An important event for the IAME is its annual conference, with the host organization and location changing each year. The conference was held in Mombasa, Kenya in 2018, followed by Athens, Greece in 2019. In 2020, it took place online and was organized in Hong Kong. The 2021 edition was hosted in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, then Busan, Korea in 2022, Long Beach, U.S.A. in 2023, and Valencia, Spain in 2024. In 2025, the annual conference is being held in Bergen, Norway, and in 2026, it will take place in Singapore.

This event provides an excellent opportunity for the exchange of recent research; meet up with old friends and colleagues; and is a particularly valuable event for young researchers and students as it provides the opportunity to interact with more senior and experienced researchers and practitioners.

Conference hosts are members of the IAME and although host institutions are generally universities this is not a requirement of the Association – the conference host can be a university, a government department or an alliance of organizations operating in related areas. The IAME conference held in Panama in 2002, for example, was jointly hosted by UNECLAC and the Panama Canal Authority.

Members interested in hosting a conference should prepare a proposal which will be assessed by the IAME Council. Guidelines for the preparation of a proposal can be obtained from the IAME Secretariat. The Council meets annually and it has been the Council’s practice to receive and assess proposals at that time. Hosting and organizing a conference is a time consuming and demanding task and it is recommended that organizers allow two years for the preparation, organization and staging of a conference. For further information please contact the Secretariat or the President.

ANNEX 1: CONTENTS TEMPLATE FOR BIDDING PROPOSALS

ANNEX 2: THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND FRAMEWORK FOR IAME ANNUAL
CONFERENCE BIDS

Guidelines for the preparation of IAME’s annual conferences