Richard Wesley, Director of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, presented to the ICMM General Assembly the museum's submission to ICMM to host the Congress.

The conference will be held in both Hong Kong and Macau and centred on the Hong Kong Maritime Museum's new site on the harbour front on Hong Kong Island.

The 2015 Congress dates are yet to be finalised, but will be published here as soon as they are available, along with details of the conference programme as it develops.

Hong Kong Maritime Museum

Hosting an ICMM Congress

ICMM member museums may submit a bid to host an ICMM Congress in response to a general Congress bid invitation from the ICMM Executive Council. Bids are always considered at least two years in advance of the Congress date.

Guidelines for hosting an ICMM Congress

Specific guidelines for hosting a future ICMM Congress are issued by the Executive Council when bids are sought.

For any museum considering submitting a future bid, the following general notes may be useful.

• The host museum, which will either be a member of ICMM or be willing to become a member prior to making its Congress bid, should indicate its commitment to organising a biennial
 Congress for ICMM by presenting a formal bid to the President of ICMM. This bid should take the form of a Letter of Intent offering to act as host for a future biennial Congress. The bid should come from the highest authority of the organisation – Chairman of Trustees or similar. It should identify any proposed supporting partners and the sponsoring government department, where applicable.

• The host museum should be prepared to play the lead role in the logistical preparations for the biennial Congress. With the agreement of ICMM it may use the services of a professional conference and event management agency as long as this does not result in the delegate registration costs exceeding the agreed maximum.

• Venues should be easily accessible to overseas and local delegates via good airport, railway and road networks.

• Venues should be able to offer conference facilities for a minimum of 150 delegates: including conference accommodation, catering arrangements and technical support services.

• By agreement with the ICMM Programme Committee, the host venue will provide an appropriate and attractive programme for accompanying partners at a registration cost to be agreed.

• Venues should be able to offer hotel accommodation capable of accommodating at least 200 delegates, including accompanying partners, within a reasonable distance, and at a range of affordable prices. The venue, or its conference organisers, are expected to administer registrations and arrange hotel accommodation. They are also expected to administer the conference budget, including registration fees, and provide progress reports to the Programme Committee as required.

• The conference language is English: simultaneous translation may be requested in some circumstances.

• The venue is expected to provide reasonable conference technical facilities for presentations including sound systems, computer-generated PowerPoint and video, with the necessary technical support.

• The Congress is expected to include a varied supporting social programme: it should include a formal Congress Dinner and may, for example, include receptions or similar events in local historic locations.

• The host venue will have sole responsibility for the Congress budget which is expected to be self-financing from registration costs and any local funding. Any profits will be divided, by agreement, between the host venue and ICMM.

• The Congress Registration Fee will be agreed between the host venue and the Programme Committee of ICMM. In recent years it has been € 500, or local currency equivalent. This should include all Congress administration costs, catering during the Congress sessions, two evening dinners, including the formal Congress Dinner, and at least one excursion.

• The host venue is encouraged to find local sources of funding, including sponsorship where possible, to offset the costs of the Congress and any supporting events. Sponsorship arrangements must be agreed between the venue and ICMM before formal commitments are made.