CAP 2016 Opens Registration and Submission of Abstracts

This announcement is posted on behalf of Oana Sandu (European Southern Observatory) and Sze-leung Cheung (International Astronomical Union) and is adapted from IAU Announcement 15039:

From 16 to 20 May 2016, Colombia will host the 2016 Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP 2016) conference in the city of Medellín. Professional communicators, research astronomers, press officers, science journalists, and facilitators engaging different audiences with science and technology will be exchanging views and experiences during the five-day conference on the latest challenges in astronomy communication and public outreach.

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The 2016 conference will have a different format from previous CAP conferences, changing the focus to a more practical approach. The Scientific Organizing Committee will be looking for hands-on activities, studies, and resources that the presenters can offer to the audience. Plenary talks will be combined with workshops in order to give participants the chance to learn new skills that they can then apply in their daily work. At the same time, attention will be given to increasing networking opportunities so that participants can identify potential partners or colleagues from whom they can learn in the longer term.

Until 25 January 2016, requests for oral presentations, posters, or workshops can be made via the abstract-submission form on topics such as these:

• Public engagement: Engaging with the general public; engaging with different age groups: children, teenagers, seniors, and different social groups; engaging with students and teachers outside the classroom; astronomy communication in South America; astronomy communication in the developing world; social media and new media best practices; outrageous outreach; co-creation; global networking in international campaigns; steps in developing a visitor center; using entertainment to communicate science; science and art projects; citizen science.
• Media relations: Writing press releases; talking with the media; what not to do when communicating with the media; how to gain popularity in the media with a low budget; media interviews; multimedia techniques.
• Challenges in astronomy communication: Issues management and crisis communication; talking with policy makers; low budget, high expectations; best practices in fundraising.

The procedure for submitting contributions follows a novel concept, where the participants construct their abstract on the fly by filling out questions about their aim, their target group, and what the audience will learn.

Registration can be done by filling out the registration form. The early registration fee will be $320 (US dollars) until 5 February 2016 and $230 for students. Standard registration fee will be $390 until 30 March and $280 for students. After 30 March 2016, a late registration fee will apply, of $440 and $320 for students. Grants will be offered for participants who need financial support to take part in the event.

Important dates:

• 30 October 2015: Registration and submission of abstracts opened
• 1 December 2015: Grant application opens
• 15 January 2016: Grant application deadline
• 25 January 2016: Submission of abstracts closes
• 5 February 2016: Last day to benefit from early registration fee
• 30 March 2016: Last day to benefit from standard registration fee
• Starting April 2016: Late registration fee

The conference is organised by IAU Commission C2: Communicating Astronomy with the Public, in cooperation with the Science Centre Parque Explora.

To stay updated with news about CAP 2016, please sign up to the conference mailing list and follow the CAP 2016 Facebook page.