A Call for Sessions invites potential organizers to propose entire program blocks such as symposia, panels, or workshops – including the topic, format, participating speakers, and didactic concept. It complements or replaces the traditional Call for Papers for individual contributions.
Also known as: Call for Symposia, Call for Panels
Typical for: Large professional congresses with thematic tracks
Submission requirements: Complete session concept including speakers
What is a Call for Sessions?
A Call for Sessions is an invitation for research groups, associations, or program committees to propose entire content blocks for a congress – meaning not just individual presentations, but complete sessions featuring multiple speakers, a moderator, and an overarching theme. It is typically used in addition to a Call for Papers , and sometimes as a replacement.
What needs to be submitted?
- Session title and thematic focus (e.g., "Artificial Intelligence in Pathology")
- Format and duration: Symposium, panel, workshop, roundtable; 60, 90, or 120 minutes
- List of proposed speakers including presentation titles and, if applicable, their respective abstracts
- Didactic concept: Learning objectives, target audience, level of interaction
- Justification of relevance to the congress theme
- Organizer/Chair including role and responsibilities
Distinction from the Call for Papers
Reviewing and selection
Sessions are generally not evaluated using a classic peer-review process; instead, they are selected by the program committee based on programmatic criteria: How well does the session fit the congress theme? Is the speaker lineup balanced? Are relevant perspectives covered? Follow-up questions and adjustments often take place before final acceptance.
Best practices
- Provide clear submission deadlines and templates for session concepts
- Explicitly state diversity criteria (gender, career stage, region, institution)
- Define the maximum number of speakers per session
- Assign clear responsibilities for session organizers
- Communicate acceptances early so speakers can plan their travel
Call for Sessions in Converia
Converia also supports complex submission formats: entire sessions can be submitted with all contribution details, learning objectives, and formats. The review and acceptance process takes place within the same platform as the Call for Papers.
From session concept to final program
With Converia, you can organize parallel calls – for individual presentations, sessions, and workshops – without media discontinuities, all within a consistent workflow.
- Call for Papers – Abstracts / Program / Speakers
- Abstract Management – Abstracts / Program / Speakers
- Scheduling – Abstracts / Program / Speakers
Run parallel calls for individual presentations and entire sessions – manage both formats in one system.