[game_edu] call for an organising institution for DiGRA's 2009 conference

[S.Gold]

Hello

Please find below the call for an organising institution for DiGRA's
2009 conference. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like a
preliminary discussion.

best wishes
Tanya Krzywinska
DiGRA President.




DiGRA Call for Conference Hosts
Digital Games Research Conference 2009
www.digra.org | www.gamesconference.org



The Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) has as a central goal
the support of an international conference on digital gaming. Three
world conferences have taken place, the first in Utrecht, the
Netherlands (2003), the second in Vancouver, Canada (2005) and the
third in Tokyo, Japan (2007).



This document is a call for proposals for a committee and location to
host the next of DiGRA's international games research conference for
2009.



Institutions wishing to put themselves forward should consider the
following aims of DiGRA when putting their proposal together and
highlight how the event they would organise would achieve these:

    * To support digital games research as an interdisciplinary field
    * To encourage dialogue between researchers, practitioners,
commercial organisations and policy makers
    * To support digital gaming students and curriculum development
    * To disseminate work produced by the association's community

DiGRA is keen to receive proposals that tackle these issues in an
innovative manner and build upon established conference practices.

It is envisaged that DiGRA conferences will each have a central theme
but that this will in no way compromise the inclusiveness of research
into digital gaming from a wide range of researchers, disciplines and
empirical domains. The official language of the conference will be
English.



To support this, DiGRA places emphasis on rigorous and appropriate
peer review for abstracts submitted to the conference and the support
of ethical practice. Proposers are recommended to read the current
version of DiGRA's guidelines for peer review.

There is no compulsory format for conference hosting proposals but is
it highly recommended that they deal with the following:



Venue:

    * Location: Institution, town/city, country.
    * Background: What is the host city like? Attractions for visitors?
    * Entertainment options: Location for visiting other areas
before/after conference? Proximity to local game industries or other
relevant sites?
    * Venue: Description, facilities, access, lecture theatres, meeting rooms,
      exhibition space, technical resources, translation services etc.

Conference:

    * Programme structure *
    * Overview of themes *
    * Draft Call for Papers*
    * Type and Format of abstracts requested and review process*
    * Potential keynote/plenary speakers*
    * Range of presentations – posters, symposia, workshops, student
mentoring, round table?  Diversity and inclusivity should be fostered
in the identification of multiple modes of participation.
    * Special events: any special thematic days and/or collaborative
events organised in connection to the conference?
    * Social events: What? When? Where? Are they particularly digital
gaming relevant or locally typical?  Commissioning a conference game
or suitably 'playful' activities would lend specificity to the event.
    * Delegate packs: Contents. Proceedings

* The DiGRA executive committee has a responsibility for ensuring the
quality of the delegates' conference experience and the academic
credibility and reputation of the conference. As such it will be
involved, and have the right of veto, in the final decisions about
programming and other aspects of content.  Once hosts are decided a
programming committee will be formed with representatives from the
hosts and nominated members acting on behalf of the DiGRA executive
board.



Travel and Accommodation:

    * Distance from international airport/s?
    * Access by bus, cab, coach, train, etc
    * Travel between conference venue and accommodation
    * Estimated travel costs from a range of major cities
    * Costs & Finance (in €,US$ as well as in local currency)
    * Conference registration: Full & Day rates, student rates, DiGRA
member rates (Note: as a standard practice DiGRA membership will be
included in the DiGRA conference registration fee, with those
membership monies directed afterwards to the association by the
organiser, thereby guaranteeing its basic funding and continuity;
those conference delegates who are already DiGRA members will have a
lower registration rate)
    * Accommodation: Description, university/hotel options, location
in relation to conference venue, facilities, capacity, etc. Per
person, room share scheme? Discount for DiGRA delegates?
    * Meals/Conference Dinner
    * How will booking be handled?
    * What bursaries or discounts will be offered to graduate students
in the field.?

 Organisation:

    * Conference committee: Details of organisers, responsibilities,
administrative support, etc. It is expected than key individuals in
the proposal and proposed conference committee will hold current DiGRA
membership. Identify one member of the host team who is the main
contact with DIGRA.
    * Outline means of keeping in regular, consistent communication
with the DIGRA board.
    * Scientific committee: Details of lead researchers, practitioners
and policy makers who have agreed to sit on an international
committee.
    * Short research biographies. Plan for coordination of duties
within committees as well as with DiGRA executive board; estimate of
deadlines for conference planning schedule.
    * Institutional support: Level and nature of department/institution
      involvement and funding.
    * Additional support: Details of finance, facilities, sponsorship or other
      involvement from additional organisations at a regional,
national or international level.
    * Dates: Proposed conference dates, deadline for abstracts, etc.
(It is strongly recommended that proposers avoid dates conflicting
with events such as AoIR, DAC, Future Play , etc)

Publicity & Dissemination:

    * Conference proceedings: How will they be made available – in
book format and/or electronically? When will they be available to
delegates? (Note that all DiGRA conference papers need to be archived
in the online DiGRA Digital Library, and conference organisers are
expected to collaborate in this.)
    * Publications: Are special editions of journals planned for after
the conference? Are publishing contracts for edited collections
planned? Who will edit these? What is the planned timescale?
    * How will conference publicity be planned?

It is recommended that proposers produce a simple business plan to
estimate incoming and outgoing monies for the conference depending on
different levels of attendance and financial support. Issues such as
how any loss will be accounted for should be dealt with, as DiGRA
cannot currently offer any financial guarantee. Procedures should be
in place so that in the event that the conference makes a profit DiGRA
will receive 30% of this. The association will use this towards
developing funds to support conference costs for some students or
researchers coming from economically unstable countries.

A Conference License Agreement will need to be signed by the
representatives of the conference organiser and the DiGRA. This will
detail all the arrangements and specifications of the planning and
execution of the Conference. The Agreement must be signed before the
actual conference arrangements are set in motion.

The DIGRA executive board require a letter of intent by January 30th
2008 and a full proposal by March 30th 2008.

Letters of intent, completed proposals or general enquires about the
conference hosting call, and details of the License Agreement etc.
should be directed to Doug Thomas (douglast at usc.edu), Helen Kennedy
(Helen.Kennedy at uwe.ac.uk) and Tanya Krzywinska
(tanya.krzywinska at brunel.ac.uk or tankrzy at aol.com)


*MA Digital Games Theory and Design*
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/pg/cdata/d/Digital+Games+Theory+and+Design+MA

-- 
In a completely sane world, madness is the only freedom!
- J. G. Ballard