The Digital Humanities in the Nordic Countries (DHN) Board invites proposals to host the 2022 DHN Conference.

Held four times since 2016, the DHN conference has become a fixed annual event in the DH calendar. After successful events in Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, and Copenhagen, this year’s conference will take place in Riga on 17-20 March and preparations are underway for DHN2021 in Uppsala.

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. The proposed time for the seventh annual DHN conferences to take place is the first half of March 2022. We encourage proposals from the Nordic and the Baltic countries, particularly from those where the DHN conference has not yet been held. The duration of the conference is up to 2.5 days with additional days for pre-conference workshops.

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 “compact” venue due to the 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 DHN.

DHN has no central funds available to cover the costs of organizing the conference. However, the DHN 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 is being prepared and will be available for 2022 organizers. The conference theme and program will be decided by the Program 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 DHN, Mikko S. Tolonen: mikko.tolonen[at]helsinki.fi. Deadline for proposals: Feb 25, 2020.