The Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), a joint initiative of the Scientific Committee for Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), invites bids from institutes nominating to host the SOOS Symposium 2027.
In 2023, SOOS hosted its inaugural SOOS Symposium, the first large international conference of SOOS. Following the success of the SOOS Symposium 2023, SOOS would like to convene a second SOOS Symposium in 2027.
The symposium will be a five-day, multi-parallel (3) session meeting, preceded by one to two days of workshops engaging the broader Southern Ocean community (including industry, researchers, managers, and policy-makers) to discuss the enhanced collection and delivery of essential observations from the Southern Ocean.
This meeting will deliver into the EU Horizon project, SYNCHRONY, facilitate the objectives of Antarctica InSync, the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the UN Decade for Cryospheric Sciences, and planning for the International Polar Year (2032-33). The symposium is expected to attract between 400 to 500 delegates from around the world.
Except for the potential enhanced capacity to incorporate virtual participation, the SOOS Symposium 2027 is likely to follow a similar format to the SOOS Symposium 2023, which was held in Hobart, Australia. The SOOS Symposium had 300 attendees engaged in 24 plenary presentations, 154 oral sessions, 10 workshop presentations, 57 poster presentations , and poster session, an early career networking event, early career mentoring program, and a symposium dinner (seethe SOOS Symposium 2023 booklet and SOOS Symposium Final Report for further details).
See below for details that host bids should include.
Bids should be submitted to the SOOS Executive Officer, Alyce Hancock ( hancock@soos.aq), by 31st July 2026.
All prospective bid hosts are encouraged to contact the SOOS Executive Officer, Alyce Hancock (hancock@soos.aq) regarding the bid and requirements for the SOOS Symposium 2027.
Bids to host the SOOS Symposium 2027 should include the following details:
- Local hosts and organising committee, including organisations and individuals who will serve as local hosts, and the expected level of local support and associated funding.
- Suitable Symposium venue optionsto host 500 attendees, conduct plenary presentations and 3 parallel sessions as well as side-meeting options (either at the venue or nearby institute). Ideally, additional capacity to facilitate some/all virtual attendance to the symposium.
- Travel and accommodation options including travel options to the meeting host city (via air, train, bus etc.), variety of accommodation options to suit various budgets, VISA/other entry requirements to the host country and any other travel considerations that should be considered.
- Environmental footprintsteps that can be taken to minimise the environmental footprint of the symposium.
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