For IPC Members who may be interested. Kind regards, Chantelle __________________________ Friends and Colleagues, I trust this email finds you well. I am pleased to inform you that the work on the 3rd edition of the Middle East DNS Forum is currently underway, and we have some updates to share with you. Dates – The forum takes place on 4-5 May 2016. On both days, we will have panel discussions, and we expect to have some dedicated breakout sessions on day 2. We are also looking at ways to involve entrepreneurs and other stakeholder groups who are effected by the domain name industry in the forum. Venue – The venue is the Ramada Plaza Tunis Hotel in Gammarth, Tunis, Tunisia. You can find the address of the hotel as well as a Google Maps pin holder at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/event/venue/. Special accommodation prices have been negotiated with the same hotel. The rate for a single room is USD 87.50 per room per night subject to Service Charges and Government Tax. The rate is inclusive of Bed, Breakfast, Wi-Fi, and airport pick-up. To benefit from the preferential rate, please write to us at contactus@mednsf.org. Agenda – The members of the Program Committee (PC) of the forum are currently working on finalizing a draft agenda. The PC have identified the following broad topics to be discussed during the forum: · The Internet Industry in the ME region and the Untapped Business Opportunities Available; · Startups, the Internet, and the Domain Name System; · The IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN’s Accountability; · The Domain Name Industry; · IDNs and Universal Acceptance; · The Domain Name Industry and Other Industries; and · Others. A provisional agenda has been posted online at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/agenda/. Once the PC finalizes the draft agenda, we will share it with you and the wider community for feedback. Registration – Registration is now open. Kindly register your attendance to attend the forum at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/registration/. Translation – Real-time English çè French translation will be provided on both days. Attendees and speakers are welcome to use the language of their choice. Remote Participation – Remote participation will be provided to all main panels/sessions during the two day forum. Instructions on how to join remotely shall be shared in due time. You can always refer to the forum’s microsite at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/. The site will be updated regularly, so please make sure you check it from time-to-time. We look forward to seeing you at the forum soon. Thank you, The Middle East DNS Forum Organizers