2025 RGS-IBG Annual Conference


Call for session proposal – RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2025

The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG) would like to invite expressions of interest and proposals for sponsored sessions for the 2025 RGS-IBG Annual International Conference to be hosted at the University of Birmingham and online from Tuesday 26th to Friday 29th of August 2025. More information about the conference can be found here: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference

Professor Pat Noxolo (University of Birmingham) will chair the conference, with the theme centred around Geographies of Creativity. The conference theme encourages conveners and presenters to reflect on the nexus between Geography and Creativity, the geographies of creative practice and, above all a creative re-visioning of our discipline. See https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference/chairs-theme for suggested theme topics and details.

The GLTRG has capacity to sponsor up to 12 sessions. Themes which engage directly with this year’s theme of Geographies of Creativity, as well as others focusing on all areas of leisure and tourism geographies are welcome. Given the cross-disciplinary purpose of the conference theme, we highly encourage co-sponsored sessions with other RGS research groups to enhance international engagement. Each session is limited to 2 timeslots in the programme. Each timeslot is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Sessions can either be in person or online. Sessions may take the form of presented papers, panels, practitioner forums, discussions, workshops, or something else. As per Conference instructions, delegates will be limited to 1 paper presentation and 1 panel/workshop contribution OR 2 panel/workshop contributions. Further guidance for proposing and organising a session can be found at https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference/call-for-sessions-papers-and-posters.

Session proposals (max 250 words) seeking GLTRG sponsorship should be sent directly to Dr Alberto Amore (GLTRG Conference and Event Co-ordinator, alberto.amore@oulu.fi) by no later than Monday 17th of February 2025 at 5.00 pm (GMT) for consideration. Proposers are however encouraged to submit proposals before the deadline if they wish to post and share their calls for papers ahead of time. Please let us know if you would prefer the session to be held in person or online. Please also indicate if you are applying or intend to apply for co-sponsorship with other RGS research groups. Once the GLTRG committee has confirmed the sponsorship of sessions, sessions will need to be finalised with the full-text version of session proposals (containing the details of all the papers included in the session) submitted to the RGS by 7th of March 2025.