Guidance for presenters at the conference
The submission portal for the conference programme is now open.
Review our guidance on contribution limits, eligibility criteria, and how you can submit your paper proposal or abstract.
This year's Chair's theme is Geographies of inequalities: towards just places. We welcome submissions for the conference programme which engage directly with the theme, as well as others focusing on all areas of geography.
By submitting a proposal for the conference programme, you agree to abide by the conference code of conduct.
- If you are planning to organise a session, please see our guidance for session organisers.
If you have any questions, please contact ac2026@rgs.org, or check our frequently asked questions about the conference.
We are looking forward to receiving your proposals for papers and posters at the Annual International Conference 2026!
Contribution limits
- Delegates will be limited to ONE paper presentation and ONE panel/workshop contribution, OR TWO panel/workshop contributions. The role of discussant is included as a panel/workshop contribution.
- If a contribution has its own title and abstract, it counts as a 'paper' for this purpose.
- A single paper may only be presented once at the conference.
- We cannot guarantee to resolve all timetable clashes for non-presenting co-authors where they are involved in multiple sessions.
- Sessions can be in-person, hybrid or online. For organised sessions, the session organiser(s) will decide on the session format, consulting with the session contributors, and by final agreement with the conference organisers.
- We reserve the right to move individual papers submitted via the open call to an online format to ensure the best sessions.
Eligibility to contribute
We welcome attendance and participation from all members of the geographical and related communities/disciplines and other interested parties.
- All programme contributors, except non-attending co-authors, must register to attend the conference by the early bird registration deadline of Friday 19 June 2026, and pay the appropriate registration fee.
- You do not need to be a Society Fellow or Member to attend (though discounted registration is available for our members).
- You do not need to be a member of a Research Group to propose a contribution to a Research Group sponsored session.
- International delegates are especially welcome to propose a contribution to an organised session, or to organise a session.
Participation for students under 18
Given the content and nature of the Annual International Conference, most student attendees are typically at postgraduate level.
If you are a student under 18 interested in participating in the conference, contact us at ac2026@rgs.org to discuss this before submitting a proposal or registering.
Waived registration fees for eligible delegates
Some delegates, particularly those from low-income countries, may be eligible to be invited by a Society Research Group to receive waived registration fees as a Research Group guest.
Please contact the Research Group sponsoring your session, or the conference organisers, for more information.
Applications must be submitted by the Chair of the Research Group in question.
The scheme will open for applications in early 2026.
Submission routes for paper proposals
Sessions convened by Research Groups and independent organisers
All prospective delegates are welcome to submit a paper proposal to any of the sessions advertised.
Please note that each call for contributions has its own deadline (generally much earlier than the main deadline of Friday 6 March 2026), and own process for submitting a paper proposal. Please read the call carefully and direct any questions to the session organisers.
If your paper proposal to an organised session is unsuccessful, you are encouraged to re-submit the paper proposal for an 'open' session, as below.
More information on advertised calls for papers will be coming soon.
'Open' call for papers - sessions convened by the Society's conference planning committee
The organisers will use paper titles, abstracts and keywords to group submissions into themed sessions, and arrange a Chair for the session.
Subject to scheduling limitations and the contribution limits, the organisers do their best to accept all appropriate papers submitted to open sessions for the conference.
Posters will be considered for in-person participation only. Guidelines for preparing posters will be provided to accepted poster presenters nearer to the conference.
Other practical information
- We do not publish a proceedings of conference, either online or in print. The conference organisers therefore do not require authors to submit their full paper to us before or after the conference.
- Session chairs or convenors may request a copy of the paper/presentation from authors to help with discussion in the session, but this is at their discretion.
- Successful proposals, including the names and affiliations of session contributors, will be made public via our website and will be kept on record as part of our historical archive.
- If authors require confirmation of paper acceptance, for example for funding applications, please contact ac2026@rgs.org for assistance.
Submit your paper proposal online
All paper proposals should be submitted through the 2026 Ex Ordo online portal.
You will be prompted to log in to the portal. If it is your first time submitting via Ex Ordo, you will be prompted to set a password.
Important note: please use the same email address/Ex Ordo account for all your submissions and to register for the conference.
Submitting an abstract to a panel/organised session
Once your contribution has been accepted by by the session organisers, they will send you a direct link to their panel in the system or they will submit this on your behalf.
Submitting an abstract to the open call
To submit your abstract in the online portal, choose the 'Submit your abstract' option on the homepage and follow the instructions.