The 2025 conference will be held May 30–31, 2025, with pre-conference events on Thursday, May 29 and a workshop on Sunday, June 1.
The conference takes place on the beautiful University of British Columbia (UBC) campus. The campus is situated on the Point Grey Peninsula and is surrounded by forests on three sides and ocean on the fourth. During your stay, you can take in lovely beaches and hiking trails, or take a 30-minute bus ride to Vancouver’s downtown core.
Program
The programming team has pulled together an array of speakers from the indexing community, including
- Kim Christie, a B.C. Hansard indexer, guides us through a roadmap to parliamentary debate
- Michelle Guiliano: X Marks the Spot when uncovering the right rate for your indexing services
- Emma Johnson will share a flow chart she developed to help with tricky decision-making for passing mentions
- Elizabeth Bartmess, on AI…where you can use it and where you shouldn’t!
- Max McMaster challenges us with an interactive session on indexing conundrums, those “what do I do now” dilemmas
- Jola Komornicka chairs a star-studded panel: X-Men United, Indexers Divided?: A roundtable on differing approaches to indexing the same text
Special guest speakers include
- Rhonda Kronyk, Project Coordinator for the Indigenous Editors Association, editor, and public speaker, delivers the keynote address, with a focus on the 2nd edition of Gregory Younging’s Elements of Indigenous Style
- Natalie Grant, Assistant Professor of Teaching in UBC Faculty of Medicine, Physical Therapy, will lead us through exercises we can do to keep our muscles and tendons fit and free.
Special events in Friday’s program include the Annual General Meeting in the afternoon and the Awards Banquet on Friday evening.
The conference committee is also planning a pre-conference activity for Thursday evening. This will be an opportunity to connect with new indexers and renew friendships and acquaintances.
Sunday Workshop
On Sunday, early afternoon, Stephen Ullstrom returns with his popular (and all new!) Live Indexing workshop. The text will likely be a trade book, this time round, with time reserved for the editing process. Registration limited to 15 people. This workshop is in addition to the conference but you can register for it at the same time.
Fireside Chat
This one hour session is a conference extra that takes place Thursday afternoon with Alexandra Peace. New indexers are invited to ask their burning questions on transitioning from student to practising indexer. This session is in addition to the conference, but you can register for it at the same time.
Accommodations
UBC offers accommodations for every budget. Suites, studios and multi-bedroom apartments are conveniently close to the conference meeting rooms in the Walter Gage Residence.
The following rates are available only to conference attendees. These rates are available from May 26 to June 4, allowing a more affordable extended stay.
Gage Premium Single – $65
Perfect for a group of friends or colleagues.
The Gage Premium Single is a private bedroom with a single bed in a 4-bedroom shared apartment. The accommodation includes a shared bathroom, lounge with flat-panel TV, communal equipped kitchenette with breakfast bar, and complimentary coffee. Located in the Walter Gage Residence, the same building as the conference venue.
To ensure you are booked into the same apartment as friends, write their names into the comment space on the online booking form. To look for roommates, consider using the listservs (e.g., ISC-L for ISC/SCI members and/or IDG for the greater indexing community).
Gage Studio – $220
Private studio with queen-sized bed, equipped kitchenette, and air conditioning. Maximum 2 guests per studio.
Located in the Walter Gage Residence, the same building as the conference venue.
West Coast Suite – $295
Hotel suite with king-sized bed in the bedroom, queen-sized sofa bed in the living room, fully-equipped kitchen with microwave, flat-panel TV, complimentary coffee, and air conditioning. Rate is based on single or double occupancy, with $25 per night for each additional guest. Maximum 4 guests per suite.
Located next to the conference venue, just 62 meters away.
Rates and booking policy
The rates above are subject to 13% tax (GST and PST). Check-in time is 3 p.m., check-out time is 11 a.m. Reservations must be guaranteed with one of these credit cards: VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. Should the reservation be cancelled within 24 hours of your arrival, you will be charged for one night.
Booking instructions
As a conference registrant, you will receive the booking code and a link to the booking form with your confirmation email. Consider booking quickly, as late May is a popular time of year and rooms quantities are limited.
Parking
Limited parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to a daily fee.
Conference Pricing and Registration
Coming soon.