Play the Game 2009 Call for papers

A growing number of stakeholders realise that sport cannot satisfy itself by becoming successful as a global entertainment industry. On the contrary, commercial success is sometimes accompanied by serious threats to the core values and credibility of sport as a driver of social, cultural and educational progress.

In order to identify the challenges and solutions to sport and stimulate creative thinking in a time of world financial crisis, Play the Game calls upon internationally leading experts to contribute with expertise and experience to our sixth world communication conference on sport and society, in Coventry, United Kingdom, from 8 to 12 June 2009.

As an academic, journalist or sports practitioner your contribution is vital because:

Academics can play a key role by bringing comprehensive data, scientific methods and analytical skills into the process.

Journalists have a special responsibility, partly because the media are an integral part of the environment of sport, and partly because the media strongly influence which issues that are raised in public and which that are not.

Sports practitioners must balance a series of demands, some of which are crucial for the credibility of sport. Not only are they expected to provide economic growth, increased membership and bigger audiences, they must also guarantee ethical governance, strict anti-doping measures and social responsibility.

We call upon leading stakeholders in sport to contribute with your expertise and experience to this unique and independent forum for sports debate, and take part in Visions of sport in times of crisis

Please submit an abstract/storyline with relevance to one of these main themes:

• Ethics in governance: Will sports federations come clean?
• Between Beijing and London: Mega-events as drivers of development
• Business battles: The power struggles in football
• Match-fixing: A blow to the core of sport
• Terrible teenagers? Sport’s quest for the hearts and minds of the youth
• Anti-Doping: Will the technological arms race come to an end?
• Paralympic athletes: More different than the rest?
• Sport for the Good: What is it good for?
• Open forum

Please visit www.playthegame.org/2009 for more information about Play the Game and fill in the online abstract and registration form.

Abstracts/Storylines will be peer reviewed by leading academics, journalists and practitioners in the Programme Committee in cooperation with the secretariat.

Selected speakers will be given a minimum 15 minute time slot for an oral presentation in parallel sessions (Open Forum min. 10 minutes), and some may be picked out for plenary sessions. 

International launch of research projects
If you are preparing a major research project or a campaign, why not use Play the Game 2009 to launch the project internationally?

Play the Game expects the participation of more than 100 journalists representing media across the globe and is an ideal platform for reaching a worldwide audience and building lasting working relations.

Please contact Play the Game’s director Jens Sejer Andersen (jens@playthgame.org) to discuss how coordinated action can be taken.

Submission deadline
The deadline for submission of abstracts/storylines is Monday 16 February 2009.

Notification of approval of abstracts will be sent by email in the first half of March.

Please note that registration price for abstract submitters will be calculated as of the day of the abstract submission. The earlier you submit the abstract, the cheaper the conference participation.

Approved speakers are entitled to a 15 percent discount on the registration fee.

Conference package and fee
The conference package includes:

• Full participation in the conference programme
• Social and cultural events including Warwickshire Tour and Gala Banquet
• All conference materials
• 4 x lunch  -  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
• 3 x dinner – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (Gala Banquet)
• Coffee breaks etc.

For participants who sign up until 31 January 2009, the conferencefees are as follows:

• Full 5-day conference fee 540 GBP.
• Or for shorter stays, participation per day 200 GBP

For later registrations, prices will go up – please see our prices and registration section at www.playthegame.org/2009

Discount for speakers, freelancers and students
Speakers will enjoy a 15 percent discount on the conference fee and consequently get the total five-day conference package for only 455 GBP if registering before 31 January.

The discount will also apply on conference packages of lesser duration and is also valid for students and freelancers.

Read more about registration and abstract submission at www.playthegame.org/2009

We thank you in advance for any help in distributing this message to friends, colleagues and others that share the goals of Play the Game: To promote democracy, transparency and freedom of expression world sport.

Play the Game 2009 is hosted by Coventry University and supported by Advantage West Midlands. We all look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Coventry!