Over the last weeks, the Federation has been monitoring the strike and the encampment at McGill University as we prepare to hold Congress 2024 from June 12-21, 2024. We have had numerous discussions with you, the participating associations, as well as partners, keynote speakers, and other stakeholders to carefully review and provide feasible options for all attendees to convene and exchange their research in the safest, most inclusive, and most accessible manner possible.
Several associations opted to relocate their conference, or a part of it, to the Congress virtual platform while others elected to maintain activities on campus. The exhibitors at Expo were encouraged to proceed with their plans to showcase their books and services as long as they felt comfortable doing so. However, through our discussions, many exhibitors decided to withdraw their on site activities and with no viable virtual alternative, it became evident that the Expo had to be suspended for this year.
We will be sharing the news with attendees shortly, but wanted to ensure you were informed on behalf of your members. We encourage those of you holding your conferences on site and online to make time in your schedules for all the programming Congress has to offer, including the Big Thinking series, Career Corner workshops, and Featured events, which you can explore here. Your members can network and socialize in this year’s Social Zone.
Other features of the Congress Hub, including the Registration Desk, Info Centre, the Federation’s meet and greet area, as well the SSHRC Lounge will continue to operate as usual in McLennan Library. You can refer to the Maps page for more information.
We understand that the past few weeks have been difficult, but we also believe that we can all look forward to a productive gathering. Offering a space for sharing important research and creating opportunities, even during challenging times, is at the heart of what we do and the foundation of the Federation's mission.
Thank you for your continued collaboration, and we wish you all an enriching and successful conference.
Sincerely,
The Congress team