DHNB – CALL FOR HOSTS

The Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic Countries (DHNB) Board invites proposals to host the 2025 DHNB Conference. 

The DHNB conference has become a fixed annual event in the DH calendar. After successful events in Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen, virtually in Riga, and hybrid in Uppsala, our next DHNB conference will be online from 8–10 March 2023. It is jointly organized by the University of Oslo, the University of Bergen, and the University of Stavanger. The 2024 conference will be held on-site in Reykjavík, Iceland.

As a conference host, you can highlight exciting DH initiatives and research. The proposed time for the 9th annual DHNB conference is the first half of March 2025. We encourage proposals from Nordic and Baltic countries, particularly Lithuania and Estonia. The conference duration is 2.5 days, with additional days for pre-conference workshops. 

Hosting Criteria for an on-site DHNB2025 Conference

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 for the in-person events: 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 around 300 participants. Other essential requirements include high-speed Internet access, AV equipment, adequate catering facilities and various accommodation options for conference delegates. We recommend having a venue which will be suitable for parallel sessions.
2. Possible sources of funding to cover the organization costs: costs will typically include renting the conference venue, salary for part-time conference organizer and administration of registration. If possible, keep costs 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 ten 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 some volunteers during the event.

The resources described above are typical for any conference.

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

DHNB has no central funds available for organizing the conference. The DHNB Board and the current conference organizing committee will advise on matters related to the organization of the conference. A conference handbook will be available for 2025 organisers. The Local Organizers Committee and the Program Committee, which the Board will appoint in collaboration with local organizers, will decide on the conference theme and program.

Format & Deadline for Proposals

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

Please send proposals and inquiries to the Chair of DHNB, Annika Rockenberger, annika.rockenberger@ub.uio.no. 

Deadline for expression of interest: January 15, 2023. Deadline for final proposals: January 30, 2023.