Handbook Chair Handbook
Current Chairs
| Name | Affiliation | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Els Lefever | Ghent University | els.lefever@ugent.be |
| Qiongkai Xu | Macquarie University | qiongkai.xu@mq.edu.au |
Overview of Responsibilities
Handbook Chairs produce both the printed pocket book and the search‑friendly online handbook that guide attendees through the conference. The role requires early planning, relentless data‑collection, and tight coordination with Publication Chairs, Program Chairs, Workshop & Tutorial organisers, and the ACL Office.
The following are the main responsibilities of the Handbook Chairs:
1. Timeline Planning & Stakeholder Coordination
2. Toolchain & Assets Preparation
3. Content Collection & Drafting
4. Final Assembly, Proofing & Distribution
Breakdown of Responsibilities
1. Timeline Planning & Stakeholder Coordination
This responsibility concerns achieving consensus on milestones and creating timelines of expectations.
| Task | Start | Deadline | Dependency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Previous Year’s Handbook Chairs | ASAP | July 2024 | – | (1) Gather lessons & obtain script forks; (2) Example handbook scripts are available here. |
| Draft High‑level Timeline | Nov 2024 | Dec 2024 | 2025 CFP published | (1) Request ≥ 8 weeks between handbook draft & conference start, per handbook guideline; (2) Share with General Chair/Program Chair |
| Circulate Timeline to all Sub‑chairs (e.g., Workshops, Tutorials, Social) | Dec 2024 | Jan 2025 | Timeline approved | Use Google Doc with colour‑coded deadlines. |
2. Toolchain & Assets Preparation
This responsibility concerns setting up software and gaining access to resources that are required for compiling the conference handbook.
| Task | Start | Deadline | Dependency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install & Test Handbook Build Scripts | Jan 2025 | Jun 2025 | – | Fork NAACL‑handbook repo; ensure LaTeX/Python deps reproducible. |
| Commission Cover Design & Graphics | Jan 2025 | March 2025 | Budget approval | Follow spec 8.75″×5.75″ with 1/8″ bleed. |
| Draft and Collect other Handbook Resources | ASAP | May 2025 | ACL Office assets | See below. |
It is in your best interest to prepare as much of the handbook as possible ahead of time, updating it as things progress. Some elements that can be prepared are as follows:
- Get bios, pictures, and abstracts from invited speakers.
- Create pages for special events (reception, social event, business meeting, etc). You should have writeup that calls attention to all of these events.
- Commission a local guide. These are best when they're personalized by people who know the area. For a great example, see the ACL 2014 handbook.
- Get ads from all sponsors, sized appropriate to their classification (gold, silver, etc). These go in the end of the handbook (from the ACL Office).
- Get hotel maps for inside front cover (from the ACL Office).
- Ask the General Chair and Program Chairs for their introductory letters.
3. Content Collection & Drafting
This responsibility involves creating drafts and finalized versions of the conference handbook ready for production.
| Task | Start | Deadline | Dependency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Conference Schedule Draft Complete | May 2025 | June 2025 | Received "order" file from Program Chairs | Contact Program Chairs as early as possible and send repeated reminders if necessary. |
| Receive Workshop, Tutorial & Social Event Details | 1 June 2025 | 15 June 2025 | Event chairs respond | Send reminders ~8 weeks prior to the conference. |
| First complete handbook draft (print) | 15 June 2025 | 22 June 2025 | All content received (including messages from GC and PCs) | Send PDF to OmniPress for soft proof to Jenn, General Chair and Program Chairs. IMPORTANT: This deadline is very time-sensitive, as all proceedings must be finalized 2–3 weeks before the conference begins. Check with Jenn for the exact time when the final version of the handbook needs to be ready for printing. |
| More revisions based on comments | 22 June 2025 | 2 July 2025 | Feedback from handbook reviewers | Create new PDFs. It is very important that in this period chairs are available on a daily basis to compile new versions of the handbook draft. |
4. Final Assembly, Proofing & Distribution
This responsibility concerns the very final steps of handbook approval in addition to the process of getting physical copies made.
It is important to ensure everyone's name is correct and consistent across the entire conference. This usually involves compiling the proceedings and then sending them to the ACL Anthology, who runs them against the Anthology Network and finds corrections. The Workshop and Publication chairs have a duty to go through and verify these consistencies themselves, but in part because it can be a lot of work, they don't always do it.
| Task | Start | Deadline | Dependency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final PDF sign‑off | 1 July 2025 | 2 July 2025 | - | Printer deadline T–4 (print) and T–1 (digital). |
| Publish Online Handbook & Push to Website | July 2025 | July 2025 | Approved final draft | Host on GitHub Pages with search index. |
| Send Handbook for Printing | 4 weeks before conference | Conference start | - | Check with Jenn. Liaise with printer (usually OmniPress) |
| Distribute Print Handbooks Onsite | July 2025 | Aug 2025 | Delivery from printer | Coordinate with Local & Registration desks. |