Call for Papers to Play the Game 2011

Call for Papers to

Play the Game 2011
- Bringing change to the heart of sport

German Sport University Cologne, 3-6 October 2011

Few sectors in society can claim as resounding a global success as sport. Over the past three decades, sport has expanded its outreach, its economy and its societal influence in ways few would have dreamed of seeing.

But success has a downside. Doping, corruption, match fixing, political abuse, and failure to mobilise ordinary people are among the factors that threaten the core values of sport.

Change is needed for sport to maintain a positive role in society. But what kind of change should that be, and where should it lead us?

For the seventh time Play the Game invites you to engage in open, fact-based and constructive debates on a number of themes that are essential to the future of sport.

The German Sport University Cologne will host Play the Game 2011 from 3-6 October and we welcome you to join this unique forum for independent thinking and dialogue on sport.

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

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 sporting environment, and partly because the media have a strong influence on which issues are raised in public and which that are not.

Sports practitioners must balance a series of demands: Not only are they expected to provide economic growth, and increase membership and audiences, they must also guarantee ethical governance, strict anti-doping measures and social responsibility.

We invite you to share your expertise and experience with leading stakeholders by submitting an abstract/storyline with relevance to one of these main themes:

- Outside Threats, Inside Traps: Countering Corruption in Sport
- Chasing the White Elephants: Mega-events for the Public Good
- Fair Play, Fair Pay? Creating Growth in Grass-root Sport
- Crime and Credibility: Advancing Anti-Doping Strategies
- Little Difference, Huge Impact: The Gender Challenge to Sport
- The Power of the Chip: How Technology Changes the Landscape of Sport

More on the conference themes

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 timeslot to present their papers orally in parallel sessions and some may be chosen to present in plenary sessions.
 
Open Forum
An Open Forum is also available to speakers:

• who address issues not covered by the main themes
• whose abstracts are not accepted in the peer review process
• who offer interventions/investigations of a more personal character
• who submit last-minute registrations

In the Open Forum, speakers are given a seven minute timeslot to present their main points.

Submit an abstract
The abstract submission is administered by our partners at German Sport University Cologne.

Please click here to go to the abstract submission page.

International launch of research projects
If you are preparing a major research project or a campaign, why not use Play the Game 2011 to launch your 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 International 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 11 April 2011.

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

Please note that the registration price for abstract submitters will be calculated as of the day of the abstract submission.

More on conference prices

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

Play the Game 2011 is hosted by German Sport University Cologne. We all look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Cologne!