Geography Conference

Geographers from around the world will be coming together in NewcastleGateshead for The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference in 2022.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2022 will be held at Newcastle University between Tuesday 30 August and Friday 2 September 2022. The conference usually attracts just over 2,000 attendees from around the world, with a third coming from outside the UK.

The conference promotes the importance of international collaboration in geography within research, scholarship, teaching and field science, and the value of sharing ideas and perspectives widely.

Dr Sarah Evans, Research and Collections Engagement Manager at The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), said: “Our annual international conference brings together researchers from around the world to share their research and network with colleagues. Over three days of keynote lectures, presentations, workshops, discussions and more, geographers and those working in related disciplines, come together to discuss the pressing issues of our time.

“Having postponed our planned 2020 conference to 2021 in London, we are really delighted to be bringing the annual conference to Newcastle in 2022. We know both the university and the city will be welcoming hosts, and we are keen for our delegates to see all that Newcastle has to offer. We’ll also be working with the team at Newcastle to facilitate virtual and remote participation from colleagues who can’t join us in person.”

The conference will be based on Newcastle University’s main campus with multiple breakout rooms being used for smaller sessions over the three days.

Dr Stuart Dawley, Head of Geography at Newcastle University, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Royal Geographical Society’s Annual International Conference to the city in 2022. Recognised as the largest annual academic geography conference in Europe, with over 2,000 delegates from 60 countries, we are naturally very excited to host this prestigious event at Newcastle University. The event promises to be one of the largest conferences ever held at the university.

“Newcastle University represents one of the United Kingdom’s great civic, research-intensive universities. We exist for the public benefit, to advance education, learning and research. By hosting the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Annual International Conference, we look to build upon this tradition and demonstrate our geographical sensibilities both globally and locally.

“Having recently celebrated our 90th anniversary, Geography at Newcastle University draws on a very strong heritage that is passionate about supporting the development of the broader geographical community. As we look to our future, we very much value this opportunity to further deepen our connections with the Royal Geographical Society – the UK's learned society and professional body for geography.

“On being named hosts for the 2022 conference, we would also like to thank NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau for their ongoing support in developing our bid.”

The RGS-IBG Annual Conference chose NewcastleGateshead as host for 2022 after a joint bid from Newcastle University and NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau.

Paul Szomoru, Director of Business Events at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, added: “Newcastle University is renowned for its strengths in geographical research and teaching, making it a fitting venue for the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2022.

“It’s reassuring to see that international associations are still planning for the future - there is definitely a desire to meet when it is safe to do so, and they still very much see the importance of human interaction to best facilitate collaborate and collective learning. It’s also brilliant to see the RGS-IBG looking into how they make this a hybrid event so people can engage remotely.”

Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain, said: “NewcastleGateshead is one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse destinations and The Royal Geographical Society annual international conference could not be in better hands. It is through key event wins such as this that we are able to demonstrate our world-class visitor experience and outstanding business events offering. By promoting our regional gateways alongside the outstanding venues, attractions and experiences that are available across the country, we ensure the UK remains a competitive destination in the global business events marketplace.”