[Air-L] Call for Hosts, IR 13.0 and IR 14.0

[Alexander Halavais]

Request for Proposals

The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) invites proposals from
individuals and institutions interested in serving as the host site
for Internet Research 13.0, the AoIR annual conference for 2012, and
for Internet Research 14.0, the AoIR annual conference for 2013.

The AoIR Internet Research conferences are among the most important
venues for bringing together current research and reflection from a
wide range of disciplines and perspectives - with a marked accent on
interdisciplinary approaches - on the multiple social and
technological practices that depend upon and shape the Internet.

The Internet Research conference has been held successfully in a
number of cities across the world, including Lawrence, Kansas (2000);
Minneapolis, Minnesota (2001); Maastricht, the Netherlands (2002);
Toronto, Canada (2003); Brighton, U.K. (2004); Chicago, Illinois
(2005); Brisbane, Australia (2006); Vancouver, Canada (2007);
Copenhagen, Denmark (2008); and Milwaukee, Wisconsin (2009). The
conference is to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden this year (2010) and
Seattle, Washington next (2011).

We ask interested colleagues to review the following general proposal
requirements. Colleagues and institutions who would like to pursue
developing a proposal are encouraged to contact Alex Halavais (alex at
halavais.net) and/or Mia Consalvo (consalvo at mit.edu)  to indicate
your interest and raise any immediate questions, etc., that you may
wish to discuss.  We will also be happy to send you a far more
detailed Conference Planning Guide for your review and use.

We would ask that a proposal address the following elements:

DATES. AoIR conferences typically take place in early-to-mid-October –
but depending on local calendars and requirements, we can be somewhat
flexible regarding conference timing (i.e., from late September to
late October).

The AoIR conference typically runs over four days, beginning with

1) an initial day for pre-conference workshops and possible excursions.

2) the program proper, which runs over 3 days.

Each day has 6 programmed sessions which require space. Of the 6 each
day, three are sessions for papers, panels and roundtables, which
require 8 parallel rooms. The remaining three include times for
keynote presentations, the AoIR general meeting, Birds of a Feather
sessions, etc.  (The IR 10.0 / 2009 Program may be downloaded for
review: <http://ir10.aoir.org/wp-content/themes/aoir/files/IR10_Program.pdf>)

LOCATION / TRAVEL / VENUE.
AoIR members and conference participants are a diverse, international
community: conference venues should be easily accessible from
international travel hubs. Travel possibilities from international
arrival points to accommodations (see below) and conference venue
should be convenient and inexpensive.

AoIR conferences typically attract 250-450 participants. Hence, there
is need for one large auditorium that can comfortably hold ca. 300
people (or more), plus at least 6 smaller rooms for parallel sessions
- as well as for requisite infrastructure (AV, wireless, computers and
data projectors, etc.) These may be at a host University and/or in the
area (e.g., conference centers, a hotel, etc.)  for the conference
itself.

ECOLOGY / SUSTAINABILITY
We encourage proposals that take into account the ecological impacts
of conference arrangements (e.g., preferences for sustainable choices
with regard to conference materials, catering arrangements, distances
and travel possibilities, etc.)

BUDGET - A rough estimate of local costs, using the outline provided
in the Planning Guide sent out upon request. An economically viable
conference will also require some level of local / regional / national
sponsorships.  Suggestions regarding e.g., possible grants, in-kind
contributions, potential corporate sponsors, etc. would be helpful.

ACCOMMODATIONS and related infrastructure.
This should include information about a proposed conference hotel,
whether or not it will serve as a conference venue (in Copenhagen, for
example, we did not use a hotel as the venue) - as well as information
about alternative possibilities, including modest to low-cost
possibilities, so far as these are available.

CATERING - coffee/tea breaks + conference banquet

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: the Committee and its Chair are
responsible for these and other important details (e.g., local
registration process, accounting and documenting expenses and credits
in the conference budget, etc.) and ensuring that "everything is in
place" prior to and through the conference itself.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - anything else that you think will enhance the
conference experience.  For example, host venues commonly organize one
or more "getaways" that make local highlights easily accessible to
conference participants.

FOR OUR PART - AoIR will provide a great deal of assistance and
direction, including registration and collection of conference fees
through the AoIR website; recruiting a Program Chair who will take
primary responsibility for soliciting papers and reviewers, oversee
the reviewing and notification process, etc.  (Organizationally, the
Local Organizing Committee works withthe Program Chair and AoIR
Vice-President and President, who serve as liaisons with the AoIR
Executive Committee.)

We clearly recognize that hosting an AoIR IR conference is no small
task. But as previous conference organizers and local committees will
tell you - it is also a highly rewarding experience!

We will begin considering proposals on August 1, 2010. We look forward
to receiving your inquiries and proposals.

- Alex Halavais (alex at halavais.net)
- Mia Consalvo (consalvo at mit.edu)