The BAM2017 Conference, hosted by the University of Warwick, took place from Tuesday 5th September to Thursday 7th September 2017. 940 delegates from 48 presented and discussed over 850 research papers at this year’s 31st Annual BAM Conference. During the course of the week, delegates participated in three days of stimulating and thoughtful discussion, debate and networking opportunities in the City of Coventry.
The BAM2017 Conference kicked off early on Tuesday morning with our new members attending the New Members’ Welcome Breakfast (sponsored by Wiley). New BAM Members were given the opportunity to meet other new members, BAM Executive and Council Members, BAM Fellows, SIG and Track Chairs. The speeches from Nic Beech (BAM Chair) and Anne Clare Gillon (Vice-Chair Special Interest Groups) a welcomed first-time attendees to the Conference and into the BAM Community. The main message was to ‘get involved, speak to people and enjoy both what you can give and receive from our wonderful community.’
24 Professional Development Workshops (PDWs; sponsored by Project Management Institute) were presented on Tuesday morning. The BAM Fellows Session ran alongside the PDWs and was titled 'The Future of Business Schools and Management Research: Key Challenges for Difficult Times' and consisted of Ken Starkey, (Chair), Andrew Pettigrew, Simon Collinson, Peter McKiernan and Jone Pearce.
The BAM2017 Conference saw delegates explore, discuss and debate the conference theme 'Re-connecting management research with the disciplines: Shaping the research agenda for the social sciences. '. The Opening Plenary saw a session on Behavioural Science led by Warwick Business School Professor Nick Chater. The plenary was titled 'From lab to world: How far can science of human behaviour shape policy and practice?'
BAM had a dedicated session for the Awards Ceremony which saw a number of BAM members recognised for their acheivements within the field of business and management and to the BAM community.
The evening networking events organised by the SIGs were well attended by delegates who caught up with old friends and colleagues, met new people with similar interests, and formed collaborative partnerships with scholars, policy makers and practioners within their field. These informal networking opportunities were a real highlight of the conference this year.
During the Conference sessions saw delegates engaging in debate and discussions raised by the presentations, share ideas and knowledge and receive feedback from fellow colleagues in their own field. Delegates had the benefit of choosing to attend sessions from the vast variety of topics and tracks available. The Conference showcased the highest quality of new research and provided opportunities for discussion, dissemination and networking for delegates.
The Gala Dinner on Wednesday evening boasted 450 delegates arriving at the Convetry Catherdral After a drinks reception and three-course dinner, a local band brought a highly enjoyable evening to a close with great music and lots of dancing.
