Call for Expressions of Interest for AoIR2028

Deadline – July 1st, 2026 Midnight, Anywhere on Earth (AOE)

The Executive Committee of the Association of Internet Researchers is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from prospective Conference Hosts for the annual meeting of the Association for October 2028. According to our regular rotation schedule, the 2028 conference is set to take place in Asia, though we will consider EOIs from other locations too.

EOIs are due to the AoIR Executive Committee by July 1, 2026. EOIs will be reviewed by the AoIR Executive Committee, which will then gauge feasibility through a series of follow-up discussions with proposers. Proposers for the 2028 conference will be informed of decisions regarding conference hosting by September 2026. The AoIR membership will be informed of the 2028 conference location during the AGM at AoIR2026 in Mexico City.

The AoIR conference draws an international group of 600-800 researchers and practitioners to present and discuss work at the cutting edge in understanding the individual, social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of the internet and related technologies. The Conference Host Committee is a regional group of scholars that may be part of the same or different organisations. They are also invited to propose a Local Chair and a Program Chair. The Local Chair oversees the local running of the conference. The Program Chair oversees the submissions and review process of papers, panels, workshops, and preconferences, and schedules the conference sessions. (Given the recent growth in the number of submissions to our conference, and the labor involved in managing them, we recommend proposing two people to share the Program Chair role.)

Members of the Conference Host Committee should have a strong existing connection to the Association of Internet Researchers.

Serving on the Conference Hosting committee is a large time commitment. The role of the Local Chair and host committee is to make contributions to the conference theme and call for papers, identify keynote and plenary speakers, plan and provide crucial local knowledge and connections, and oversee region-specific fundraising (where possible, provide venue space at cost or in kind). AoIR will assist with the practical conference planning, including negotiating contracts with hotels, meeting venues, catering, and the like, and will partner with the host committee on many of the administrative details of the conference, such as reception and meal planning, AV and wifi provision, and exhibitor displays.

Organizations or consortia that may be interested in hosting AoIR2028 should contact AoIR President Sarah T. Roberts at prez (at) aoir.org by 1 July 2026 with a brief expression of interest. The EOI should include the following and be no longer than 5 double-spaced pages:

  1. the individuals and organization(s) involved, and their proposed roles;
  2. the connection of proposers to internet research and to AoIR;
  3. a description of any prior experiences proposers have had with organizing or hosting a conference, and the roles played in this;
  4. an argument to support the proposed conference location, especially with respect to ease of travel to the venue for AoIR’s multinational community of conference participants, including visa approvals;
  5. initial thoughts on local venue options. AoIR has in the past held the annual conference at a variety of venue spaces, including universities, conference centers, and hotels. Proposed venues should allow for 12-15 current sessions for three consecutive days, with at least one space that can accommodate all attendees simultaneously;
  6. prospective conference dates, keeping in mind any major local, national, and international holidays, semester schedules, or other aspects that might affect the timing of the conference;
  7. a firm indication of whether you will be attending AoIR2026 in Mexico City, Mexico, and are available to meet for further discussions about hosting AoIR2028.

Please contact President Sarah T. Roberts at prez [at] aoir.org or AoIR’s Association Coordinator ac [at] aoir.org if you have any questions.