2012 GIA Conference: Call for Sessions

Call for Sessions | Deadline April 20
Grantmakers in the Arts 2012 Conference
Forging Connections
Creating an equitable future…building livable communities…providing effective leadership.

Join your colleagues in Miami, gateway to South America and the Caribbean, for a unique and challenging exploration of what's next in arts philanthropy. Miami provides a fertile collision of cultures, an electric arts scene, and a land’s end vantage point from which to examine the increasingly complex ecology of arts and cultural philanthropy.

Grantmakers in the Arts invites members to propose sessions for the 2012 annual conference. Successful sessions will address topics related to the conference themes of equity, leadership, and livable communities. Session organizers are also encouraged to introduce topics that highlight South Florida’s arts and philanthropic communities.

The following session types will be considered:

CONFERENCE SESSIONS
These 90-minute breakout sessions are expository in nature. In response to member feedback, GIA will give priority to innovative session formats over panel presentations. Sessions may not involve more than three participants, including session organizers who intend to facilitate or participate in their sessions, and session organizers will set aside at least 30 minutes for direct attendee participation and discussion. AV support is available upon request.

OFFSITE SESSIONS
Offsite sessions are conference sessions that take place at arts venues outside the hotel with clear links to the session content. Offsite sessions are three-hour sessions with 90 minutes allotted for the session and 90 minutes allotted for travel, site tours, and/or site-specific presentations.

BREAKFAST ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATION
A Breakfast roundtable conversation is a one-hour informal conversation on a grantmaking topic held over a meal. Roundtables are discussions among registered conference participants and do not include presentations by outside speakers, AV, flipcharts, etc.

How to Propose a Session or Breakfast Conversation

  1. Log into your account on the GIA website and fill out the brief online session proposal form by April 20. Although you may, you don’t need to provide details about specific participants or costs at this time. (If you need assistance logging in, contact Heidi Norgaard at heidi@giarts.org or 206-624-2312.)
  2. After the conference committee has identified sessions to schedule, we will contact organizers individually to ask for more details. The conference committee will work with session organizers, as appropriate, to identify local resources, serve as active audience members, or help design a complementary site visit.

2011 Conference Session Priorities

The conference committee will give high priority to sessions that:

  • Address topics related to the conference themes of equity, leadership, and livable communities
  • Include presenters who are new grantmakers, non-arts grantmakers, artists, and experts who represent diverse ethnic, racial, and gender perspectives;
  • Showcase current or emerging trends, innovative or experimental approaches to grantmaking, and/or creative responses to problems or opportunities facing the cultural community;
  • Demonstrate collaborations among funders or funders and other sectors;
  • Stimulate discussion and debate, challenge conventional thinking, and/or offer different points of view.

A Word on Session Costs

In 2012, GIA will pay all non-member session presenters a $200 honorarium. Travel funds for session presenters are limited. Members proposing and organizing sessions ordinarily pay presenter transportation and lodging expenses. The 2012 conference budget allows us to provide financial support for some session costs. Once sessions have been accepted, conference staff will work with each organizer to establish budgets and financial responsibilities.

Organizers are encouraged to take advantage of the tremendous wealth of knowledge provided by GIA members and conference participants. Sessions need not depend on bringing outside experts to the table.

Remember: The session proposal deadline is April 20.

Questions? Contact Abigail Guay at abigail@giarts.org or (206) 624-2312.