Conference Committee Mandate

The Conference Committee (CC) is a Standing Committee established by the International Council of IAMCR to co-ordinate and provide governance for the organization of Conferences (By-Laws 9.6.2).

It is distinct from the Conference Organising Commission (COC), the entity which is established by the Executive Board (as an EB Commission) for each IAMCR conference to coordinate its organization. The COC consists of IAMCR representatives (including CC members) and LOC (Local Organising Committee) representatives.

The CC seeks to take a long-term view on IAMCR conferences. In contrast, the COC will handle the shorter-term conference governance, management, and support of a particular LOC.

Functions:

to ensure the organization of the Conference reflects IAMCR’s aims (as per Appendix 1 below);
To scout for and suggest future conferences to the Executive Board and Executive Secretariat
To encourage expressions of interest (EOIs) in hosting the conference from IAMCR members and their institution
To provide feedback on EOIs, evaluate conference proposals, and make recommendations to the IC regarding endorsement of a conference host
To lead the review of the annual conference, providing advice to the wider IC
To identify innovation, improvement and options in academic conferences and their models, including hybrid models
To identify options for improving access, inclusion, quality of participation in IAMCR conferences.

Members:

General-Secretary (Chair);
IAMCR President;
Treasurer;
Executive Director
Two members selected by the International Council, upon proposal by the Committee Chair

Activities:

Regular meetings;
Brief and consult with EB and IC on conference planning, review, innovation, and relevant issues.

IAMCR's Conference Aim

1. The IAMCR conference will be organised in a way that reflects IAMCR's overall aims as outlined in the Association's statutes:

To provide a forum where researchers and others involved in media and communication can meet and exchange information about their work;
To encourage the development of research and systematic study, especially in the broad areas of media production, transmission and reception. Its members explore the contexts in which these activities take place and the subjects and areas where such work is not well developed;
To stimulate interest in media and communication research;
To disseminate information about research and research needs – not only to researchers but also to those working in various media and civil society, others responsible for communication policies and the general public;
To support the improvement of media and communication research, policy and practice especially from international and interdisciplinary perspectives;
To contribute by means of appropriate research to the development and improvement of the education and training of journalists and other media professionals.

2. In addition, the conference organisers will take the following into consideration:

IAMCR’s scholarly and professional character;
A commitment to high quality conference presentations;
The need for freedom of speech by participants, within the framework of professional responsibility;
A balanced representation of plenary speakers by age, gender, ethnicity, region and academic position;
The social and environmental impact of the conference;
The autonomy of IAMCR sections and working groups;
The need to treat conference participants equally; the privileging of groups of participants should be avoided.