The International Association for Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS) has held two conferences so far: the first in Seoul in 2004 and the second in Cape Town in 2006. The organisation of the 3rd IATIS Conference, to be held in Melbourne in July 2009, is now well underway, and already we’re turning our attention to the 4th IATIS Conference, which is to be held in July or August 2012 (with a slight preference for July).

IATIS would thus like to invite interested members to prepare proposals to host the 2012 Conference following the guidelines below.

Proposals to host the 2012 conference should be emailed to Dr. Dorothy Kenny, Chair of the IATIS Conference Committee, at [], to arrive no later than May 15th, 2009.

The IATIS Executive hopes to announce the venue for the 2012 IATIS conference in Melbourne in July 2009.

Details of previous conferences and the forthcoming Melbourne Conference are available at:

http://www.iatis.org/content/conferences.php

<DEFINITIONS

1. The Conference Organizing Committee consists of:

• at least one local organizer who act(s) as Chair(s) of the Conference Organizing Committee, and

• up to four others (local and international members of IATIS)

Its responsibilities include:

• proposing a conference theme

• submitting the initial conference proposal

and, once the proposal has been accepted,

• selecting and contacting plenary speakers (in consultation with the IATIS Conference Committee and/or Executive)

• eliciting abstracts and panel proposals (through a first call for papers issued through the IATIS secretariat)

• approving panel proposals

• putting together the Conference Advisory Panel

2. The Local Organizing Committee consists of:

• the Chair(s) of the Conference Organizing Committee, and

• at least four other local IATIS members who are willing to be actively involved in the conference preparation and organization. A mixture of established and newer researchers is encouraged and experience of organizing a comparable (in size) conference at the same venue may be an advantage.

Its responsibilities include:

• assisting the Chair(s) of the Conference Organizing Committee in preparing the initial conference proposal

• local practical arrangements, in line with the conference proposal

• dealing with all enquiries relating to the conference

• contacting potential sponsors and publishers to offer display space, advertising space, etc.

• organizing the printing of the book of abstracts in advance of the conference

• recruitment of on-site labour

• preparing all information/text relating to the conference to be posted at appropriate junctures on the IATIS web site, including information on accommodation, contacts, abstracts, full programme, etc.

• submission of full accounts to IATIS Secretary within six months of the conference taking place.

3. The Conference Advisory Panel consists of:

• fifteen to twenty internationally established researchers

Its responsibilities include:

• evaluating abstracts for the general conference

<GUIDELINES FOR CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

Conference proposals, to be submitted by local groups of IATIS members, should contain the following information in the sections specified:

1. The name(s), affiliation(s), email address(es), postal address(es), telephone and fax number(s), of the local organizer(s) who will act as Chair(s) of the Conference Organizing Committee. A brief CV of the Chair(s) should be added in a first appendix.

2. The names, affiliations, contact data, of all proposed members of the Local Organizing Committee. (Note: ‘local’ can be understood broadly.) A one-paragraph bio-bibliographical note about each of them should be added in a second appendix.

3. The choice of a theme relevant to the field of translation and intercultural studies. Themes should be sufficiently inclusive to allow a broad range of submissions (without being so vague as to be meaningless). The theme of the 1st IATIS Conference was Identity. The theme of the 2nd IATIS Conference was Intervention in Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Encounters. The theme of the 3rd IATIS Conference is Mediation and Conflict: Translation and Culture in a Global Context.

4. Proposed dates in either July or August of 2012.

5. A full description of the chosen venue or conference facilities under the headings below. (Eligible venues will be required to meet the criteria described under each heading):

5.1 Capacity:

Venues should be able to hold at least 300 participants, and ideally up to 400.

5.2 Accessibility:

Venues should be reasonably accessible, e.g. within a two-hour journey of an international airport.

5.3 Venue Configuration:

The following types of spaces are required:

• a convenient space for the registration area (preferably close to the entrance of the main conference building)

• a spacious area for book exhibit and  possibly software demonstrations (as centrally located as possible; preferably within a few minutes from the lecture rooms, with the possibility of organizing coffee breaks in the same area)

• one large lecture room for up to 400 people

• at least five regular lecture rooms for parallel sessions for 50 to 100 people (preferably in one building, as close together as possible)

• a room for the conference secretariat

• a room where conference participants can access the internet is also desirable.

5.4 Audio-visual, IT and other Infrastructure:

Ideally, conference rooms should have a PC and projector and an overhead projector, as well as good acoustics or public address system. Where appropriate, air-conditioning may be an advantage.

5.5 Accommodation:

Conference venues should be within reasonable distance of hotels, hostels, student residences, etc, with adequate numbers of rooms available to accommodate participants over the intended conference dates. In the conference proposal, intending conference organizers should indicate clearly the kinds of accommodation that will be available to conference participants, along with approximate prices (allowing for possible price increases in the following years).  While conference organizers are not expected to book accommodation for participants, they are expected to make available a list of local hotels, guesthouses, etc, to intending participants. If an agent is handling accommodation bookings on behalf of the local organizers, an indication of any handling fee should be given in the proposal.

5.6 Catering:

Venues should be able to make adequate provision for coffee breaks and, where appropriate, lunches and/or conference dinners/receptions.

5.7 Timing:

Local conference organizers should ensure that there are no events scheduled to take place at the proposed venue at the same time as the IATIS conference, and which would mean that resources required for the IATIS conference might not be available.

Proof of the availability of the chosen venue for the specified dates should be added to the proposal. This means that an option will have to be taken on the venue, valid until the end of July 2009, by which time the IATIS Executive will have made its choice.

5.8. Full details on contractual issues pertaining to the chosen venue in relation to:

5.8.1 Financial issues (if you indicate amounts in your local currency, please also give a conversion to either US$ or euro, valid at the time of your submission):

• the precise rental rates for each of the spaces and rooms to be used (see 5.)

• the rental rates for all types of available conference equipment

• the cost of putting up adequate signs

• any additional costs or charges (e.g. for cleaning staff, technical staff, security, and the like)

• rates charged for coffee breaks

• rates for lunches (if any, and if local circumstances make it advisable to have them on the premises)

• local printing costs for a 200-page abstracts booklet (up to 500 copies)

• local expense for conference bags

• local cost per person per day for student labour

If the rates given are the current ones and if increases may be expected before the time of the proposed conference, a clear indication has to be given of the maximal annual increase.

All of the above costs contribute to the calculation of the final per-head conference registration fee. Note that conference registration fees (normal, student, member, non-member, etc, rates) have to be approved in advance by the IATIS Executive. It is envisaged that a small number of researchers will be subsidized by IATIS to allow them to attend the next IATIS conference, and their costs will also be factored into final registration fees.

Conference hosts will also be obliged to submit a full conference budget to IATIS Executive within six months of the conference, and to agree with the IATIS Executive how any surplus/deficit in the conference budget will be handled.

5.8.2 Cancellation terms

5.8.3 Liability

Note that such details also have to be specified in case university buildings are intended as a venue. In case a university is prepared to let IATIS use its buildings and/or equipment free of charge, signed proof to that effect needs to be added to the proposal.

5.9 An indication of the type of social programme that can be anticipated (e.g. post-conference tour, cultural events, availability of photographs)

5.10 A tentative indication of the level of local support. E.g. Could there be any sources to help fund the expenses of invited plenary lecturers? Would any local authority be willing to sponsor a reception? Can any other forms of subsidy be applied for and for what amounts?

5.11 Date

<TARGET TIMETABLE FOR THE 4th IATIS CONFERENCE (2012)