DHNB 2023 & 2024: CALL FOR HOST

The Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic Countries (DHNB) Board invites proposals to host the 2023 and 2024 DHNB Conferences. 

Held five times since 2016, our conference has become a fixed annual event in the DH calendar. After successful events in Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and virtually in Riga, our next conference will take place in Uppsala (both virtually and in person) on 15-18 March 2022.  

Being a local organizer provides a unique opportunity to highlight exciting DH initiatives and research and thus promote and strengthen the profile of your institution and co-organising partners. The proposed time for the 7th and the 8th annual DHNB conferences to take place is the first half of March 2023 and 2024. We encourage proposals from the Nordic and the Baltic countries, particularly from those where our conference has not yet been held. The duration of the conference is usually up to 2.5 days with additional days for pre-conference workshops. 

The call is for an in-person event but proposers are encouraged to suggest a format that would include a virtual component, e.g. live streaming of the sessions, a hybrid conference, etc.

The main criteria for proposing a location/institution to host the conference are:

1. A suitable and accessible location, including a venue with a lecture hall big enough to seat all conference participants for keynote talks and the Annual General Meeting (AGM), as well as meeting spaces and smaller rooms for individual sessions and workshops. As a rough guide: there were approximately 200 participants and 3–5 parallel sessions at the 2016 and 2017 conferences in Oslo and Gothenburg, whereas Helsinki 2018 and Copenhagen 2019 had approximately 300 participants. High-speed Internet access, AV equipment, adequate catering facilities and a variety of accommodation options for conference delegates are other important requirements. It is recommended to have a venue  which will be suitable for parallel sessions.
2. Possible sources of funding to cover the costs of organization: costs will typically include renting of the conference venue, salary for part-time conference organizer and administration of registration. Costs may be kept down by using conference facilities at a university campus.
3. Sufficient human resources to form an organizing committee and run the conference: we recommend a program committee with approximately 10 members and a separate local organizing committee of 5–10 persons. Based on the experience from previous conferences, one should allocate a minimum of 4 person-months for the practical organization of the conference and a number of volunteers during the conference.

The resources described above are typical for any conference.

In addition to the above, the following will be taken into account in the selection process (unprioritized order): 1) air and rail transport connections, 2) cost for delegates (travel, accommodation, fees, etc.), 3) reliability of partner institutions and 4) outreach opportunities for DHNB.

DHNB has no central funds available to cover the costs of organizing the conference. However, the DHNB Board and the current conference organizing committee will be on hand to advise as necessary on matters related to the organization of the conference. Also, a conference handbook will be available for 2023 and 2024 organizers. The conference theme and program will be decided by the Programme Committee, which will be appointed by the Board in collaboration with the local organizers.

Proposals should include a rough budget and potential sources of funding, a description of the venue, and notes regarding the human resources available.

Proposals and inquiries should be sent to the Chair of DHNB, Mikko S. Tolonen: mikko.tolonen@helsinki.fi. Deadline for expression of interest: November 15, 2021. Deadline for final proposals: January 15, 2022.