SIOP 2021 Conference Planning Underway

For 35 years, the SIOP Annual Conference has brought together thousands of I-O psychology practitioners, educators, and students from around the world to network, share knowledge, and form lifelong professional connections and friendships. As COVID-19 has shown us, we never know what challenges are ahead, but SIOP is committed to continuing this valuable tradition of convening and “moving forward,” as President Georgia Chao has envisioned.

The SIOP 2021 conference committee, led by Conference Chair Whitney Botsford Morgan and Program Chair Emily Solberg, has begun planning for next year’s conference, which is scheduled for April 15-17 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

The Conference Committee is reviewing lessons learned from the 2020 Virtual Conference, diligently monitoring the public health crisis and economic effects, and re-imagining the structure and design of the Annual Conference to meet the needs of our membership.

There is much to consider, and many details are not yet decided. What is certain is that SIOP will host a conference that offers the high-quality, peer-reviewed content; diversity of perspectives and topic areas; and blend of science and practice that members have come to expect and value.

Botsford Morgan added that the current presidential theme of moving forward, which includes how I-O psychology should respond to the effects the pandemic may leave us with in terms of new and permanent changes in many jobs and organizations, as well as how I-O psychology should address racism at work, will be integrated into the conference. SIOP’s emphasis on diversity and inclusion as advanced during the last presidential year will also be part of the conference.

The Conference Committee will continue to meet regularly virtually, as well as gather in New Orleans in January for onsite planning. It is important to the Conference and Program Committees that they keep the membership apprised of progress and decisions, so they will regularly share updates on conference planning through various SIOP outlets, including Newsbriefs and email. Committee chairs anticipate being able to share a description of the vision for the 2021 conference experience around the time of the release of the Call for Proposals, which will occur in mid-August, and the subsequent deadline for conference submissions, which is planned for mid-October to allow additional time for members to complete research and prepare submissions. The committees will be interested in reactions and feedback from members after this vision is shared.