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Events Working Group

The Events Working Group (EWG) is a new initiative by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) to curate and manage high-quality, accessible events for individual and organisational members. Its primary goal is to deliver a new monthly webinar series featuring high-profile speakers and exploring emerging bioscience topics. The EWG is additionally tasked with supporting all RSB events including exclusive events for Member Organisations and overseeing RSB event procedures.

Membership

Chair: Karen Patel CBiol MRSB
Liam Blacklock MRSB
Professor Louise Cosby FRSB
Ian Harvey FRSB
Professor Patricia Kuwabara FRSB
Dr Jacqui Piner CBiol FRSB
Dr Lydia Schmelzer MRSB
Christiana Skarlatopoulou MRSB

Observers

Lucy Eckersley MRSB (Senior Events Officer)
Mark Leach MRSB (Director of Membership Services & Events)
Secretariat: Eleanor Barrand AMRSB (Events Officer)

Governance

The EWG reports in to the Membership and Professional Affairs (MPA) committee and will update MPA on planned activity. A member of EWG will sit on the RSB Diversity and Inclusion Network (DIN).

Quorum

A minimum of four members (including at least two from Council, ESP and MPA) will constitute a quorum.

Tenure

Permanent members of the group shall normally serve for a term of three years, renewable for a further three years.

Meetings

The group meets virtually twice a year with speaker suggestions encouraged via email throughout the year, to deliver timely new content.

Remit

The remit of EWG is to discuss, make recommendations and secure speakers of interest to all or segments of RSB membership. It includes, but is not limited, to the following:

  • Research and propose topical and industry-leading speakers aligned with member interests, the RSB strategy and the breadth of the biosciences.
  • Vet and prioritise potential speakers based on expertise, reputation, and relevance to event themes.
  • Review speaker and topic suggestions submitted by staff, members and Member Organisations.
  • Coordinate speaker invitations, negotiations, and logistics for in-person and online events.
  • Ensure diversity of thought, background, and expertise in speaker selections.
  • Review event processes and advise on best practice in the events sector.
  • Annual review of the RSB's events risk register.