Congratulations! You’ve just become our newest Alumnus. Participating in a Regional or National Conference can be a first step of many into a much larger organisation. There are many opportunities ahead where you can get involved and learn new skills such as academics, organising, media or governance. All of this is possible either here in the Netherlands, or abroad. EYP events are organised in over 40 countries, from Portugal to Finland and from Ukraine to Cyprus. Every year, over 30.000 people take part in over 500 EYP conferences or events spread out across the continent. This booklet will be your guide on where your journey can begin, and in which you can plan the best route for you.

Official Roles

Organiser

Organisers are the backbone of every conference,without them the other teams would not be able to work. As an Organiser, you’ll help the Head-Organisers to implement their vision for the conference. You are responsible for getting food, and materials, organizing the programme, locations and transfers and communication with delegates, officials and others. You can get a lot of responsibility, while still being supported by the Head- or Core-Organisers. The work can be very dependent or very social, you cooperate a lot with your fellow organisers and the other officials teams. Organising gives you a unique view into how EYP events are organised and prepares you for organising your own events.

Core-Organiser

As a Core-Organiser you are right in between organisers and Head-Organisers. You are more involved in the vision development and the starting up phase of the conference, but not the initiator. You get to work on the early realisation of the conference (fundraising, venues), developing the theme, and choosing the team. You get a chance to develop your leadership skills while still working hands on as well. You get responsibility and agency in a specific field of the conference. Through this, you get to shape the conference while not being responsible for the whole, and still enjoying the guidance of the more experienced Head-Organisers.

Head-Organiser

Head-Organisers are responsible for the overall vision of the event. Without them, a conference wouldn’t get off its feet. Head-Organisers are the first to get involved with an event. They set out the locations, theme and vision for the conference. For 6 to 8 months you’ll be building a conference from the ground up. In those months, you’ll learn to become an expert planner, excellent manager and learn to delegate and pick your battles. An important element of being a Head Organiser for larger events is fundraising and team management. Seeing such an event come together, in which over 100 people participate, can be one of the most wonderful and most rewarding experiences in EYP.

Chairperson

While participating as a delegate is your first introduction to the academic side of EYP, “chairing” is your first exposure to the whole picture of the academic process. As a Chairperson, you’re the main point of contact for the delegates. Throughout the conference, you’ll be guiding them in creating a resolution and responsible for molding a group of strangers into a well functioning team. Throughout that process, you’ll learn to become an expert on a certain topic, learn academic writing and master group dynamics. As a chair, you’ll be first witness to the amazing growth a committee can go through, from strangers to best friends in just a few days.

This sounds like a lot, but need not worry, you don’t have to go at it alone. Throughout the session, you’ll be aided by the President and Vice-Presidents. They’ll help you prepare by providing training, guide you in planning activities and are available for advice throughout the session.

Vice-President

After chairing, the next step up is becoming a Vice-President. A Vice-President, as part of the academic board of a conference, is in charge of guiding the chairs and supporting them through training and advice. As Vice-President, you aid the President in coordinating the Topic Overview writing process, setting up a training programme for the chairpersons and ensuring that the General Assembly goes as smoothly as possible. As Vice-President you’ll get a unique overview of the session that will provide you with many opportunities and insights. You’ll get to see many different styles of chairing and leadership and you’ll learn to teach and support members of your team.

President

The President of the session is chiefly responsible for the overall academic vision. They’re in charge of developing, planning and organising the training and teambuilding for the academic team. Their goal is to maximise the learning experience for the chairs and delegates while also ensuring that everyone has a fun experience. This may sound like a lot of work, but it can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in EYP!

Media Team Member

Media Team Members are in charge of creating memories. Under the guidance of the Editor, Media Team Members will receive media training so that throughout the session they can take pictures of all the different participants throughout the different events at the conference. Moreover, Media Team Members often get their own project, where they can let their creative juices flow! This project is then presented to the conference at the end of the session.

Editorial Assistant

Editor

The Editor of the session is responsible for the overall media vision for the conference. As editor, you’re responsible for training your Media Team Members, editing and posting their photos and working on a big project that is presented at the end of the conference. As Editor, you have the freedom to develop and put into practice your own vision.

Jury Member

A Jury Member is in charge of helping with the selection of delegates at a session. They observe delegates throughout the session according to set criteria. They observe the development of delegates, as well as their academic level and teamwork. Jury Members are very important for the continuation of the organisation, as they select people to go to the National Conference or represent EYP the Netherlands abroad. They also provide an important element of personal development to the participants. Jury Members are often more experienced in EYP.

Head of Jury

The Head of Jury is in charge of the Jury Team. They are responsible for managing the Jury Members and the selection procedure. They organise how the Jury observes the delegates and coordinate with EYP the Netherlands about the selection of delegates. They also have to make tough decisions when it comes to the selection.

International Governance

Sessions

National Governance