(posted October 14, 2006) The deadline for submitting abstracts has now passed, and the on-line submission forms have been disabled.

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STEP 1: Decide which kind of session best suits your needs

We look forward to receiving a proposal from you! The types of proposals are described below. Before submitting a proposal, you should also read the instructions for authors and presenters.

• A proposal to organize a 2-Hour Concurrent Session (Invited Papers). A session of Invited Papers consists of oral paper presentations organized around a common theme. These sessions can be structured in several different ways: for example, the invited papers might be preceded by an overview from the session organizer and followed by a response from a discussant. The length allotted to the papers is up to the session organizer. The proposal must include: (1) a session overview abstract that describes the session’s theme and its importance, as well as its format (e.g., who will chair the session, how long each oral paper presentation will be, whether there will be a Q&A session or open audience discussion following the presentations, etc.); and (2) individual abstracts for each of the oral paper presentations (there must be a minimum of 2, but no more than 5, papers). All of these abstracts must be submitted on a single abstract submission form. Because we require all the abstracts up front, it is incumbent upon the session organizer to seek out paper presenters early, get them to produce abstracts, and confirm that each one is willing and able to attend the conference (see IMPORTANT NOTES TO SESSION ORGANIZERS below).
• A proposal to organize a 2-Hour Concurrent Session (Panel Discussion). A Panel Discussion is an audience-interactive format in which invited panelists make short, relatively informal presentations that serve as a springboard for discussion among panelists and between panelists and the audience. In proposing a Panel Discussion, your abstract must indicate who will chair the session, what format it will take, who has been invited to participate as panelists (no more than 5 panelists are allowed), and how many of these invited panelists have confirmed that they are willing and able to attend the conference (see IMPORTANT NOTES TO SESSION ORGANIZERS, below). Preference will be given to proposals with confirmed panelists.
• A proposal to organize a Day-Capper Session. Day-Cappers are late-afternoon sessions that tackle unusual or controversial subjects and/or use innovative formats to engage the audience in a lively way. Day-Cappers will run from 4:00–5:15 pm and should emphasize real human interaction in a more informal setting. (We urge you to make your Day-Capper a “PowerPoint-Free Zone” ... or at least minimize their use.) In proposing a Day Capper, your abstract should indicate why the topic is important, what format the session will take and how you will engage the audience, and who else (if anyone) will be involved in presenting the session. (Some ideas to get you going.) (See IMPORTANT NOTES TO SESSION ORGANIZERS below.)
• A proposal to organize a 2-Hour (or 4-Hour) Workshop. A Workshop is a small-group working session open to any conference registrant on a first-come, first-served basis. In a Workshop, registrants come together to work on or provide input into a specific project or product. An example might be a Workshop to gather feedback on, or to produce, a set of guidelines. Workshops do not involve paper presentations or panel discussions — such formats must be proposed as Concurrent Sessions. Workshops will be scheduled at the same time as the Concurrent Sessions or, possibly, during the evening. You may propose either a 2-hour or a 4-hour Workshop. Because Workshops are intended to be for smaller groups, they will be assigned to rooms that seat no more than 30–60 people. NOTE: We do not provide A-V equipment for Workshops, but if you need it for your meeting we can put you in touch with the A-V contractor so you can arrange to rent the equipment at your own cost.
• A proposal for a 2-Hour (or 4-Hour) Side Meeting (this category includes Affinity Meetings). A fair amount of space will be available at no charge for small-group Side Meetings. The term “Side Meeting” includes subject-specific Affinity Meetings (for example, a meeting of archeologists or of wildlife biologists) at which programmatic or other business-oriented discussions take place. Side Meetings also differ from other conference sessions in that the session organizer has the option of designating them “by invitation only.” All attendees at Side Meetings — including those designated “by invitation only” — must register for the conference. You may propose either a 2-hour or a 4-hour Side Meeting. Because Side Meetings are intended to be for smaller groups, they will be assigned to rooms that seat no more than 30–60 people. NOTE: We do not provide A-V equipment for Side Meetings, but if you need it for your meeting we can put you in touch with the A-V contractor so you can arrange to rent the equipment at your own cost.
• A proposal for an Oral Paper Presentation for assignment to a concurrent session. If you have a paper that you’d like to present, but which is not already affiliated with a session proposal, you can submit a proposal for an Oral Paper Presentation. If there are enough other papers on the same topic, the Conference Committee will consider creating a concurrent session for them. Oral Paper Presentations can include reports on original research; the application of scientific or cultural resource expertise to management, planning, or policy issues; or discussion of cultural or natural resource management issues. Oral Paper Presentations can be either case studies or broader analysis/synthesis papers. In all cases we encourage that the paper be placed within a broader context of relevance that goes beyond the boundaries of a single park or site. Oral Paper Presentations are allotted 25 minutes each: 2 minutes for the session chair to introduce the presenter and for the presenter to set up his/her A-V, 18 minutes for the presentation, and 5 minutes for Q&A (making a total of 5 papers per 2-hour concurrent session).
• A proposal for a Poster. A Poster is a graphically oriented presentation that is displayed vertically on a poster board. The Poster Session runs all day Tuesday through Thursday of the conference week. Posters often provide an excellent alternative to Oral Paper Presentations because they are well-suited for visual data, such as maps and graphs, as well as for promoting discussion about ideas or projects. The Committee encourages those who are thinking about submitting a proposal for an Oral Paper Presentation to consider whether it might work better as a Poster.
• A proposal for a Computer Demonstration. Computer Demos include such things as running examples of a GIS, a database, a Web site, etc., and will be included in the Poster Session. If you need an Internet connection for your Computer Demo, you will have to pay the hotel’s surcharge for the necessary line.
• A proposal for a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” Exposition Exhibit. An Exposition Exhibit is an informational display that is part of our one-day “Welcome to the Neighborhood” Exposition (Monday April 16). If your organization is located in the Twin Cities or the greater Upper Midwest region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, or the Dakotas), help us welcome GWS2007 attendees to the “neighborhood” by introducing your activities with an Exposition Exhibit. An Exposition Exhibit can be either a pre-manufactured table-top or floor-standing display, or it can be a poster with accompanying handouts. Exposition Exhibits from local/regional parks or park-related noncommercial organizations will be accepted on a space-available basis. Commercial firms wishing to present an Exposition Exhibit must contact the George Wright Society office for space availability and rental information.