The Adventure Tourism Research Association (ATRA) is now seeking proposals from universities or other potential partners based outside of the UK to host the 2018 International Adventure Conference. If held in the northern hemisphere this could be a winter conference, but the call also allows for a summer southern hemisphere event.
As suggested at the 2015 conference in Sheffield, ATRA wishes to co-host the 2018 conference 15-18 months after the 2016 event in Tralee in October. It remains the intention to rotate events between the UK, Europe and other suitable global locations.
Principles of ATRA
ATRA comprises a group of academics, independent researchers, adventure professionals and commercial adventure operators whose connectivity defines its working parameters. The aim of ATRA is to create and sustain a forum for the creation and dissemination of research into adventure tourism: its key dimension is the dynamic between theorists and practitioners (academics, managers and guides) which is crucial to keeping the research productivity cutting edge and relevant.
This is being realised under the banner of ATRA through a growing cohort of colleagues, a web-site presence (www.atra.global) and the conference.
The Conference
Interested parties should consider the following when making an application:
– This is a conference about the outdoors. It is therefore expected that in addition to separated ‘days of adventure’, part of the conference itself and possibly dinners, workshops and even keynotes might be delivered in innovative outdoor settings.
The potential conference host should:
o Provide opportunities for a range of innovative outdoor activities from the meditative to the physical.
o Be able to cater for international delegates but also to clearly include local populations of interest – particularly practitioners, local communities and tour operators.
o Indicate the organisation team constitution (logistics, food, accommodation, meeting rooms, activities advertising and marketing etc.) and the contact point – the team leader – for ATRA.
o Demonstrate that it has the resources and the time to organise the event to the expected standards and should include a fee to ATRA (£6000) in this budgeting and scheduling.
o Demonstrate the commitment of appropriate sponsors and likely level of contribution.
As a working principle of organising the event the conference fee collected by the host institution will include the ATRA annual membership fee. The details concerning membership fees for academics and practitioners are set out in a separate document.
There should be an indication of outlets for publication of conference papers.
The Application Process
The potential host should create a Word document of around 1000 words indicating how it can accommodate the points listed above. Please indicate one person as the designated contact point although additional key organisers / contributors should be mentioned in the document.
We welcome ideas about potential themes to explore at the conference, especially if these connect into locally and regionally specific issues pertinent to the host location and which might prove attractive to academics and practitioners alike.
Additional points of consideration for the bid for the 2018 event include the following:
(1) Please consider a delivery time in January-March 2018.
(2) Please submit your initial bid as outlined above by July 1st 2016.
The ATRA Executive will consider the bids and contact each potential host with an aim to explore specific points for each before a final decision is taken.
The document should be emailed to [email protected], with copies to:
Peter Varley [email protected]
Carl Cater [email protected]
Thank you.