Abstract Submission Guidelines

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Conference Overview The National Mediation Conference will be held from 9 – 11 September 2014 in Melbourne. The conference will be a vibrant forum appealing to a broad range of interests with three full days of concurrent panel presentations and ample opportunities for information sharing and networking. In addition, there will be one day of pre-conference workshops (Monday, 8 September 2014) and one day of post-conference workshops (Friday, 12 September 2014). For the first time, the NADRAC Research Forum will be held conjointly with the last day of the conference (Thursday, 11 September 2014) and also on Friday, 12 September 2014. This request seeks proposals for presentations for concurrent sessions and sessions at the NADRAC concurrent ADR Forum that forms part of the conference. The template form should be used and can be completed online. The theme of the conference is ‘Diversity’. The Conference Organisers are particularly interested in presentations that support this theme. The concurrent sessions will be grouped into the following general streams and presenters should nominate to which stream their presentation or poster will relate. The streams are: • • • • • • • • • •

Family; Business & Workplace; Court & Tribunals; Community Mediation; System Design, Public and Statutory ADR; Online dispute resolution/New technologies; Training & Standards; International Approaches; Mediation Practice (including blended, cultural & inclusive ADR practice); and NADRAC ADR Conference stream.

The conference draws from varied and diverse groups including international and Australian ADR practitioners and organisations, policy makers, courts, tribunals, ADR schemes, students, academic, bar association, judges and others.

Important Instructions Please be sure to review all of the information and instructions regarding proposal submission prior to completing the online form. If you have any difficulty submitting your proposal online, please contact: National Mediation Conference 2014 Secretariat Suite 4, Level 2, 73 Hay Street, Subiaco WA 6008, Australia Tel: +61 8 9381 9281 Email: [email protected]

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Read all instructions carefully and follow prompts. All fields must be completed. It is usually helpful to develop your proposal description prior to beginning the online form. Review your proposal carefully before submitting. Proposals that do not meet stated guidelines will not be reviewed. All proposals are due by Friday, 21 February 2014.

An email confirmation will be sent after you have successfully created an account for Speakers Portal. Please keep this confirmation as it contains login information for you to continue to access your account. All successful online proposal submissions can be viewed by logging into the Speakers Portal. Changes can be made to the submission until Friday, 21 February 2014.

Proposal Review Criteria The Conference Committee will give priority to the following considerations: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Introduction of new and innovative concepts not previously covered; Importance of the subject-matter to the mediation or dispute resolution field or a sub-set within the fields; The extent to which the diversity theme has been considered; Appeal to broad spectrum of attendees; Effective allocation of time to cover all proposed topics and presenters.

Review Process Each proposal will be assigned to a subject area “track” for review. The chairs of that track will review all proposals submitted in the track and recommend whether the proposal should be accepted for the conference. The Conference Planning Committee then reviews all of the proposals and track chair recommendations and makes the final determination as to which proposals will be included in the final conference program. Notification of decisions will be sent to presenters by mid-April 2014.

Types of Presentations The Conference Committee is accepting proposals for presentations for each of the following conference components: Concurrent Sessions There are a number of slots for 20, 40 and 60-minute presentations. The presentations will generally fall into one of the subject area "tracks" which focus on the substantive areas identified. You must indicate if your presentation will be conducted in a lecture or workshop format. Poster Presentations Poster presentations are an opportunity for shorter, simultaneous and more personal presentations during networking sessions within the conference program for all attendees. Poster presenters will prepare a large, visually appealing presentation which will serve as a springboard for informal contact discussion and Q&A. The presenter must remain available during the networking sessions to discuss and engage with interested participants and to permit attendees to read, review and ask questions about any presentation on an individual or small group basis. The poster sessions will be scheduled at a time when there is no other conference programming in order to give everyone the opportunity to participate. NADRAC Research Forum Presentations The NADRAC Research forum is directed at ADR research and focussed on student, academic and consultant researchers and evaluators as well as policy makers and those who manage ADR programs. The Forum will take place on the last day of the conference and the following day at a different venue. The

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NADRAC Committee is committed to offering presentation opportunities for the largest possible number of participants. Because of the number of anticipated applications, and to encourage broad program participation, an individual may not be a presenter in more than two programs during the entire conference.

