Call for bids for upcoming ISA conferences

Call for bids for venue host of the
Third ISA Forum of Sociology 2016

The Executive Committee of the International Sociological Association (ISA) invites bids, to be submitted by December 31, 2012, for the site of the ISA Forum of Sociology in 2016.

The conference venue must be available for 4 days, preferably during the months July-August 2016.

THE ISA FORUM

The ISA Forum is an international conference designed first and foremost as a meeting place for over 60 ISA Research Committees, Working Groups, and Thematic Groups. Aiming to provide an array of opportunities for the promotion of global dialogue about transformative change, it focuses on a socially relevant theme, involving public actors, to which different areas of sociology can contribute. Examples of such themes include environmental issues, human rights, welfare, social justice, inequality, and democratic participation.

The first ISA Forum, held in 2008 in Barcelona, Spain, had roughly 2000 participants. The second Forum will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2012. ISA will be organising its third Forum in 2016.

The ISA aims for geographic diversity when selecting the locations of its events in order to reflect its global membership. 

CONFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

VENUE

International Transport

• An international airport, with regular, direct connections to all main airports world-wide, must be located close to the host city.
• The Local Organising Committee must be in a position to address problems regarding visa access for participants coming from many different countries and, more generally, to expedite the visa process.

• 1 plenary hall with a capacity of at least 1500 persons
• 3 rooms with a capacity of 300 persons (simultaneous sessions)
• 60 session rooms with a capacity of 60-100 persons (simultaneous sessions)
• Book exhibition space for 30 book sellers (at the meeting site, or in close proximity)
• Office facilities for an ISA Secretariat (see also technical equipment requirements)
• Luncheon facilities on the conference site or in restaurants within walking distance that can serve 2000 persons within two hours
• At the conference site, or in very close proximity, the following services must be available:  banking, postal, and public copy facilities, travel agency and medical services

Technical Equipment Requirements

• Standard audio-visual equipment in all session rooms: computer with PowerPoint and data projector
• Availability of other equipment including: internet connection, video player, slide projector, overhead projector, projection screen, white/blackboard or flipcharts, and a microphone system (if needed)
• Office facilities for an ISA Secretariat of at least 5 persons equipped with computer, printer, international telephone/fax/e-mail facilities, internet connection, and coping machine, etc.
• Cybercafe and WiFi on-site

Hotel Facility Requirements

• Efficient and reliable hotel-booking system
• A distance between conference venue and hotels of no more than 10 minutes by public transport or 20 minutes on foot
• Hotels of different categories:
• 40% two star hotels
• 50% three star hotels
• 10% four star hotels
• Availability of medium and low-cost accommodations (including student dormitories) for at least 2,000 persons

LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) must be committed to assist in the organisation of the following aspects of the event:

• Visa issues for participants
• Rent of the conference venue(s), including book exhibition and social events
• Responsibility for the tasks associated with ensuring that the conference runs smoothly, including at least: establishing media relations, developing regional contacts, encouraging participation in the conference, mobilising volunteers
• Opening and/or closing reception
• Social programme, for example conference party and/or other cultural events
• Preparation and handling of sight-seeing tours
• On-line booking of hotel accommodation for participants
• Design of conference poster and logo
• Production of paraphernalia (t-shirts, logos, souvenirs, etc.) that will be sold at the conference (optional)
• Organisation of sessions on national sociology/social issues in cooperation with the ISA Vice-President of the Research Council

In order for a bid to be considered, the costs of hosting the conference should be shown to be reasonable. The following financial aspects should be taken into consideration when preparing a bid. Please clearly specify the costs for each point; if the information is not available, please specify that it will be at added later.

• Conference facilities: rent and cleaning; technical equipment and support; signs and decoration; internet connection, WiFi and Cybercafe; exhibition space; registration area
• Medical and child-care services; special arrangements for disabled participants
• Translation English/French/Spanish: interpretation equipment (cost per session) and interpreters (cost per language)
• Conference materials: design of conference poster and logo; conference bag (incl. local information, maps, etc.); printed materials such as posters and leaflets; programme book
• Social events: opening and closing ceremony; reception; tourism programmes
• Exhibition: handling expenses
• Cost of a Professional Congress Organiser company selected for the event
• A list of approximate air fares from representative sites across the globe, including what reduction might be secured from the national or other airlines

DEADLINE FOR BIDS

Bids, including all information requested in this call, should be received by the ISA Secretariat (see contact information below) no later than December 31, 2012. A decision will be made by the ISA Executive Committee at its spring 2013 annual meeting.

International Sociological Association
Faculty of Political Sciences and Sociology
University Complutense
28223 Madrid, SPAIN
isa@isa-sociology.org