A personal preface: As president of the International Society for Presence Research (ISPR) and editor of ISPR Presence News, I see a ton of calls for conference submissions. There are a lot of interesting events in interesting places out there. But the presence conferences (I've been at all but the first of the 13 held since 1998) have consistently provided the most useful and enjoyable conference experiences of my career. It's the only conference I go to where I want to attend every session. If you're interested in any aspect of (tele)presence, the combination of single-track format, social events and meals together with a diverse group of unusually nice people, and especially the compelling topics, makes it something special. Please consider submitting your work and joining us this year in Philadelphia. If you have questions, concerns and/or suggestions, please let me know directly (at lombard@temple.edu). --Matthew CALL FOR PAPERS ISPR 2012 "Presence Live!" Conference International Society for Presence Research Annual Conference Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA October 24 - 26, 2012 http://ispr.info THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS NOW JULY 1, 2012 Online submission is open at: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ispr2012 INTRODUCTION -- What´s it about? Presence, short for telepresence, happens when people use technology and overlook at least part of its role in the experience: A telepresence conferencing system makes us feel as if we´re face-to-face; an online virtual world seems real; a 3D IMAX film makes us reach out to touch objects on the screen; we get `lost´ in the worlds of novels, TV shows, movies, videogames and theme park rides; doctors, engineers, explorers and many others operate machinery thousands of miles away as if they were at the remote site; students learn about the world and workers learn how to do their jobs using compelling simulations; we think of and interact with computers, agents, avatars, robots and androids as if they were living social entities even though we know they´re not; we´re delighted by perceptual illusions in everything from ancient Trompe-l´oeil paintings to modern digital art. As we expand technology´s capabilities and applications, we´re having ever more, and ever more compelling, presence experiences. -- A New Kind of Presence conference Following a series of 13 successful PRESENCE conferences, ISPR 2012 extends presence scholarship to new audiences: ISPR is teaming with Interwork Media to produce a ground-breaking event that will showcase ISPR researchers and research studies to not only a diverse academic community in communication, computer science, psychology, philosophy, the arts, business, education and other fields, but to researchers and professionals in commercial, government, educational and other industry sectors. Technology firms - hardware, software, infrastructure, services - will be encouraged to attend to contribute their findings and projects that support the goals of the conference. ISPR 2012 will retain the single-track format and pleasant social environment of previous conferences while featuring expanded presentations, workshops and hands-on demonstrations of presence applications, services and projects. TOPICS We seek original, high quality papers and demonstrations that contribute to our collective understanding of the power and breadth of presence phenomena and presence applications in any/every aspect of life. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): * Presence technologies * Mobile & ubiquitous presence * Presence applications in business * Presence applications in entertainment * Presence applications in games * Presence applications in medicine and therapy * Presence applications in the arts and humanities * Presence applications in augmented/mixed reality * Presence applications in education * Other presence applications * Presence theory * Measures of presence * Philosophical perspectives on presence * Psychological perspectives on presence * Neuropsychology of presence * The ethics of presence * Presence in the next 25 years All accepted papers will be collected in the official conference proceedings (with ISBN) and will be permanently available for download in the ISPR conference archive. We expect to have all accepted papers included in the ACM Digital Library. One or more special journal issues are likely as well. CONFERENCE FORMAT ISPR 2012 will have an interactive format in which all participants (attendees, presenters, invited speakers) attend each of the sessions as well as social events, allowing participants to exchange ideas and build knowledge together as the conference progresses. The first two days will feature hands-on demonstrations by researchers as well as technology and application vendors; keynote presentations and panels that feature research related to diverse presence applications; and short, dedicated workshops on a variety of topics designed to provide focused educational experiences on subjects related to presence technology, theory and measurement. The final day of the conference will feature additional academic presentations on additional presence-related topics. The language of the conference is English. VENUE The conference will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The birthplace of the nation, Philadelphia