APEN 2021/22 Conference EOI
APEN 2021/22 Conference - Expression of Interest
[Download a copy of the EOI here]
The opportunity in a nutshell
The APEN Board has determined to proceed with a modified APEN Conference in 2021/22 and is inviting interested groups of members to come together and submit an expression of interest for organising and hosting an APEN Conference with the suggested window of November 2021 through to March 2022. Owing to the challenges associated with COVID-19, it is envisaged that the conference will have the opportunity to be held virtually as well as face-to-face considering relevant regulations.
APEN’s biennial conference, ‘the heart and soul of APEN’, provides an opportunity to:
- Network and undertake member engagement.
- Deliver professional development including:
- Paper presentation - science (e.g. extend extension theory) and practice of extension
- Learning about new practice, engagement and engagement media trends.
- Coach and mentor.
- Support and showcase students and their research.
- Exchange ideas and experiences among practitioners, researchers, policy makers and others involved in extension and education
APEN 2021/22 Conference - conference theme
- Best practice for contemporary innovation
APEN Board’s commitment to the APEN 2021/22 Conference Organising Committees:
- We will support the conference Organising Committee to ensure the conference is a success.
- Selected Board Directors will contribute to the operation of the Organising Committee.
- We support the use of professional conference organisers.
Proposed conference delivery format
The essence of the conference would be a hub and spoke model built of:
- A combination of face to face (f2f) at a central location (hub) open to all interested participants;
- Regional f2f hubs (the spokes - gatherings across Australia and New Zealand); and
- Virtual delivery between hubs as well as open to those on-line.
A two-day format was considered to be attractive to attendees and offer a format where risks could be managed under the changing world of COVID-19 restrictions across Australian state boarders and travel between Australia and New Zealand.
Responsibility of the Conference Organising Committee
The Conference Organising Committee would have primary responsibility of the central hub (Component B). The Conference Organising Committee would be expected to work with the APEN Regional Coordinators who are responsible for the organisation of the regional spokes (Component C).
This call is primarily to finalise those organising Component B of the APEN 2021/221 Conference. However, the APEN Board welcomes expressions of interest from members who would take on the organisation and delivery of Components A and C.
Component A
- Pre- conference ExtensionChat (virtual only) – a taster/warmup to the conference which will
- Focus on delivering professional development (training).
- Reflect on the learnings of ExtensionChat held during 2020.
- Be based on a mutually agreed profit-sharing model.
Component B
- A primary conference venue for a f2f event on the east coast of Australia (Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane).
- Presenting keynote speakers ether f2f and / or virtual.
- Offering identified paper/poster themes and support authors to provide draft papers.
- Combination of f2f and online - enables responsiveness and flexibility and the conference can be shifted totally online if circumstances change.
- Two-day format including a field trip.
- Offering virtual delivery as well as f2f.
- There may be financial and virtual technology delivery advantages in the venue being a University campus although this is not essential.
- APEN packages (containing conference goodies and sponsors material) delivered to all participants irrespective of attending online or in-person at a hub.
Component C*
- Regional f2f hubs in various states and New Zealand linking to the central f2f venue
- Individuals can join online from any location
- Participants can choose to attend a f2f hub, or join online, or a mix of both.
* Component C would be best driven by the APEN Regional Coordinators who will work with the Conference Organising Committee.
Assessment criteria
- Ability to meet APEN’s professional development and networking conference goals;
- Likelihood to attract a critical mass of attendees in line with previous APEN conference attendance;
- Ability to attract sponsorship (cash and in-kind);
- Confidence that the Organising Committee has the experience and commitment to deliver a high standard APEN conference;
- Agility to respond to the reintroduction of any COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions;
- Ability to deliver virtual events successfully; and
- Willingness to collaborate with region conference Hubs.
Timeline
EOI issued 8 December 2020
Submission closure for EOI 22 January 2021
Successful and all parties notified 29 January 2021
For further information:
Please contact Peter Long (pl.director@apen.org.au) or Anthony Kachenko (president@apen.org.au)
Send completed EOI to info@apen.org.au by 22 January 2021.