Based on the Mid Term Review recommendations the ICIS project management put together the ICIS Action Plan, describing concrete initiatives to meet the recommendations.

The XMAS Event, held on December 12 2007, was the Kick-off of the ICIS Action Plan. The purpose of the day was to well inform all project members, and to invite everyone to participate in the Action Plan initiatives that will be taken.

The main premise of the ICIS Action Plan is that the success of the ICIS project is highly dependent on the initiatives of all individual researchers. Both the scientific quality and the cohesion are a direct result of the individual projects. In a series of interactive sessions participants of the XMAS event captured the outcomes of their work in terms of Asset Cards: short, easy to understand, one-page desciptions of project results and possible applications. Next, teams of participants were challenged to think of useful applications by making interesting cross-cluster combinations of various asset cards. Finally, teams presented their best idea in a five-minute pitch.

To make all the hard work a bit more fun, the whole event had a Christmas ambiance. A couple of (co)chairs volunteered as shepherd: helping, motivating and guiding the flock of researchers. Also the event had a competitive edge. There were prices for the best application, the best presentation and the most originally decorated Christmas-asset-card. All judged by a jury of wise (wo)men.

The event resulted both in awareness of the Action Plan and a significant amount of content that could immediately be used in the execution of the plan. The works was continued at the Valmonte Event.