At the General Board Meeting in Berlin in 2023, EAGT reached a turning point.
The complexity of the relationship between the triennial EAGT conference and its local host raised meaningful questions : Who owns the conference? Who carries responsibility? And how is accountability shared?
A working group looked at the matter, throughout 2024, recognising that the conference is more than an event, that it is a central expression of EAGT’s identity, values and the membership voice. A members think tank, a membership survey and extensive dialogue took place and were analysed. This collective effort concluded by the GMM decision to establish an elected Conference Committee (CoCo), equal to all other elected committees.
CoCo is briefed to define what co-ownership of EAGT conferences truly means – conceptually, and practically. The committee is tasked with developing a clear and inclusive strategy for all conference-related activities, one that honours their autonomy while corresponding with EAGT’s vison, values and community.
The 2026 triennial conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia has been defined as an experiment: a step towards clarifying and understanding collaboration, co-creation and shared ownership. It is an opportunity to rethink how strength, labour and creativity are distributed within our conference culture.
CoCo actively safeguards both the autonomy of individual conferences organisers and their meaningful integration into the life of EAGT as a membership led organisation and the wider field..
Beyond vision and strategy, CoCo engages with the practical aspects of the Conferences like financial frameworks, shared scheduling, coordination with conferences across the field, and attention to timing, holidays and care for diversity.
We believe in and are guided by attention to:
- Members’ voices
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Inclusivity ,
- Commitment to academic and professional quality
- Collaboration with local hosts of ‘The Conference’ and committees initiating smaller conferences
Through this work, CoCo seeks to ensure that the EAGT conferences remain a place of exchange, develop a growing shared, ethical and forward-looking space that reflects who we are – and who we aspire to become.