CfP: Society for Industrial Archeology 51st Annual Conference

The Society for Industrial Archeology invites proposals for presentations and poster displays at the 51st Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 7-11, 2023. The presentation sessions will be held at the conference hotel, the Embassy Suites – Grand Rapids Downtown, on Saturday, June 9, 2023.

We invite presentations on all topics related to industrial archeology, history of technology, social change related to industry, and historic industrial structures and bridges. Papers about regional industries and transportation in Grand Rapids and Western Michigan are particularly encouraged. Poster displays are also encouraged and can be on Works in progress or finished projects. All presentations and poster displays should offer both interpretation and synthesis of data.

Presentation Formats: Proposals may be for individual presentations, a session of papers, a roundtable on a theme, or posters. Individual presentations 20 minutes in length, a group of three or four presentations on a common theme filling a 90-minute session, or a 90-minute panel discussion with 2-5 discussants (a formal moderator is optional, but encouraged). SIA will provide computers, data projectors, screens, microphones, and speakers as needed in each presentation room. Posters will be on display all day Saturday with a dedicated time for poster presenters to be present at their posters for discussion.

Proposal Formats: Proposals should be submitted online unless special arrangements have been made. Each proposal must include:

• The presentation title (you will indicate the type of presentation—single paper, session proposal, or poster—on the submission form)

• A 300-word abstract that outlines the scope, findings, and conclusions of the presentation

• Contact information including name, affiliation, email address, mailing address, and telephone number for each presenter

• A brief biographical statement of 150 words for each presenter

• The software (incl. version) used to create your presentation and any additional audio-visual requests beyond the

standard equipment listed above.

Submit proposals using the online submission form here: https://forms.gle/Q8j6QovAhPm2hejM9

For 90-minute themed sessions or panel discussions, the organizer should submit a title and a brief description of the theme, along with all above information together as a group as prompted on the online submission form. If any of these items is missing, the proposal cannot be considered. Note that the above word counts apply separately to each presenter in a group. Note that all speakers are expected to pay the registration fee (for either the full conference or one-day rate).

The deadline for proposals is January 31, 2023.

For questions please contact: Patrick Pospisek, SIA Presentations Committee Chair, pospisep@gvsu.edu