Atlas Summit 2016 The Atlas Society
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The Atlas Society
Atlas Summit 2016
CALL FOR PRESENTATION PROPOSALS
The Atlas Society is currently planning the Atlas Summit 2016, our annual summer
conference, continuing our “Summer Seminar” tradition.
While plans are not completely finalized, we intend to hold The Atlas Summit over one-and-
half days: July 12-13, 2016 at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The Atlas
Summit will be part of a major Atlas Society presence within FreedomFest, the largest pro-
freedom conference in the world.
To create the program for the Summit, we are soliciting proposals for lectures, courses,
workshops, artistic performances, exhibits and other program elements.
Because we video-record most sessions, we are especially looking for sessions that will make
engaging video products.
This document contains general information about the conference, descriptions of the
categories of material we are interested in seeing presented, and guidelines for proposals.
General Information
The Atlas Summit 2016 will be a one-and-half-day conference for people interested in Ayn
Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. We may add an additional day, Monday, July 11, for an
Objectivist Education program. But the main program will run Tuesday, July 12 through mid-
day on Wednesday, July 13 (The main FreedomFest program gets rolling the afternoon of
July 13). In addition, we expect to have an “Atlas Society Day” program of a few sessions
Friday, July 15, during the main FreedomFest program. Atlas Summit registration will be a
form of FreedomFest registration. All FreedomFest sessions will be open to Atlas Summit
registrants, and all FreedomFest registrants will be welcome at the Atlas Summit. We hope
this will greatly increase attention to our program and ideas. Atlas Summit attendees should
plan to arrive by Monday night, July 11 to ready for a full day July 12.
The primary features of each day’s schedule are lecture, performance, and workshop
sessions. There may be 15-20 sessions total, usually running 60 minutes each. We are also
willing to entertain proposals for shorter sessions or series of shorter sessions, say 30 minutes
total (including Q&A), which would be apt for video format.
We expect that from 150 to over 200 people will attend the main Atlas Summit program in
person.
The audience is diverse in background, interests, and level of knowledge. It includes college
and graduate students, professional and business people, retirees, and professional scholars.
Because of the size and diversity of the audience, TAS is seeking an equally diverse program,
with presentations that vary in subject matter, format, and level. But Objectivism and the
Objectivist world view are central to the whole program.
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! 1You can view videos of past Atlas Summit presentations online at www.atlassociety.org/as.
These showcase the variety and richness of the typical Atlas Summit program. The best Atlas
Summit presentations end up reaching an audience of thousands or tens of thousands over the
internet, and we are looking for proposals that will excite a broad audience about Objectivist
ideas.
Atlas Summit proposals will be selected on the basis of their intellectual merit, appeal to the
expected audience, and fit with the overall program. The FreedomFest theme for 2016 is
“Freedom Rising.” The Atlas Society is focused on the core foundations of freedom and
personal happiness: reason, achievement, and ethical self-interest.
We are particularly interested in speakers who can offer two or more talks or offer a mini-
course covering two or more sessions. Speakers are typically compensated with a registration
waiver for the Atlas Summit and an honorarium. This year, registration includes all of
FreedomFest as well. In some cases, travel funds and room and board at the conference are
also provided.
Please send an electronic copy of your proposal to:
William Thomas, Atlas Summit Conference Director
Email: conferencedirector@atlassociety.org
William Thomas Tel: (202) 370-6880 (Call between 8am and 9pm Eastern.)
Please submit proposals by December 21, 2015.
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! 2Program Categories
Philosophy
Lectures in this category deal with issues in philosophy, including the history of ideas and
philosophical aspects of other subjects such as psychology, literature, etc. Presentations in the
Philosophy track include, but are not limited to:
• Core principles and topic areas in Objectivism
• The extension of the philosophy to new areas and issues. These presentations
should reflect knowledge both of the relevant Objectivist philosophical
principles and of the subject area to which they are being applied.
• Surveys of other thinkers, historical (e.g., Aquinas, Mill, Sartre, Russell,
Freud) or contemporary (e.g., Richard Rorty, Peter Singer); or of systems of
thought such as existentialism, evolutionary psychology, or secular
humanism. These presentations should contrast the thinker's views with
Objectivism.
