Call for session proposals​​​​​​

Thank you for your interest in hosting a session during the ESP Europe conference in Wageningen, the Netherlands, from 18-22 November 2024. 

We kindly invite you to submit your session proposal through the ESP Europe session proposals form.

The official deadline for session proposals submission is 10 April 2024. We strongly urge everyone who plans to propose a session, to submit the proposal before that deadline. The submission form will remain open until 22 April, in case of late submissions, but please keep in mind that the session review process will begin immediately after the official deadline, and timely submissions will be given priority.

The theme of the conference pertains to the role of the ecosystem services concept in addressing the numerous challenges involved in achieving One Health. The 'One Planet, One Health' theme underscores the interdependence of human health, animal health, ecosystem health, and environmental health, which lies at the heart of the sustainable development goals. These goals can only be accomplished within a healthy and equitable economic system that seriously considers the full value of nature to human wellbeing.

At the 5th ESP Europe conference, we aim to put a special focus on two thematic streams: a) Ecosystem services and health, and b) Ecosystem services and conditions for transformative change. The streams are inspired by the overarching conference theme and will feed into the conference output and takeaways in different ways – with a unified purpose of scaling up the positive impacts of ecosystem services research. Of course, as always, there will also be ample room for session proposals that do not fit neatly in the layout of streams and conditions but do address relevant topics for the ESP community.

We encourage anyone working in the field of ES and health to submit proposals for sessions. We welcome alternative session formats such as discussion forums, world cafes, Fishbowls, and sessions in which media outputs are presented. Feel free to think out of the box and be creative by proposing alternative session formats.

The 5th ESP Europe conference will be an in-person conference to provide an enriching experience that allows attendees to fully immerse themselves in the conference, interact with speakers and engage with other participants in real-time. Balancing interaction between in-person and virtual attendees is challenging and we believe going primarily in-person will be the best way to create an engaging and inclusive experience for all participants. However, if it is essential for your session to contain a virtual element, we can discuss ways to facilitate this.

Procedure for submitting session proposals

• Session proposals should reflect the conference theme. If possible, focus on two thematic streams: a) Ecosystem services and health, and b) Ecosystem services and conditions for transformative change.

• Session title: A brief and descriptive explanation of your session.

• Session abstract: A short description of your session, including a summary of the topic, the desired aims and outcomes of your session.

• Session format: The estimated duration and format you plan to follow for your session. You may refer to the guidance on the options for alternative session formats.

• Co-hosts and others involved: Up to seven possible co-hosts who are committed to assisting you with reviewing the abstracts submitted to your session and engaging in other responsibilities to make your session and the conference a success.

Alternative session formats

We can help you explore alternative session formats and help you shape your proposal. Here are some options to consider:

• World Café: This format allows for open group discussion around a specific topic. The session is usually guided by a list of core questions or topics and facilitated by the session hosts. Participants are invited to join and contribute to a shared discussion.

• Documentaries and other media: Hosts and participants may want to present alternative means of science communication and share experiences among participants.

• Solution rooms: These sessions are designed to give participants space to discuss challenges they are facing around a specific topic.

• Speed talk/lightning sessions: These sessions are designed to be fast-paced, with participants given a short time (around 5 minutes) to talk about their research topics. Ideally, these sessions should be followed by a discussion.

• Scientific debates: These sessions allow people to debate over a specific question or topic. Participants are then polled to measure their opinions on the topic, followed by group discussions.

• Storytelling sessions: Presenters are called to present their research topics in the form of a story that helps illustrate their work. This format is more suitable for cases in which the experiences of individuals, teams, or community groups are told like a traditional story. The stories should have characters, themes, and an ending point.

• Fishbowls: This format involves dividing a big team into smaller groups and arranging them in a circle. The people in the smaller group have an open discussion while the other session participants (who sit outside the “fishbowl”) listen to what is being discussed. This format is interactive, as anyone outside the fishbowl can contribute their ideas by replacing someone in the fishbowl. This way, this format promotes real-time brainstorming and innovative thought processes.

• Scientific games: This format could be suitable for participants and sessions that want to test software or applications they have been developing. There is usually an introduction to the rules of the game, time for playing, and a feedback session towards the end.

Responsibility of a session host

Once your session proposal is accepted, you will become a session host. As a session host, you will be asked to review abstracts submitted to your session, moderate your session during the conference and take on some other responsibilities involved with organising a session. The Scientific Program Committee will review your session proposal. If your session is reviewed positively, we will send you session host guidelines soon after. If you are looking for others to submit a session with, we advise you to make use of the ESP online member platform and call for other interested delegates.

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