It is possible that I am abnormally stupid and/or ignorant but evidence suggests that I am, in fact, quite normally stupid and/or ignorant so I think this is a design problem rather than "user error." (See Don Norman's 'Design of Everyday Things' for a good discussion of that distinction.)
<tirade>
I would suggest that people writing announcements for seminars, conferences, meetings, etc. might be advised to provide information about physical location early in the announcement and to do so with the realization that others don't share your knowledge base about yourself. Assume, for a moment, that even though WXYZ is the acronym for the organization that is the center of your universe, others may need a hint that it is, indeed, the Western Xylophone Yelling Zealots and that it is the largest organization of vibe player/rhetoricians in West Los Angeles.
Also assume that, even though the initials of your university are clearly printed on the sweatshirts worn by 83.47% of your undergraduates--thus should be understood throughout the universe--some people are just plain ignorant. (It's true. For example, in my part of the world--North Carolina, USA--some people seem to think that USC is the University of South Carolina when anybody with a lick of sense knows that USC is the University of Southern California--a university mainly known for being the crosstown rivals of UCLA.)
Providing indication of the country where an event is located (even if you know that the ABCD seminar is always held in Barrows, Alaska) before forcing people to read seven paragraphs would be a kindness. Believe it or not, some people who live on another continent also lack the budget to fly around the world on a week's notice.
Indicating prominently on a call for papers that successful submitters will need to be at the peak of Mount Fitzroy in Patagonia on December 21, 2013 to deliver their papers might allow people who really hate long days to move on to the next announcement.
</tirade>
Gunnar
Gunnar Swanson
East Carolina University
graphic design program
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/soad/graphic/index.cfm
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Gunnar Swanson Design Office
1901 East 6th Street
Greenville NC 27858
USA
http://www.gunnarswanson.com
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+1 252 258-7006
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