is a city rich in history and steeped in culture. It´s the fourth largest media and telecommunications market in the country, conveniently located between New York and Washington, D. C. (each approximately 2 hours away by train). Details about the conference site will be announced soon. ACCOMMODATIONS A free online hotel booking facility with specially discounted rates for conference attendees will be available via the ISPR web site. REGISTRATION Registration will be available online. Fees, which will include meals and social events, will be at or below those for previous ISPR PRESENCE conferences; every effort will be made to reduce fees for participating academics, and particularly for graduate students. SUBMISSIONS We invite researchers and practitioners to submit work in the categories below. Note that all submissions are to be in APA format and (with the exception of panel proposals) not identify the author(s) directly or indirectly (for blind peer review). PAPERS: Comprehensive descriptions of research or design work and/or theoretical investigation within the scope of the conference. Papers must relate to existing literature on presence and make an original contribution to it. Accepted papers will be included in the Proceedings and will be allocated time for oral presentation. SHORT PAPERS: Short papers may be up to 10 pages in APA format. Accepted papers will be included in the Proceedings and will be allocated time for oral presentation. PANELS: Sets of presentations on a single theme or topic within the scope of the conference. Submitters are encouraged to be creative regarding both the topic or theme and the format for panel proposals (formats that encourage guided discussion are particularly welcome). Panel proposals must identify and provide contact information for all proposed participants. Accepted panels will be included in the Proceedings. POSTERS: Visual display presentations. Poster proposals must describe and/or contain early drafts of the visual display. Accepted poster proposals will be published in the conference Proceedings. Posters will be displayed on an approximately 70×40 cm board during a dedicated session of the conference and will be allocated a 2 minute oral preview. DEMONSTRATIONS/EXHIBITIONS: Step-by-step audiovisual demonstrations and/or hands-on experiences of non-commercial work within the scope of the conference. Accepted demonstration/exhibition proposals will be included in the conference Proceedings and will be presented during dedicated sessions of the conference. For the exhibitions of commercial products, please contact Interwork Media for sponsorship terms and opportunities: Timothy Downs Interwork Media Inc. Office: 949-766-6785 Mobile: 949-235-8985 Email: tdowns@interworkmedia.com All submissions will be made through the EasyChair conference online submission system and will undergo a double-blind peer-review process by at least two selected reviewers. IMPORTANT DATES ** JULY 1, 2012 -- SUBMISSIONS DUE ** August 8, 2012 -- Early registration opens August 15, 2012 -- Notification of acceptance decisions September 26, 2012 -- Finished, camera-ready papers due September 30, 2012 -- Early registration closes October 24 -26, 2012 -- Conference CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Conference Chair: Matthew Lombard, President, ISPR (Temple University) The Program Committee members are prominent members of ISPR. FOR MORE INFORMATION Web site: http://ispr.info E-mail: ispr@ispr.info ABOUT ISPR The International Society for Presence Research (ISPR) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 2002 to support academic research related to the concept of (tele)presence. It publishes ISPR Presence News, which features news stories about presence; calls for participation in various presence-related conferences, publications and projects; job opportunities; and more, and is available in various formats (RSS feed; individual item and daily or weekly digest email; Twitter; Facebbok). The ISPR web site - http://ispr.info - serves as a resource for those who conduct research, develop theory, design, market, write about, or simply are interested in, the concept and phenomena of presence. We encourage your questions, contributions, comments and suggestions. Contact: ISPR 2020 N. 13th Street, Rm. 205 Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA Email: ispr@ispr.info ABOUT INTERWORK MEDIA INC. Interwork media is an information services, b2b media and consulting firm focused on emerging technology communities and offering innovative technologies to existing media practices. For our partners - publishing companies, analyst firms, trade groups - we collaborate to produce high-quality information rich media properties that deliver personalized, information-rich and interactive programs for senior management in multiple industry segments. We have a 10-year history focusing on emerging technology communities. Education and information exchange was, and is, the foundation of all of our media initiatives, be they on the web or in a live event. Contact: Interwork Media Inc. 30211 Banderas, Suite 200 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Office: 949-766-6785 Fax: 949-766-6784 Email: Tdowns@Interworkmedia.com -- Matthew Lombard, Ph.D. Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA lombard@temple.edu http://matthewlombard.com