Organize a Session | Deadline February 15, 2024
In 2024, we will have in-person sessions June 29-July 3, and one day of virtual sessions on June 27.
Organize your own session and take charge of all the details! Sessions in all areas of economics and finance are welcome. Paper submission fees are waived for all papers in organized sessions, however participants are required to register for the conference. WEAI members affiliated with a WEAI Institutional Member, and who organize a session, receive complimentary conference registration.
Organized sessions must include papers from various institutions. No more than 50% of the papers may be from the same institution. Each participant may author (or co-author) no more than two papers in the session. Proposals for workshops or roundtables should also include individuals from multiple institutions. Sessions are subject to review by a screening committee.
Please notify us of your intent to organize a session as soon as possible! Email [email protected].
Overall Responsibility
As the organizer, you have the following responsibilities:
- Maintain liaison between your participants and WEAI.
- Ensure that your session participants are well prepared and registered for the conference.
- Make sure your session participants upload completed papers by June 1.
- Keep the WEAI informed of changes to your session.
Typical Session Format
The session time allocation is one hour and 45 minutes. A typical session includes a chairperson, three to four papers, and discussants (paper presenters may serve as discussants on each others' papers). Organizers decide if discussants are assigned to specific papers or if comments will be part of the general group discussion. Other formats, such as panels or roundtables, may also be used.
Information Needed
After receiving commitments from session participants, send the following information to WEAI:
- Session title.
- In-person versus fully virtual.
- Applicable JEL topic area codes.
- Professional affiliations and e-mail addresses for all participants (including coauthors). Please indicate paper presenter with an asterisk (*).
- Paper titles (if applicable).
A fill-in session template is available, or if you have a format used for previous WEAI conferences, that is also acceptable as long as the information outlined above is included.
Please submit your session details early. Submit revised information with revisions clearly marked. All session communication is done via email to [email protected].
Once Your Session is Accepted
Invite your session participants to submit their abstracts and register for the conference before April 1 in order to be included in the first posting of the program. Papers will be added to your session as they are received into the conference system (this is a relatively new step for presenters, so they may need encouragement from you to comply). We've instituted this process in an effort to avoid last minute withdrawals causing gaps in your sessions.
instructions for organized session presenters
Conference Format
The format is intended to promote active involvement by all attendees — most of the economists attending will be on the program. In addition to the keynote sessions, the program consists of small discussion groups meeting concurrently. Including program participants, session attendance may range from 6 to 60, depending on the time of day and the topic’s popularity, etc. However, the most fruitful discussions often occur among small groups of interested individuals. Your session can benefit by inviting experts besides those on the program to attend.
Registration Fees
All attendees are asked to pay the conference registration fee. Papers will only be released to be added to your organized session after the primary presenter is registered to attend. Please inform prospective participants that they are responsible for their own expenses. Organized session participants may register at the member rate even if they are nonmembers, but are cordially invited to join the Association. Registration fees are the same whether in-person or virtual.
Session organizers receive complimentary conference registration if (i) they are a current WEAI member, (ii) they are affiliated with a current Institutional Member, (iii) they organize a session in which at least three participants pay the usual registration fee, and (iv) everyone in the session registers by the deadline.
Dates to Remember
- February 15: Session information is due to WEAI.
- April 1: Deadline for program participants to register and submit abstracts in order to be included in first program draft.
- April 15: Deadline to take advantage of early registration discount (fees go up April 16 and late fee goes into effect May 16).
- May 15: Last chance for program changes to be included in printed program.
- June 1: Verify that complete papers have been uploaded by presenters and session participants have access.
Waiver of Journal Manuscript Submission Fees
WEAI members can submit their conference papers to either Economic Inquiry or Contemporary Economic Policy without paying the usual manuscript submission fee provided the manuscripts reach the editors within six months after the conference.