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In conjunction with ICA's 75^th Annual Conference on 12-16 June 2025 in Denver, Colorado (USA), we welcome proposals for ICA Regional Hubs worldwide to host events concurrent with the annual ICA conference. The deadline for submission is 30 August 2024.

Link to Submit: https://www.icahdq.org/page/regionalhub 

While there is no substitute for an in-person experience at an ICA conference, we recognize that a significant and growing proportion of current and potential ICA membership resides in the Global South, making travel to in-person attendance inaccessible due to fiscal, political, environmental, health, and other hurdles.

In response to these concerns, ICA's Regional Hubs Initiative offers a window into ICA - its community and scholarship. The Regional Hubs also provide communication scholars in various Regions around the world an opportunity to foster community and build intellectual networks. It reflects ICA's commitment to welcome and support a broader global community of communication scholars. Since its inception at the virtual ICA 2021 and continuing at the hybrid conferences in ICA22, ICA23, and ICA24, each year, we have hosted around 10 ICA Regional Hubs.

Regional Hubs host sessions for regional submissions, with some Hubs receiving over 100 submissions, from which some were selected for oral presentation and others for posters. Most of the Hubs hosted themed workshops and invited lectures from local and global scholars, including some who joined from other Regional Hubs and others from the main ICA Conference location . Some Hubs live-streamed presentations and sessions from the primary conference location (Paris in 2022, Toronto in 2023, Gold Coast in 2024) and organized local panels to facilitate discussion around them. A few organized Blue Sky workshops or workshops on special topics such as scholarly publishing, submitting grants, and scholarship applications. Some Hubs live-streamed their locally-originated events on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube and often garnered considerable local media coverage. In some cases, the Hubs hosted those presenting papers selected for the ICA conference remotely from their locations. Finally, after the selection of Hubs, some Hubs collaborated on organizing joint Hub-to-Hub sessions.

In support of this initiative, ICA provides the opportunity to apply for modest financial support to host a Regional Hub. For instance, a university may want to propose a Regional Hub and invite the participation of local attendees from a city, region or country. Hosts are also encouraged to secure additional funding to complement support from ICA. In some cases, Regional Hubs have been self-sufficient and have not requested any funding from ICA. While we welcome proposals from such Hubs, they are also required to submit an application and be officially selected and approved as an ICA Regional Hub.

Organizers of a proposed Hub should nominate one person to fill out the application and serve as the sole point of contact for ICA headquarters. This person should, before filling out the application, ascertain how many attendees (a count of those in person, as well as a count of those joining virtually) they anticipate inviting to take part in their hub experience, obtain permission from the facility in question, and include estimated expenses for both in their proposal.

A potential Hub proposal might, for example, request funding for:

• Rental fees for tech and WiFi support for the Regional Hub venue.
• Funding for food & beverage for up to five days during the ICA conference.
• Rental fees for conference facilities for up to five days during the ICA conference.
• Funding for printing of banners, posters, and other promotional materials at the venue and via social media. ICA will provide officially approved signage to be used by hosts of the local Regional Hub. All additional signage and promotional materials used by a Regional Hub must be pre-approved by ICA.
• Funding for the preparation of name badges, program materials, and certificates of attendance for participants if deemed necessary.
• The estimated number of in-person and virtual attendees you anticipate.
• We discourage submitting expenses for attendee travel or speaker fees/honoraria, as part of your budget request to ICA.

