Call for Conference Hosts for October of 2018, 2019, and 2020

by | Aug 19, 2016 | Conferences

The Executive Committee of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) is seeking statements of interest for serving as Program Chair and Conference Host for the annual meeting of the Association in October of 2018, 2019, and 2020. The AoIR conference draws an international group of researchers and practitioners to present and discuss work at the cutting edge in understanding the social and cultural aspects of the internet and related technologies.

We seek expressions of interest from individuals, organisations, or consortia to serve as Conference Host and Program Chair for a future AoIR conference. The Conference Host is an individual, group or organisation who serves as a liaison to AoIR, assisting in the identification of conference spaces, hotels, catering and reception options, local sponsorships, and ways to feature the local intellectual community and culture. The Program Chair is an individual who helps to develop the conference theme and to identify keynote and plenary speakers, oversees the submissions and review process of papers, panels, workshops, and preconferences, and schedules the conference sessions. Conference Host and Program Chair may be the same person, or the Program Chair may be a member of the group or organisation that acts as Conference Host.

Dedicated AoIR staff will lead much of the conference planning, including negotiating contracts with hotels, meeting venues, catering, and the like, and handling the administrative details of the conference, such as registration, reception and meal planning, A/V and wifi, and book vendor displays. The role of the Conference Host is to advise on this process and provide crucial local knowledge and connections.

Individuals, organizations, or consortia who may be interested in serving as Program Chair and Conference Host should contact President Jenny Stromer-Galley at prez (at) aoir.org by October 1st with a brief letter of interest. The letter should include the following:

  1. who makes up your group and who the proposed Program Chair would be.
  2. your connection to internet research and to AoIR.
  3. a description of any prior experiences you have had with organizing or hosting a conference and the role you played in this.
  4. initial thoughts on venue options and why those would be good recommended spaces for holding the conference. AoIR has in the past held the annual conference at a variety of venue spaces, including universities, conference centers, and hotels.
  5. whether or not you’ll be attending AoIR2016 in Berlin and are interested in meeting to discuss hosting a future AoIR conference.