Number of presenters in each session There is no specific target or limit for the number of presenters listed on the proposal for each presentation. The number of presenters should be appropriate to the subject-matter and duration of the program. It is suggested that for 20-minute presentations no more than one or two presenters be listed, and for a 60-minute presentation there will be up to three presenters. However, the Program Committee may accept presentations that deviate from these suggestions so long as the number of panellists is clearly thought out and the panel is well-organised so that the individual presentations are woven together.

Conference Registration Requirement The Conference first and foremost presents a unique opportunity for experienced ADR professionals to both learn from and share information with their colleagues. The Conference Committee expects all panelists (including poster presenters) to participate in the conference in addition to their formal presentation.

If your proposal is accepted A copy of any proposed PowerPoint presentation will be required by Friday, 4 July 2014. Additional materials such as popular or academic articles, white papers, and bibliographies relevant to the discussed topic are generally expected. Papers and articles should be written by the speaker or the appropriate permissions must be received in writing before the materials can be submitted. A thoughtful contribution of relevant written materials adds valuable information and resources which cannot be covered in the time allotted to most of the presentations. Presenters must provide the required written materials no later than Friday, 4 July 2014. All materials submitted by the presenter will be posted to the conference websites for the conference attendees in advance of the conference. Attendees will be provided with access to the conference website to enable them to review and print any documents they desire to bring with them to the conference.

Overview of Information Needed to Submit a Proposal Online The following information must be provided during the online submission: • Abstract Title • Presentation Type o NADRAC Research Forum o Concurrent Presentation (Lecture or Workshop) o Poster Presentation • Requested Stream • Presentation Length o 10 Minutes: NADRAC Research Forum o 20 Minutes: Concurrent Presentation o 40 Minutes: Concurrent Presentation o 60 Minutes: Concurrent Presentation • Abstract Author(s) • AV Requirements • Biography of presenting author(s) Due to limited program slots, the Conference Planning Committee may determine it necessary to assign your session a format or length of time different from the one you select.

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You are also required to indicate the following within the official abstract template: Abstract An abstract of 450-500 words is required. This abstract should be concise and reflect the content of the presentation. This abstract will be used in the program handbook and website if accepted. Description of Presentation Please describe the presentation in approximately 100 words. This description will be used in the program guide. Presentation Outline Please include an outline detailing your presentation approach, including information about how you will allocate the time among topics and presenters (if more than one presenter is proposed). This outline is important in the assessment of the proposal. The outline will only be used for the purpose of reviewing your proposal. It will not be published. Are you willing to accept another session format? Please note the alternate format may be a poster presentation. Are you willing to accept a session of a different length? For example, allocation of a 20-minute session instead of a 40-minute session as requested. Are you willing to be considered to be part of a multiple presentation session? Multiple presentation sessions are 60-minute sessions in which two or three presenters are given approximately 10-15 minutes each to present their papers on a common topic, followed by 15-20 minutes of dialogue led by a discussant. Scheduling request for a particular date or time Please note the conference cannot guarantee any particular schedule requests, and will be subject to availability. List the specific program materials you will provide (if your proposal is accepted) Presenter Contact Details (for all presenters listed in the proposal)

Workshops If individuals are interested in running a workshop during the conference, please identify the theme, process for running the workshop and length of time required. There will be allocations before and after the program to run workshops.

Submission Checklist Read and understand the Abstract Submission Guidelines Create a Speakers Portal account Complete ALL questions on the online portal Submit your proposal using the official Abstract Template

Important Dates 21 February 2014

Call for Abstracts submission deadline

Mid-April 2014

Notification of submission outcomes to authors

4 July 2014

Written materials submission deadline

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Have a question or need more information? All queries should be directed to the Conference Organisers: National Mediation Conference 2014 Secretariat International Conferences & Events Pty Ltd Suite 4, Level 2, 73 Hay Street, Subiaco WA 6008, Australia Tel: +61 8 9381 9281 Fax: +61 8 9381 9560 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mediationconference.com.au

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