You should base your application on YOUR proposed Hub's specific needs. Any funding awarded from ICA headquarters will be given directly to the Hub organizer, not to individual attendees of that Hub. To apply to host a Regional Hub, your application must meet ALL of the following FIVE requirements:

1. You have at your disposal a moderately sized conference venue, such as a university classroom with wifi capabilities plus a place to congregate for meals, AND
2. You as host are a current member of ICA in good standing (or your university is an institutional member of ICA), AND
3. You are in a part of the world where you can gather safely in small groups without putting others at risk related to health or other security issues (we do not want to encourage activities that will endanger the health or safety of our members and attendees).
4. Your event will be held for two or more days that are contemporaneous with the main ICA Conference in Denver.
5. At least ONE of the following three criteria must also be met:
   • Your attendees are economically disadvantaged, as a result of systemic access issues, as members of an ethnic, religious, or linguistic minority (a group that is numerically non-dominant), or an otherwise equity-seeking group in your country of residence (regardless of tier).
   • Your attendees currently reside in a Tier B or C country. Developing/transitional countries are identified annually by the United Nations. Potential applicants should check this country tier chart to determine whether they are eligible under this criterion. Note that ICA determines eligibility based on country of residence, not of country of origin.
   • Health, economic, and/or political barriers (or other concerns such as visa issues) prevent your attendees from attending ICA in person. (Concerns about health risks associated with travel or the inability to obtain a visa for entry to the host country are valid reasons for proposing a Hub.)

Decisions on Regional Hub proposals will be conveyed to the Regional Hub organizers no later than 9 September, 2024. Those selected will also be made aware of other selected Hubs so that they can plan joint Hub-to-Hub events.

Registration for Hub attendees.

Details on the procedures for Hub attendees to register will be communicated by ICA member services staff to approved Regional Hub organizers in early 2025. Hub attendees (who attend the Hub physically, in person) will receive a free remote conference registration for ICA25. Each attendee who attends a Regional Hub MUST register individually for the ICA conference as usual. The Hub does not bypass individual registration requirements; it merely provides a free option by which communities of scholars in a regional location can come together to experience the ICA conference.

Following ICA25, Hub attendees who correctly registered for ICA25 and who are NEW to ICA membership (renewing members are ineligible) will be provided the opportunity to apply for a free ICA membership for the 2025-2026 ICA membership term; they will pay dues only for their division and interest group selections. The application period for this will be open for one month, beginning mid-July.

The Regional Endeavors, Affiliate Conferences, & Hubs Committee (REACH)--chaired this year by ICA Past President Mary Beth Oliver (Penn State U)--will review the applications provided through the online application form.

NOTE: Those who are approved to host a Hub for ICA25 will receive their grants before the conference, once they have submitted the appropriate materials below:

1. A letter confirming their understanding of the requirements, with confirmation of the venue's willingness to host the event
2. names of all attendees planned for the Hub (all must be registered)
3. revised (if necessary) final budget for how all ICA-awarded funds will be used
4. receipts for catering or wifi arrangements made in advance

AFTER the conclusion of the Regional Hub event, a final report must be submitted, within 4 weeks of the conclusion of the Regional Hub, via an online link provided by ICA. It must include:

(i) A revised and updated budget with all receipts accounting for the use of all funds. Financial (or in-kind) support for this Regional Hub from other sources outside of ICA.

(ii) Proof of attendance for participants including number of attendees daily and over the duration of the Hub; remote locations (i.e. city, region, etc.) from where people joined virtually.

(iii) Details about the venue (e.g. size, capacity) and technologies (e.g. video conferencing, video) used for the event.

(iv) A summary of various events and activities carried out during the Hub including a copy of the daily agenda of events including details about locally originated events, Blue sky and themed workshops, events streamed to and from the main ICA conference, and events co-organized with other Hubs. The names and titles of special workshops and panels locally organized, as well as distinguished speakers and panelists from academic, government and industry.

(v) photos and videos of the activities carried out in the Regional Hub including group photos and videos displaying the ICA25 posters and signage used during the event;

(vi) links to links to social media and websites used to promote and publicize the events at the Regional Hub;

(v) summary and links to media coverage of the Regional Hub;

If you have any questions or concerns about Hubs, please contact ICA Past President Noshir Contractor via What's App or WeChat (+1 217 390 6270), and/or REACH Chair, Mary Beth Oliver at mbo@psu.edu. Please fill out the form below by 30 August 2024.

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Tom Mankowski
ICA
Washington DC
United States
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