Travel Services
Types of Travel - Conference Travel
Additional Information
Conference Related Travel - Rev. 4/1/13Conference related travel has come under increasing scrutiny and review. The Department of Energy has further clarified its rules regarding conference travel in order to meet requirements established by the Office of Management and Budget.
Conference Exemptions
Collaboration Exemption Request Form
- Standard Form
- Long Form
Conference Approvals
Additional Conference Guidance
DOE Updated Guidance on Conference-Related Activities and Spending
What is Not a Conference?
Conference Travel Database (CTD)
Conference Travel Database Updates
Conference Regulators
Future Conference Listing
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conference travel
What is a Conference?
General Definition: “Conference” is defined in the Federal Travel Regulation as, a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, or event that involves attendee travel. The term “conference” also applies to training activities that are considered conferences under 5 S.C.F.R. 410.404”. However, this definition is only a starting point. What constitutes a conference for the purpose of this guidance is a fact-based determination based on an evaluation of the criteria established in this attachment.
Additional Info: Conferences subject to this guidance are also often referred to by names other than “conference”. Other common terms used include conventions, expositions symposiums, seminars, workshops, or exhibitions. They typically involve topical matters of interest to, and the participation of, multiple agencies and/or nongovernmental participations. Indicia of a formal conference often include but are not limited to registration, registration fees, published substantive agenda, and scheduled speakers, or discussion panels. Individual events may qualify as conferences without meeting all of the indicia listed above, but will generally meet some of them. Please note that some training events may qualify as conferences for the purposes of this guidance, particularly if they take place in a hotel or conference center.
Local events that do not require advance travel authorization may also qualify as a conference for the purposes of this guidance if the event exhibits other key indications of a conference , especially the payment of registration, exhibitor, sponsor or conference fee. Local travel (under 50 miles) is no longer excluded for purposes of determining whether an event is a conference.
What is Not a Conference?
- Operational meetings such as peer reviews, program reviews, and construction project reviews are, generally speaking, not considered a conference because they are aimed at evaluation of discrete program projects or initiatives of DOE.
- Another example of an “operational” function is DOE program officials meeting with DOE contractors concerning particular work under a contract.
- Fermilab PAC meeting in Aspen, URA visiting Committee, UEC Monthly Meetings
- Activities associated with "CMS week" have special exemption from the Office of Science and is NOT a conference
- Operational events that focus on being engaged in actually carrying out the work.
* Reminder: Local travel exclusion is no longer considered for purposes of determining whether an event is a conference. For more information, see What is Not a Conference?
Request to Attend a Conference:
- Requests to attend a conference must now be submitted to the Fermilab Travel Office at least 85 days before the “critical date” of the conference.
- The “critical date” corresponds to the date when funds need to be committed (i.e. early registration deadline, booth fees deadline, etc.).
- The 85 day period takes into account DOE’s requirement that conference requests be submitted at least 75 days before the critical date, plus an additional 10 days for Fermilab to prepare our lab conference package for DOE.
Conference status and the submission dates are posted on the Fermilab Conference Travel Database for your convenience. You must have a VPN account to view the public page of the Conference Travel Database. https://bss-support.fnal.gov/products/travel.nsf
Questions: Contact Rosa Foote at ext.2952 or email rosa@fnal.gov
4/2013