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Call for papers: RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2012, 3-5 July, University of
Edinburgh

Sponsored by the Economic Geography Research Group

Session convenors:
Lech Suwala (Humboldt-University Berlin)
Dominic Power (Uppsala University)
Bastian Lange (Humboldt-University Berlin)

SESSION TITLE -
Field-configuring Events – Evolution, Structuring or Dissolution of
Cultural and Creative Industries through temporary spatial proximity

Field configuring events (FCEs), sometimes also referred to as field
maintaining events (FMEs) (Dobusch et al. 2010), is a relatively new
approach in considering dynamic aspects of field emergence, structuring
and declining mechanisms, which evolved out of research on institutional,
organizational, and professional fields (Davis / Marquis 2005). FCE,
broadly defined, represent temporary social organizations such as
tradeshows, professional gatherings, technology contests, and business
ceremonies.

These FCE can be understood as gatherings in which people from diverse
backgrounds and with different purposes assemble on a one-time, sporadic,
irregular or periodically basis in order to reveal new products, develop
industry standards, create social networks,acknowledge accomplishments,
share and interpret information, or execute business(Lampel / Meyer 2008).
At the same time, they embody a critical and understudied mechanism
shaping the emergence and developmental trajectories of these industries,
markets, professions, and technologies. Research on FCEs is still at an
early stage. Most pioneering work has been done by scholars from
management and organization studies (Farjoun 2002, Meyer et al.2005 etc.).
Interestingly, this approach can open up new possibilities in economic
geography when considering the – so far understudied – dynamics of
creative fields (esp. Scott 1999,2006, 2010) or to put in other words FCEs
in cultural and creative industries. Theexisting research, on the one
hand, confirms this view that events such as art fairs and biennales, film
and music festivals are important within creative fields (Entwistle /
Rocamora 2006, Anand / Jones 2008, Delacour / Leca 2011). On the other
hand, this literature almost entirely neglects the spatial dimension. Only
very few authors made contributions from a specific spatial perspective
(Lange 2011, Sedini 2011).

Conventional FCE are fairs and festivals. They share four common
characteristics according to Moeran / Pedersen (2011): First of all, they
are spatially bounded, that meansthey are usually surrounded by a
particular location – whether in an indoor exhibition hall, park, or
around a town or city, or a combination there of. Secondly, the are
temporarily bounded in terms of duration and regularity. Thirdy, they are
socially bounded bringing together people who are closely involved in the
production or consumption of the exhibited products and services. Forthly,
they are functionally unbounded meaning that they serve multiple purposes.
Some of these issues have been intensively investigated upon in economic
geography with respect to trade fairs as temporary clusters in
manufacturing industries by Bathelt and surrounding scholars (f.e. Maskell
et al 2004, Bathelt / Zakszewski 2007, Bathelt/ Schuldt 2010, Schuldt /
Bathelt 2011. Nevertheless, there is almost no research – with few
exceptions (f.e. Power /Jansson 2008) – in economic geography on the
emegence, structuring or dissolution of such temporal gatherings in
cultural and creative industries (f.e. design fairs, music or movie
festivals etc.).

Moreover, many FCEs in cultural and creative industries do not neccessary
share the above mentioned characterists as FCEs can take place in virtual
contexts or without specific time and space frames.

Against this background and in order to introduce this approach in
economic geography,we encourge to participate in this special session.
Studies to be presented should include one or more of the following
aspects:

a) Theorizing FCE or FME from a spatial perspective by approaches related
to the emergence, structuring, institutionalization, decline or
deinstitutionalization of those fields.

b) Proposing new methodologies for investigating FCE through dynamic
concepts of collecting data (f.e. temporary proximity measures).

c) Introducing studies with empirical evidence on the spatial importance
of constituting FCE that contribute to the formation of new emerging
fields, maintaining mature fields or dissolutions of fields in cultural
and creative industries.

d) Developing implications for local and regional governments how to
attract FCE in order to agglomerate international participants and spur
the local economy.


We invite you to present a paper in this session. Please submit an
abstract of up to 300 words to Lech Suwala ([log in to unmask]),
Dominic Power ([log in to unmask]) or Bastian Lange
([log in to unmask]) by 27th January 2012.

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-- 
Dipl.-Vw. Dipl.-Geogr. Lech Suwala

Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin
Unter den Linden 6, 10099
Tel: (030) 2093-6861
Fax: (030) 2093-6853
Sitz: Rudower Chaussee 16
Raum 5'102

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