Politics and Culture
This category includes commentary and analysis from an Objectivist point of view on
political and social issues, on history, and on intellectual and cultural trends.
We are looking for cultural analyzes of social phenomena such as: the new explosion in
online education, the increase in female leadership in politics and business, generational
differences in ethical traits such as honesty or dutifulness, or the dominance of ironic humor
in American culture, to name just a few.
The ideal presentation will reflect solid understanding of the specific issue or field and will
offer a genuine insight or new perspective on the issue. Presentations that reflect a
distinctively Objectivist approach are preferred.
Applied Objectivism/Art of Living
Presentations in this category put Objectivist principles into action, applying them to
practical life issues and problems, such as:
• Personal concerns such as goal-setting and priorities, relationships, inner life and self-
esteem, thinking effectively, communication skills, raising children, health, etc.
• Business and professional issues involved in pursuing careers and interacting with
people in the workplace
• Ideas for effective political and cultural activism
• Ways of addressing spiritual needs and enriching the experience of Objectivism as a
way of life through ceremonies, motivational practices, and communities
• Lessons and workshops on writing, acting, dancing, exercise, and other areas in which
participants may wish to develop their abilities
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! 3Arts and Aesthetics
Atlas Summit participants have a strong interest in art. Any form of art—from music and
dance, to the visual arts, to literature, theater, and film—is an appropriate subject.
Presentations in this category can include:
• Issues in aesthetic theory, such as the standards of art criticism
• Historical or contemporary trends in art
• Specific works that would be of interest to our audience
• Appreciation: instruction in how to enjoy and/or evaluate art
• Artistic performances, readings, and exhibitions
• Ayn Rand as a literary artist
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! 4Atlas Summit Proposal Guidelines
Please state your name, contact information, and the session title.
Class size: Because of the large number of participants expected, few sessions will be
plenary. In many cases, two presentations will be scheduled simultaneously. Proposals should
state their preferred audience in the range of 40-150 people. Workshops may be smaller. We
particularly need to know of any session size limits.
Number of Sessions and Session Length: The standard session length will be 60 minutes,
including question and answer period. It is essential that topics be delimited and structured
so that the presentation itself takes no more than 45 minutes, leaving ample time for the
question and answer period. We are also exploring sessions of 30 minutes, with a Ted-esque
20 minutes for the presentation, and 10 minutes for Q&A. Please let us know which format
you prefer or require.
For material that requires more time than one session, we can schedule double-length
sessions or mini-courses of 2-3 separate sessions, so don't hesitate to propose something
interesting!
Blurb, Bio, and Photo for Promotion: please include
1. A brief statement advertising your presentation (100 words in total). This
should include a catchy blurb promoting the presentation content and a
brief biographical note (25 words or so) that speaks to your qualifications.
If your proposal is accepted, we will edit your statement for use in our
promotional materials and may make editorial changes as we see fit.
2. Please provide a high-resolution, electronic photograph suitable for
publicity that we could use in our advertisements for the conference.
Audience: Please describe as clearly as possible the nature of the audience you envision,
including their level of knowledge about your subject matter, the nature of their interest in
that subject, and the benefit your presentation would confer on them. Atlas Summit sessions
vary in level from the introductory (suitable for those with minimal exposure to Objectivism
and to your topic) to the advanced (requiring some prior familiarity with the field). It is very
important that we know the level you propose to address so we can plan a balanced program.
Full Explanation of your Topic: Elaborating on the brief description in the abstract and bio
(above), please tell us the details of your planned presentation, including an explanation of
how the topic relates to Objectivism. Please include an outline of the main points of the
presentation.
Elaboration about your qualifications: To help us evaluate your proposal, please provide
any information in addition to your short promotional bio that would help us understand your
background in the field on which you would be speaking and your experience as a teacher,
public speaker, or performer.
If you aren't sure what to propose, feel free to discuss your ideas with us!
And don't forget: proposals are due by December 21, 2015.
www.atlassociety.org
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