Kia ora iPRES Enthusiasts!
Message from the Conference Chairs
March is here, bringing with it a change of seasons. Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, the days are getting shorter and cooler, but for many of you in other parts of the world it will be the reverse. The arrival of March also means there is just one month left for the Call for Contributions for peer-reviewed content. Full Papers, Short Papers, Workshops, Tutorials, Panels, and Poster submissions are all due 14 April, End of day, Anywhere on Earth (AoE).
We hope to see as many of you in person as possible in Wellington, and firmly believe that gathering together and supporting each other as a digital preservation community is invaluable. The Local Organising Committee is working to ensure that there will be an array of professional networking and social opportunities to engage with one another in Wellington around the conference.
That said, we recognise that many people across the globe are experiencing disruption and uncertainty at the moment, and that it may be challenging to plan for travel. We’ve received a number of questions about whether submissions for virtual presentations will be considered, or whether presenters need to be able to attend the conference in-person.
iPRES 2025 will be a hybrid conference experience. We strongly encourage on-site participation for those presenting on the programme to maximise engagement between presenters and attendees, but remote presentation opportunities will be available as well. We are keen to see submissions from around the world, particularly from communities that have previously been underrepresented at iPRES conferences.
Our focus first and foremost is on the quality of the content and relevance of the submission to the conference themes. Upon acceptance of a submission, we will work with authors to confirm the mode of presentation. The logistics and structure of remote and hybrid offerings will be determined by the quantities and types of submissions that are accepted. We are working hard to make it as time-zone friendly as possible for those who can’t be with us in person in Wellington, and will provide more information about our virtual programming ahead of registration opening in June.
But trust us, if there is one conference you want to make the effort to attend in person this year, this is it! Aotearoa New Zealand is like nowhere else on earth, and we know you’ll love it here as much as we do!
One of the things that has been most enjoyable so far is hearing directly from the iPRES Community about your ideas and aspirations for iPRES 2025! Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions or ideas - we can’t wait to see your submissions!
– Andrea Goethals (Conference Chair); Valerie Love, Jan Hutař, and Martin Gengenbach (Conference Vice-Chairs)
New Submission Resources and Information
In response to your questions and feedback, we’ve compiled additional resources to support conference submissions:
Informal Submission ideas spreadsheet
To help potential authors to workshop ideas or connect with one another, we have put together a Google spreadsheet that can be used as an informal tool by the iPRES Community. The spreadsheet aims to help connect individuals who might be seeking ideas, feedback, or potential collaborators for their proposals. The spreadsheet is not actively monitored by the iPRES 2025 Programme Committee, or part of the official submission process. Any use of the spreadsheet, or contact with other potential iPRES participants, needs to abide by the iPRES 2025 Code of Conduct.
Call for Contribution drop-in sessions
We are holding a series of Call for Contribution drop-in sessions over March, where you can ask questions directly to members of the Programme Committee.
Online Event | Date and Time | Region |
Session 1 (already held) | 5 March 2025, 10:00 - 10:30 NZT (UTC +13) |
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Session 2 (already held) | 12 March 2025, 14:00 - 15:00 NZT (UTC +13) 12 March 2025, 12:00 - 13:00 AEDT (UTC +11) 12 March 2025, 9:00 - 10:00 CST (UTC +8) |
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13 March 2025, 15:00-16:00 UTC/GMT 13 March 2025, 16:00-17:00 CET (UTC+1) 13 March 2025, 11:00-12:00 EDT (UTC-4) 13 March 2025, 8:00-9:00 PDT (UTC-4) |
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18 March 2025, 14:00-15:00 UTC/GMT 18 March 2025, 15:00-16:00 CET (UTC+1) 18 March 2025, 10:00-11:00 EDT (UTC-4) |
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20 March 2025, 11:00- 12:00 NZT (UTC +13) 20 March 2025, 9:00- 10:00 AEDT (UTC +13) 19 March 2025, 18:00 - 19:00 EDT (UTC-4) 19 March 2025, 15:00 - 16:00 PDT (UTC-7) |
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Submission FAQs
We’ve had a few questions about the submission process, and possibilities for remote/virtual presentations. Check out the new submission FAQ page on the iPRES website, and don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions that aren’t addressed here. You can reach the organising team directly at info@ipres2025.nz
Detailed information on types of submissions, conference themes, and submission instructions, including the templates to use, are available on the iPRES website at https://www.ipres2025.nz/call-for-contributions.
Travel Information and Flight Discounts
iPRES 2025 is working with airlines to offer flight discounts for iPRES conference attendees.
We are pleased to announce that we have secured special rates for iPRES attendees with both Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific airlines, and are currently working to bring other airlines on board (excuse the pun!)
Check out our website for new resources on travel to Aotearoa New Zealand, flight discounts and air travel information, getting around Wellington, and accommodation options.
Kindred and Co-located Events
A number of related events and meetups are being planned in Wellington around the conference to allow in-person iPRES attendees maximum impact and engagement, as well as the chance for us to celebrate World Digital Preservation Day on 6 November 2025 together!
We have reserved a small number of meeting rooms that can be made available for groups to use. If you would be interested in holding a kindred event at iPRES 2025 in Wellington, please get in touch! We have some great events in the works already, and will be sharing more information about those soon.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We have also launched our sponsorship prospectus and available packages. There are options for both virtual and in-person sponsorship, including bursary scholarships to support attendees, keynote speakers, and more! Partnering with us at iPRES 2025 is a great opportunity to showcase your organisation’s products and services to local and global audiences, and showing your commitment to preserving significant digital heritage for generations to come. Don’t miss out on being part of iPRES 2025!
For more information, contact us directly or visit our website at https://www.ipres2025.nz/sponsorship.
Staying up to date with iPRES!
If you have been forwarded this email, do subscribe to the iPRES Interest mailing list at https://bit.ly/ipres-interest.
Have a read through our previous newsletters on the website, or check out the news section of the website with latest blog posts as well.
You can also follow official iPRES 2025 accounts on social media on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, and YouTube, or follow the hashtag, #iPRES2025.
Stay tuned for the April newsletter which will include more information about our sustainability efforts, and other digital preservation events happening in Wellington around iPRES that we know you won’t want to miss!
Whakatauki / Māori proverb
Ko te pae tawhiti, whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.
Seek out distant horizons and cherish those you reach.
Ngā manaakitanga / With best wishes,
The Wellington Local Organising Committee and Committee Chairs:
Andrea Goethals, Angela Puggioni, Blanche Joslin, Carly Lenz, Cynthia Wu, Dale Cousens, Olga Holownia, Jan Hutař, Joshua Ng, Martin Gengenbach, Nicola Caldwell, and Valerie Love