So, You Want to Propose a NIME…

NIME Leaders Workshop Facilitators

The provocation

A DM on the NIME forum…

NIME president, Fabio Morreale, just texted and YOU are running next year’s NIME. You’re up for it, but we need your proposal by tomorrow! What do you do?

  • Plan a NIME in an hour (seriously)
  • Not a dream conference: what could you actually run with the resources you have?

The tools you have

What goes in a proposal

https://github.com/NIME-conference/nime-hosting-proposal-template

  1. Host Institution
  2. General Chairs
  3. Proposed Theme
  4. Venue
  5. Dates
  1. Other Chairs
  2. Sustainability
  3. Diversity and Accessibility
  4. Budget
  5. Local Support

Misconceptions about hosting

Hosting is more achievable than it looks, once you know where the money and the work really go.

“Sponsors and grants pay for it.” Nope. It’s mostly registrations.

  • “Most pay full price.” Most register at concession rates: NIME is largely student authors.
  • “The work ends when the conference starts.” Music, proceedings, and hybrid all peak during the event.
  • “NIME needs a huge concert hall.” It’s run in rehearsal rooms, clubs, theatres, lecture halls, classrooms, foyers, and galleries. If people can hear the sound and see the screen, the venue is probably good enough.

The realities

The same facts as planning principles:

  • Finances: budget on real registration income, mostly concession; keep fixed costs low, don’t bank on sponsors.
  • Spaces: fit the conference to venues you can access; flexible, cheap spaces save the most money.
  • Resources: staff each phase with fresh people. No chair can sprint for six months, so name someone for music, proceedings, and hybrid.
  • Support: a motivated local team and institutional backing make it feasible.

Now it’s your turn

Plan a NIME: Start planning your NIME with the resources you (or your group) have. Fill in a post-it for each point in the proposal list:

  • Host Institution
  • General Chairs
  • Proposed Theme
  • Venue
  • Dates
  • Other Chairs
  • Sustainability
  • Diversity and Accessibility
  • Budget
  • Local Support

Pitch it back

Pitch (2m each): present your NIME to the room: theme, venue, dates, and how it pays for itself.

  • Former chairs reality-check against misconceptions, hidden supports, surprising constraints

References