Interested in hosting a WHA conference? | World History Association

Interested in hosting a
World History Association conference?

The World History Association has organized annual conferences for many years, with 2027 marking our 36th annual gathering.

We are a small organization with only one paid staff member. We operate with a very tight budget. Consequently we are exceptionally careful when selecting conference sites and in managing our costs.

For this reason and based on our awareness of the complexity of organizing a conference, we have developed a fairly detailed list of questions for prospective partners interested in hosting one of our conferences. We are very grateful for your interest and appreciate your enthusiasm for bringing a world history conference to your campus. We know that it is important to clarify both the motivations and goals behind hosting, as well as to identify the resources available to support what is a significant commitment to collaboratively plan and execute a successful conference.

We offer this document to give you some sense of the questions that we are eager to discuss with you as we explore the possibility of collaborating on a conference. Please know that this list of questions is intended to ensure clarity and transparency about the typical needs for our annual conference.

--World History Association Executive Board

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A1. Why do you wish to host a World History Association conference? What goals do you and your institution hope to achieve?

A2. What does a successful conference look like to you and your institution? What would you hope it accomplishes—locally as well as globally?

A3: In your view, what does your institution and your team intend to contribute to the planning, staging, and hosting of the World History Association’s annual conference?

A4: Is your institution enthusiastic about hosting big events? What has been its past experience hosting big conferences or convenings? What were they most proud of at the conclusion of these events? What did they think could have been improved?

A5: It’s the hope of the World History Association that we could host a conference with approximately 400 people in attendance. Would that be manageable at your institution?

A6: Our conference dates are typically toward the end of June each year. Are there any events at your institution that overlap with those dates?

A7: Our conferences typically take place on EITHER/BOTH weekend days (Saturdays or Sundays) and weekdays. Is your building(s) open and accessible on weekends? What are the hours that the building(s) is accessible Monday through Friday as well as Saturday and/or Sunday?

A8: Are there other local institutions and/or organizations who you would be interested in inviting to also partner on this conference? Please identify them and explain how you see their roles.

A9: Are there local institutions (e.g.—other universities in the region or book publishers or potential exhibitors) who you would be willing to invite as participants or attendees at this conference?

A. Overall goals and rationale for hosting a WHA conference

B. The conference team at your institution

B1. Who would be the lead/point person from your institution who would be responsible for all aspects of the conference? Can you please describe their administrative / organizational experience? Their workload? Would they have ample time to fulfill this role? How many hours per week do they have available to devote to this conference and its planning? Do they have course release time and/or administrative support? Do they have the ability to manage multiple constituencies within the host institution’s administration and bureaucracy? Do they have the ability/authority to make independent decisions? Please respond with some detail here.

B2. Will your institution be able to provide 24/7 wraparound IT (technology) services on site throughout the duration of the conference? What would the staffing look like?

B3. Will your institution be able to provide staffing that would enable 24/7 accessibility to outside doors, meeting room doors, and other spaces to be used on site throughout the duration of the conference?

B4: Are there staff at your institution who are available to rearrange furniture and/or walls as needed to configure rooms to meet the needs of the conference? Who are they?

B5: Will the host venue be able to provide volunteer staff to assist with setup, registration, checking of badges, and breakdown of the conference? Where would those volunteers come from? What expectations/requirements might they have?

C. Facilities to be used at your institution during the conference

C1. We would be interested in learning about the availability of the following facilities:

At least 8 classroom-type spaces of varying configurations equipped with projection systems

Spaces to host coffee breaks and catered lunches?

An open/flexible area with tables for exhibitors?

An auditorium or large lecture hall (seating between 275-400)?

A space for a banquet dinner/opening or closing ceremony (with 275+ guests)?

Storage and an area for storage/prep and receipt and storage of packages shipped to the venue for the conference?

A registration space near the entry to the building used for the bulk of the conference?

An exhibition/artifact space and/or lounge-like space for people to meet and mingle?

C2. Is every room to be used for presentations equipped with reliable WiFi, computer connections, ample wires to connect laptops, and projection / sound systems? Would it be possible to provide in advance of the conference details about connections, how to log on to the system in each space, etc.?

C3. Can your institution print in-house and install signage as needed for the conference?

C4. How does your institution accommodate elderly/disabled folks and others with mobility challenges? Are there ramps/elevators/alternatives to steps?

C5. For large sessions, we often need podiums and microphones. Who at your institution is responsible for providing these? Would they be able to set them up and remove them throughout the duration of the conference?

D. Costs, contracts, agreements

D1. What costs are the host willing to pay as part of hosting the conference? In our experience, hosts often incur up to US $20,000 (as of 2026) in costs, paid for through institutional allocations and/or outside grants or funders. Is this possible for your institution?

D2. Who will be able to negotiate and sign contracts with vendors on behalf of your institution?

D3. Are there local or national organizations that offer grant funding that might be solicited to provide funding for the conference?

D4. What sort of insurance would be required from the WHA to hold its annual conference at your institution? Please describe liability requirements, etc. Would we be required to use a particular insurer?

E. Proximity to facilities used as part of the conference

E1. Can your institution provide buses / shuttles? What size are the buses / shuttles? What is the approximate cost involved?

E2. Are you within a 5-minute walk of public transportation? Buses? Trams? Subways? Please describe.

E3. Exactly how far is your site from lodging(s) for conference attendees? Is the nearby lodging(s) high quality? What is the maximum number of guest rooms available? Are there a range of variously priced options nearby?

E4. Are there any options for student housing (e.g.—dormitory space)? If so, how much is available and what is the approximate cost per room per night?

E5. Exactly how close by are offsite coffee and food options? Can you be specific?

E6. Are there opportunities for good, rewarding excursions, particularly with historical or cultural relevance, within a reasonable distance that would appeal to attendees? Can you give some examples/suggestions? Would these excursions be arranged by you as the local host or contracted through a third party? Who would be responsible for handling details about contracts, minimum numbers of participants, registration? Is there any risk/exposure (financial or logistical) for the WHA or is this borne by local hosts OR by a third party?

F. Food options and alcohol on campus

F1. Does your institution offer catering? What options are offered? What days (weekdays/weekends) and hours are available? How far in advance would we need to commit to a number of attendees?

F2. Are there restrictions about bringing in outside caterers or food providers onto campus?

F3. What is your institution’s policy about alcohol offered at campus events? Would we be required to hire a licensed bartender?

We recognize that this document contains many questions. We hope you will consider them and we look forward to discussing them with you in a future conversation. Thanks for your interest in hosting a WHA conference.