The Conference Committee membership is critical. It should be composed of persons with sufficient stature and involvement in the profession to give assurance that they will handle their assigned job proficiently. Prior IEEE involvements may be a good indicator of a person's performance. However, it is also important to not choose people with excessive IEEE commitments, since this may lead to employer resentment of the IEEE, and a reduced level of support for IEEE involvements. Attempt to recruit committee members from as many different corporations and universities as possible. A wide base strengthens the local commitment, creates a new network, and spreads out the burden.
Check the Society's Technical Committee membership lists for local members to recruit. Try not to recruit people who have never attended an ICASSP. In presenting a particular assignment to a potential chairperson, no attempt should be made to minimize the amount of work involved. People in middle management are often the best choices. They have both the authority and freedom to get the job done, and yet are able to handle tasks personally.