearch 3elations
webmaster
,ress *ecretary
Coordinator of Creation and Communication Material 2ogistics
When possible% in order to conserve financial resources% a call for volunteers will be made in
-ra.il to recruit the persons above% as soon as possible/
CONTACT:

3enato M/E/ *abbatini% ,h
Chair of the Communications Committee/
rsabbatiniFgmail/com
,hones (G)) 1H$ ;'B61)H)B (daytime$ Mobile (G)) 1H$ HH1'D1HDB<
*:ype% Whats&pp% 7iber8 rsabbatini