The FORMAT Organizing Committee sought to establish even geographical (see map, right), gender and disciplinary representation (chart, bottom of this page) among the participants while at the same time assuring that quality presentations and exhibitors would appear at the meeting. FORMAT was advertised through public news media, with prospective applicants asked to express their interest in organic resource management and their anticipated role within the meeting. The advertisement stated that preference would be provided to those applicants seeking to exhibit organic resource technologies and products. Over 280 applications were received prior to the established deadline, which placed the organizing committee in a difficult position because the venue and budget could accommodate a maximum of 150 participants. Regrettably, many applications could not be accepted under these circumstances, a situation that was partially resolved by permitting only one participant per organization and by opening the exhibits to the general public during the event’s second day. To some extent, the large demand for participation in FORMAT caught the organizers by surprise, and they promise to be better prepared and to offer more explicit criteria to applicants in the future.

A Profile of FORMAT Participation