The preliminary program for the 2008 HES Conference in Toronto, 27-30  
June, is now posted at

http://historyofeconomics.org/Conference08/2008Program.htm

Please have a look, and let us know ([log in to unmask]) of any mistakes  
or changes for your own papers and abstracts.

Many of you have shared the frustration at conferences of not being  
able to attend sessions in which you are interested, because harried  
conference organizers (always!) have unknowingly scheduled you as  
discussants or chairs at competing sessions. In an attempt to enhance  
your conference experience, we are asking for you to suggest up to 2  
papers you would be interesting in discussing, and up to 2 sessions  
you would be willing to chair. We will do our best to match  
preferences and assignments, and hopefully have more of you at the  
sessions in which you are most interested. Please respond (again to [log in to unmask]) by the end of April. (We have to admit this will 
also make our  organizing job easier.)  Preference-matching will 
only go so far, so we thank you in advance for taking on whatever 
roles you are ultimately assigned.

In order to encourage audience participation, we are suggesting the  
following guidelines. Each paper/discussant combination generally has  
30 minutes in total. Presenters should aim for 15 minutes (20  
maximum), and discussants should aim for no more than 5 minutes. That  
will ideally leave 5 minutes for audience questions. Papers will be  
posted to the website at they are submitted, so interested audience  
members will have the opportunity to look at papers in advance of  
presentations.

To further discussion, we will be creating online discussion boards  
for each session, so questions that don?t get answered or raised in  
person can be pursued after the session and after the conference.  
Discussants may, if they wish, also post their remarks to the  
discussion boards.

The deadline for discounted rates on registration is also 30 April, so  
be sure to submit your registration form before then.

Avi Cohen
Conference Organizer

Deborah Groves
Conference Coordinator