Conference Dates: September 23 & 24, 2021
Location: Washington, D.C. + Virtual

DEADLINES:
May 14, 2021 – Submission deadline
June 4, 2021 – Notifications

What’s New in 2021:

  • The 2021 IPR Bridge Conference will be a hybrid conference in 2021, with an option of attending either in-person or virtual. We encourage speakers/panelists to attend in-person.
  • We will keep all participants updated about any COVID-19 related changes with the safety of our attendees in mind. We will be following CDC guidelines and Georgetown University requirements.
  • More interactive, networking sessions, and extended discussion times.
  • A new event management platform Cvent will offer a one-stop-shop for conference information, including registration, and an attendee hub to maximize networking potential. 

IPR is hosting the fourth annual IPR Bridge—Public Relations and Communication HYBRID Conference, the original two-day conference geared toward both public relations and communication practitioners and academics.

The IPR Bridge allows academics to learn from senior-level executives, while having an opportunity to present their research at a peer-reviewed conference. Mid-to-senior-level executives can share their experiences with academics and learn about the latest in public relations and communications research. A key feature of this conference is the opportunity to network and interact with top leaders in both the practice and the academy in a small setting (max of 125 attendees – in-person numbers may be smaller in 2021 due to COVID-19). The conference includes keynote sessions, research paper programs and panels, networking events with refreshments, and a social.

The IPR Bridge is seeking papers, panels, and expert presentations related to research that matters to the profession.™ Academic research presentations must be evidence-based and relevant to the profession. Senior-level executives will present case studies, evidence-based research, and other topics that would be beneficial to both an academic and practitioner audience. Top presentations will be invited to submit to a special issue of the open access, peer-reviewed Public Relations Journal.

TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS: PAPER ABSTRACTS, EXPERT PRESENTATIONS, & PANELS

Paper Abstracts
All research paper abstracts are peer-reviewed. Below are general instructions for submitting research abstracts:

  • Paper abstracts should include insight into the appropriate literature, methodology description, and address how the research matters to the profession.
  • All abstracts must include a title page in the same document as the abstract with author(s), affiliation(s), title(s), and contact information (including Twitter handle). All authors and co-authors must be listed on the title page with contact information included. Other than on the title page, the abstract should not reveal the author’s names or affiliations for the peer review.

Expert Presentations
Those who have an area of expertise in the field can submit a proposal to present at the conference in a TED-style format. Topics should be focused on a specific area and should be related to the profession. Research should be on the basis of the expert presentation and include the “so what” for attendees at the conference. Submissions should include a tentative title, a short description of the session (fewer than 100 words), and bullet points of the session takeaways.

Panels
Panel proposals should address research and topics that matter to the profession. The panel proposal submitted should include the following: Title, Panelists with their affiliation (including a moderator and no more than three panelists), and a brief description of the panel (300 to 500 words). Please include the contact information of all the panelists.

All submissions are due by midnight EST on May 14, 2021. Please email one copy of the paper abstract/proposal in a PDF document at thebridge@instituteforpr.org. You will receive a submission receipt via email. Please indicate if you are submitting a research paper, expert presentation, or panel in the subject of your email. Authors of accepted submissions must agree to attend and present at the IPR Bridge Conference Sept. 23-24.

Important:
Due to the nature of the conference, all speakers/panelists must register for the conference. We do encourage participants to stay the whole time to encourage more interactive discussions.  We hope the format of the conference allows for rich discussions and engagement among all attendees.

CONFERENCE RATES:

Speaker Rate: Before July 15: $395 | After July 15: $495
In-person Attendee (Non-Speaker) Rate: Before July 15: $495 | After July 15: $595
Virtual attendee (Non-Speaker) Rate: Before July 15: $195 | After July 15: $295

Please note that speakers should plan to present in-person. If the conference moves to virtual, then a partial refund will be given.

For additional information or inquiries regarding submissions, please email  thebridge@instituteforpr.org

Special Thanks To: