SMAANZ 2025 Call for Submissions

SMAANZ invites submissions for presentation at the 31st Annual Conference, to be held December 3-5, 2025, in Auckland, New Zealand. Abstract submissions are welcome for work related to the conference themes listed below. After success in 2024, the conference organising committee is also accepting submissions for conference workshops related to professional development or contemporary issues. All submissions are due by June 30, 2025, 11:59 pm AEST through the online portal. Please note that no further extensions will be permitted. Results of submissions will be shared on July 31, 2025.

The submission portal is now OPEN.

Abstract Guidelines:

Authors can appear on up to 2 abstract submissions, except supervisors on first-author student submissions. In such cases, please indicate which author is the supervisor. At least one author must register by the conference early bird registration deadline (Tuesday 30th September 2025) to avoid exclusion from the conference programme. All abstracts submitted must contain original research that has not been previously presented or published; if the research is under review, it must not be published before the conference.

Conference themes and subthemes for Research Presentations include:

  • Conference Theme:  "Whiria te Tāngata" (which translates to "weave the people together" in Māori)
  • Sport Communication and Media
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Sport Management
  • Sport for Development
  • Sport Economics
  • Sport Governance
  • Sport Management (Event Management, Human Resource Management, Globalisation, Organisation Management, Organisational Behaviour, Leadership, Strategy)
  • Sport Marketing (Advertising, Branding, Consumer Behaviour, Sponsorship)
  • Socio-Cultural Perspectives in Sport Management
  • Research Methods in Sport Management
  • Sport Sustainability
  • Sport Management Teaching & Pedagogy
  • Technology & Innovation in Sport Management

Abstract Submission Format:

Abstracts must be 500 words or less (excluding title and author information). Abstracts should not include figures or tables. Include in-text citations following APA 7th edition, but no reference list is required. All abstracts must include relevant headings for:

  • Research Purpose/Question
  • Theoretical Background and Literature Review
  • Research Methodology (if applicable)
  • Results/Findings and Discussion (if applicable)
  • Contributions (if applicable)

Please include the full name(s) of the author(s) and institutional affiliation(s). Abstracts should not include figures or tables. Please use APA style for all referencing.

Authors may submit abstracts for one of the following categories:

  • Oral Presentations: Empirical, Methodological, Conceptual, or Teaching related scholarship. Format: 20-minutes (10-minute presentation; 10-minute question period).
  • Enlightening Talks: Pecha Kucha style presentation focused on current sport management issues (limited selection). Format: 20 slides with 20 seconds timed per slide.

Workshop Guidelines:

SMAANZ Workshops are designed as interactive, participatory learning spaces; not one-hour lectures or traditional paper presentations. These sessions should actively involve attendees in dialogue, activities, or applied thinking that engages them with the topic in meaningful ways. Workshop facilitators should plan to immerse the audience in discussion, problem-solving, or practical application, using techniques such as breakout discussions, live polling, collaborative brainstorming, role play, or reflective group tasks. All workshops are 60 minutes in length and must be designed to foster engagement from participants throughout.

Each author may appear on a maximum of one workshop submission. The organising committee will be accepting two types of workshop proposals:

Professional/Academic Development Workshops

These sessions are designed to build the skills and knowledge of early- and mid-career scholars. The focus should be on a specific research or teaching and learning topic, with the goal of enhancing professional practice.

Proposals must demonstrate:

  • How participants will be engaged (e.g. case-based activities, writing prompts, think-pair-share, peer feedback)

  • The value of the topic to the SMAANZ academic community

  • Relevant examples and developmental takeaways

  • Indicative topics might include: Writing Up Qualitative Research, Making Theoretical Contributions in Sport Management, or Designing Curriculums of the Future.

 ‘X’ and Sport Management Workshops (Limited Selection)

In these workshops, “X” is your chosen lens - a contemporary or critical concept to explore through a sport management frame.

These workshops must:

  • Introduce a novel, overlooked, or underrepresented issue

  • Engage a broad audience in interactive discussion or participatory tasks

  • Show clear connections between “X” and sport management research or practice

  • Indicative topics might include: Artificial Intelligence and Sport Management, Rivalry and Sport Management, or Emotions and Sport Management.

Workshop Submission Format (Max. 500 Words)

Submissions must clearly outline:

  • The topic and purpose of the session

  • The structure and format of the workshop

  • The interactive methods that will be used to engage the audience

  • Why the authors are well-positioned to deliver this workshop

Please do not include figures or tables. In-text citations should follow APA 7th edition (no reference list required). Include full names and institutional affiliations of all authors.