VSA's request for proposals to host

Veterans in Society 2024

 

The Veterans Studies Association seeks proposals from organizations or institutions to host our flagship biennial research conference, the Veterans in Society Conference (ViS), in spring 2024. ViS is a 1.5-2–day academic conference for approximately 200 attendees. The purpose of the conference is to bring together scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the field of veterans studies from around the world to share their knowledge, research findings, and insights. The conference should be organized to provide a stimulating and engaging environment for attendees to learn and network with each other. (See links to previous conference schedules and other materials at https://www.veteranology.org/events.) 

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Conference Date and Venue: The conference will be held in spring 2024, at a mutually agreed date. To facilitate opportunities to participate in its conferences, VSA wishes to rotate the conference locations among regions of North America. Access to frequent, affordable air service is important. 

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Venues on college/university campuses are preferred, but not required as long as the venue can accommodate up to 200 attendees. The venue should have adequate space for plenary sessions, concurrent presentations, networking, and exhibit areas. The venue should also have sufficient parking and/or be accessible by public transportation. 

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Accommodations: Proposals should include basic information on hotel availability for attendees in the vicinity of the conference location. Hosts are encouraged to secure special lodging rates for registered attendees.

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Marketing: Proposals should also include a basic outline for marketing the conference to ensure maximum attendance. 

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Expenses: Proposals should include an estimated budget, including expenses related to venue rental, catering, audio-visual equipment, and any other necessary materials. The budget should also include a breakdown of any proposed registration fees (including discounted fees for VSA members) or sponsorship opportunities to offset the costs. 

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Program: The conference should be consistent with VSA’s statement of scope.  VSA and the host organization will work together to develop the program design, but the conference host will be responsible for the implementation of the program. In general ViS programs include 2-3 plenary sessions or keynote speakers, breakout rooms for paper presentations or panels (grouped by topic), and an artistic or theatrical event. At least one large event should be open to the public at no charge.

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Technology and Audio-Visual Support: Proposals should include information on the availability of technology and audio-visual support for the conference, including recording, simultaneous streaming, and affordances for participants with participants with visual, aural, or other disabilities. This includes equipment such as projectors, screens, microphones, and speakers. The proposal should also include information on technical support during all conference sessions to ensure that all presentations run smoothly.

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Additional Information: Proposals should include any additional information that may be relevant to the conference. This may include information on local attractions or activities, transportation options, and any other traditional aspects of an academic conference.

VSA’s Conference Committee will collaborate with the host organization to establish the conference theme and create the 2024 call for papers. VSA will support the selected organization in refereeing proposals, but the host organization is expected to take the lead identifying and securing the services of the keynote speakers and determine the event schedule and locations of accepted panels, papers, presentations, and other major events. 

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Hosts are responsible for securing rights to record, stream, and use the names, likenesses, and voices of speakers under applicable laws and institutional policies. These may be used for promotional purposes, the open-access conference proceedings, and other archives.

 

Submission Requirements: Proposals should be submitted in electronic form and include the following information:

• Contact information for the prospective host organization. 

• Description of the conference venue, accommodations, and audio-visual capabilities to meet the demands of your proposed program. Information on technical support and any additional services available.

• Preliminary budget identifying costs of the venue, support, rough estimates of costs for invited speakers/performers, and potential sources of funding.  

• A general plan for advertising and marketing the conference.

• Confirmation of institutional capacity and support (above the program level) to assure that the conference will meet the expectations of all stakeholders.

 

Please submit your proposal no later than March 20, 2023, to Bruce Pencek <bpencek@vt.edu>, VSA Conference Committee chair.  

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We look forward to receiving your proposal and to hosting a successful academic conference.