Issued by the Association for Netnographic Research (ANR)
Deadline for proposals: March 15, 2026
Overview
The Association for Netnographic Research (ANR) invites proposals to host the Netnocon conference in 2028. Netnocon is the only global conference dedicated to the advancement of netnographic research–a qualitative, culturally sensitive, and flexible method for collecting and understanding digital traces.
ANR has over 600 members and Netnocon is its annual flagship in-person event. The conference has steadily grown into a vibrant and supportive community. Past events have been held in Manchester (2023), Milan (2024), and Marseille (2025). The event is planned for Izmir in 2026 and Sydney in 2027. Participation typically ranges from 100 to 120 attendees, including faculty, PhD students, early-career researchers, and practitioners from over 30 countries.
Netnocon is an academic gathering that emphasizes face-to-face connection, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collaborative energy. It features paper presentations, panels, social events, and optional pre-conference workshops. We welcome applications from universities or academic institutions worldwide with an interest in digital qualitative research.
Preferred Dates and Format
Netnocon is a three-day in-person conference, typically held Wednesday to Friday, between mid-May and mid-July.
Proposals should account for:
- An optional pre-conference workshop (separate registration and fee) held on Monday and/or Tuesday.
- An optional half-day session or panel devoted to industry and practitioner engagement.
- No hybrid or online elements are currently planned.
Venue Requirements
- The conference must be hosted in an academic setting, not a hotel.
- The venue must be easily reachable on foot or by public transport from the recommended accommodation establishments, otherwise free transportation needs to be organized.
- Venues should accommodate three concurrent paper presentation sessions, plus a large space for keynotes and plenaries (approx. 150–200 seats).
- All presentation rooms must be temperature controlled, equipped with A/V infrastructure (projection, sound, Wi-Fi) and include technical support.
- Accessibility for attendees with disabilities must be ensured.
- Hosts should plan for onsite registration, delegate materials, and catering for coffee and lunch breaks.
Hosting Responsibilities
Host institutions are expected to:
- Provide all local logistics and event organization, including venue booking, catering, on-site coordination, handling the conference registration, issuing visa letters and conference attendance certificates, and organizing social activities.
- Appoint up to five liaisons (including 1–2 key liaisons) to work closely with the ANR organizing committee.
- Join the ANR conference committees for promotion, sponsorship, and local programming.
- Plan and execute local marketing, communications, and sponsorship acquisition.
- Organize three social events: an informal welcome gathering (the evening before the start of the conference, delegates pay for their own food and drinks) and a conference gala dinner (with potential support from local sponsors, ideally on the second conference day), and a closing reception at the end of the conference (optional).
- Ensure all meals are vegetarian and, additionally, meet dietary inclusivity standards (e.g., halal, vegan, gluten-free, etc. options).
- Minimize the environmental impact (e.g., reduced plastic waste, food donation where possible) and maximize the social sustainability of all conference activities (e.g., collaboration with local social enterprises).
- Propose and help coordinate publishing opportunities in relevant academic journals (optional but encouraged).
Financial Model
- Netnocon is designed to be self-funding. Host institutions are responsible for securing venue access, covering local costs, paying for the conference paper submission system, and generating sponsorships.
- We aim to keep faculty registration fees under €500, with significantly lower rates for PhD students. The rate must include the gala dinner and a conference t-shirt (ANR will help with the design of the shirts).
- ANR retains all conference registration income and sponsorship revenue beyond what is needed to cover the conference costs.
- ANR will help secure sponsorship for PhD and early career researcher scholarships. Hosts will help organize low-cost accommodation for the scholarship recipients.
- ANR will host the conference website, but hosts are expected to take responsibility for the management of its contents.
- Hosts are expected to recruit and support local student volunteers.
- Hosts will organize and pay for conference photography and videography services.
- Meeting these objectives will require vigorous and successful pursuit of sponsorship opportunities.
Program Management
- The academic program is organized by the ANR Netnocon Scientific Program Committee, which will manage submissions, reviews, and scheduling of the academic aspects of the program.
- At least one local host liaison will serve on the Netnocon scientific program committee to facilitate room assignments and onsite coordination.
- The overall conference program is designed by the local conference chairs in coordination with ANR.
Proposal Submission
Interested institutions should submit a PDF proposal that includes the following elements:
- Institutional motivation to host Netnocon.
- Proposed conference dates.
- Details of the host institution, including relevant departments and academic strengths.
- Description of the venue, room capacity, room equipment, and accessibility.
- Information about accommodation options, including proximity and price range.
- Outline of transportation and travel infrastructure, including access for international visitors and low-carbon travel options.
- Overview of proposed social events (welcome gathering, gala dinner, optional excursions, optional closing reception).
- Identification of key liaisons and support staff.
- Proposed marketing and communications plan, including target groups and social media strategy.
- Preliminary budget estimate, including projected registration fees, anticipated expenses, and funding/sponsorship strategies.
- (Optional, but recommended) Ideas for publishing opportunities, journal partnerships, or practitioner outreach.
Please email proposals (PDF or Word format) to rkozinets@usc.edu
Deadline: March 15, 2026
Selected hosts will be notified by May 1, 2026 and will work closely with the ANR board of directors throughout the preparation process. Hosts will be announced to the community at the Izmir conference on June 16-18, 2026 and should plan to attend the conference to make a short introduction.