Call for Bids

Call for bids for venue host of the V ISA Forum of Sociology 2024

The Executive Committee of the International Sociological Association (ISA) invites all ISA collective members to make a bid for the site of the ISA Forum of Sociology in 2024. The bids should be submitted by December 1, 2020.

The conference venue must be available for 4 days, preferably during the months July-August 2024.

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 was held in Barcelona, Spain (2008), the second in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002), the third in Vienna, Austria (2016) and attracted 4231 participants.The fourth Forum will take place at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in July 2020. ISA will be organising its fifth Forum in 2024.

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

CONFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

Venue Requirements 
Facilities for 3,000 or more attendees must be available for free, or at a minimal cost, and must include:

• 1 plenary hall with a capacity of at least 2,000 persons
• 3 rooms with a capacity of 300 persons (simultaneous sessions)
• 65 session rooms with a capacity of 60-200 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 2,000 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 2

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
• 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
• A distance between conference venue and hotels of no more than 10 minutes by public transport or 20 minutes on foot

International Transport

• An international airport, with regular, direct connections to all main airports world-wide, must be located close to the host city.
• A possibility of the conference airline with discount offers.

LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE

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

• Organisation of sessions on national sociology / social issues in cooperation with the ISA Program Committee
• Design of conference poster and logo
• Address problems regarding visa for participants coming from many different countries
• 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, mobilizing 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
• Production of paraphernalia (t-shirts, logos, souvenirs, etc.) for sale at the conference (optional)

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.

• 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 2-hour 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; program book
• Social events: opening and closing ceremony; reception; tourism programs
• 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 1, 2020. A decision will be made by the ISA Executive Committee at its Spring 2021 annual meeting.

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